Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1899-11-07

! near by and was, in fact, expecting
that kind of an acoustic event. He is
not altogether devoid of logic and he
! figured that Mr.. Leitch at the earliest
! possible opportunity would hold a con-
versation with Mr. Dunbar. Imagin-
ing that he would be one of the sub
! jects of that conversation General
/ Sherman, as an interested party of the
! third part. believed it would be no
! infringement of etiquette to listen to
! what he could hear. He did not eX-
! pect to hear anything fattering enough
| to make his heart burst with pride, but
/ he was hardly prepared to hear Mr..
! Leitch Sticking Mr.. Dunbar on him
! some more, after having just promised
| to call him off. 1t was thus brought tc
| the guileless General Sherman that
! there are some men not to be trusted.
It was a cruel blow to one
fresh from the droppings of tine
sanctuary, SCATTERING his faith in
! his kind. In an instant the
whole nature of General Sherman was
! changed. From man who, conscious of
J his own righteousness had habitually
! believed in all mankind, he became at
| once narrow and suspicious. He re-
| solved to never again trust any man
/ farther than he could throw bull Dy
| the tail. While this reorganization of
the soul of General Sherman was going
! On the conversation between Mr.
Leitch and Mr.. Dunbar was proceed
| ing. They We're saying things about
! him which, if proven true on trial after
| I proper Indictment, would have been
| followed by a motion for a new trial.
And he says" telephoned Mr..
Leitch, he don't care a damn what
! he papers say about him; he says ne
I never reads EN-, but 1 noticed he was
worried He's a damn liar" tele-
! Ohoned r Dunbar in reply. He
+ does car he reads 'em all. Why.
Leitch, that time the San Francisco
Call was after him in that Pacific
bank affair ne was damn near crazy.
The Call kept him up nights walking
he floor, tearing his hair and
threatening to commit suicide Damn
him, he told me he was going to COM
nit suicide. He's a"
YOU'RE a God damn liar, John
Dunbar, and you daresn't say that to
ny face. There isn't a man in town
! lares to say it, This was the be-
ginning of the burning out of the tele
phone wire. 1t was General Sherman.
/ disregarding the sacred character of
! he day and the sanctity of Col.
Christy's home, where such language
1ad never been heard, breaking into
he conversation between Mr.. Leitch
and Mr.. Dunbar.
Then ensued a rrrr, st st, s
:. z 1t of the wire, mingled with pro-
family and sounds like a man jumping
Up and cracking his heels together and
striking the palm of one hand with the
fist Of the other. General Sherman
seemed TO be laboring under intense
excitement. Mr.. Leitch tainted and
was heard no more. Mr.. Dunbar was
! lazed for a minute. In the meantime
General Sherman recovered the use Of
his vocal organs and got a procession
Of language started over the wire. He
talked so fast and SO loud that Mr..
Dunbar, who had succeeded in collect
ing himself was unable to cut in for
some time. Finally General Sherman
stopped to get his breath and Mr..
Dunbar seized the wire. Damn you
Sherman" said he. You say l
can tell you this to your face? 1
can tell you this and damned sight
more you don't want to hear. You
know now what people think of you"
Thus the destruction of the wire con-
| tinued. Mr.. Dunbar's use of it was
even less gentle than General Sher-
mans had been. He loaded it with a
cargo of profanity, personal opinion
and recrimination. He reminded Cen
aral Sherman of his many past mis-
| leeds and the general unbeautifulness
IF his character and reputation.
Now" he said, you've got an honest
expression by eavesdropping. That's
, what every eavesdropper gets. You
know now what people think of you.
l don't mind telling you what I think.
III tell it to you to your face or tele-
graph it to you or send it in a letter or
let you know by telephone, you dam
old eavesdropper. Il was not caves
dropping" replied General Sherman.
Il was trying to get General Aims
worth / didn't want your old wire.
Ring off, damn you" Mr.. Dunbar
didn't ring off Immediately but reiter-
ated his former observations so that
the general wouldn't forget them. He
kept on until his wife pulled him away
from the telephone, reminding him
that some lady visitors in an adjoin-
ing room were scared and We're hur-
riedly putting on their things to
leave. But the wreck Of the wire was
now complete.
Mr.. Leitch came to town yesterday
afternOon still pale. He seemed like
another man. He had been exposed
tie was not the milk and water and
1cquiescent newspaper proprietor he
had been supposed to be. but on the
other hand the dictator of a more Wig
orous policy than his colleague. He is
dissatisfied with the Sunset telephone
system. I'm going to have mine taken
out" he said. why. a man trying to
talk on the q. t. over the wire might
as well hold a mass meeting and adj
vertise it for a week"