Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-03-02
!: JIMMIE'S
AMBITION.
BY LESTER L. LOCKWOOD.


nails in."
Sam Simmins vaulted the low fence,
and, standing with his hands in his
pockets, watched Jim few moments.
Then he gave an amused whistle. 81
say, Jim, there's nothing like having
conveniences to work with. Now, if
1 were to build chicken coop I
should be silly enough to use new
wire eightpennies and steel-tipped
hammer; but daresay I'm quite be-
hind the times, and that assorted sizes
of bent and rusty nails and slippery
stone to drive them in with are the
latest improved Implements sort of
renaissance in carpentry, eh?"
"Not exactly" replied Jim, laugh
ing, "but it gives you chance to air
that French pronunciation that you
had to stay for after school for last
night So there's some good comes
from my impoverished resources; after
all, that was the phrase L struck on
yesterday"
"Don't Miss Lamb put us through
the definitions and pronunciations for
all they are worth, though? Father
says if this thing keeps up he'll have
to buy new dictionary before the
year is out--such wear on ii, you know.
But, to resume the original theme,
what are you going to put in your
coop when it is done?"
"That is also Miss Lambs doing.
You see, she knows all about my
poultry craze knows I'm saving up
to go into the chicken business, L
mean-and yesterday she showed me
chance to begin. The folks where
she boards are regular chicken cranks,
you know-fne stock, incubators, and
all that. Well, yesterday she heard
Mrs. Jansen says that she had hen
so determined to set that she couldn't
break her up, and that she'd sell her
very cheap to get rid of her. So Miss
Lamb told her about me, and she
offered to sell me the hen and set
ting of fifteen eggs-all good stock,
too, mind you-for 81. Don't you
call that layout now?"
'"Tis, for fact. And you happen
ed to have the dollar?"
eyes; I've saved up 81. Is, and if 1
can get the coop done I'm going after
school tonight for the hen."
"And 1 suppose you will buy
bicycle with the proceeds? But that
doesn't explain why you are using
rusty nails and stone hammer"
"Why, you see, our hammer is lost,
as usual. Some of the children are
always getting away with it, and 1
can't afford tospend my extra Is cents
on nails. That has to go for chicken
feed, and I don't know when I'll have
chance to earn any more. So I'm
drawing these nails out of the boxes
on the kindling pile. They are really
mine, you know. 1 worked for them
at Mr.. Lakes grocery last vacation
''Going into business on strictly
cash basis, eh?"
"Yes, sir-ee That's my ticket,
every time"
"Been reading the life of Rockefel-
ler and all those penniless-boy mil
lionaires, L supposed"
Jim flushed.
"Well, that's the way to begin, any,
how" he said, sturdily, wrenching
at stubborn nail with the cold chisel;
"but I do wish they wouldn't always
lose the hammer
"Why don't you wait till it turns
up?"
''Too much risk. You must make
hay while the sun Shines, you know
in other words, set hens while
they're in the notion
"Going into the poultry business
with one hen is too slow for me. I'm
going to Klondike as soon as school is
out, and when l strike it rich in mines
you'll be puttering away with an old
clucking hen and half-dozen scrawny
chickens"
Cali right" responded Jim,
cheerily. ''It may be slow, but "a
bird in the hand is worth two in the
bush. >"
(which, being translated, means
"a hen in the coop is worth two mines
in the ground, suppose?"
"That's about the size of it. But
say, Sam, before you start for Klon-
dixie won't you please hand me that
stone lying at your feet-the smooth
one that looks like petrified potato?
This loose granite chips off so.'
'It does look like potato-the
white elephant variety" said Sam,
tossing the stone to Jim.
''Thank you. This will make a
fine hammer-so hard and smooth
"Ha! Ha! Ha! I should say sol"
for at the first stroke on the rusty nail
head the stone broke in two, one half
falling to the ground and the nail head
grazing Jim's hand. As he turned
his hand over to examine the scratch
the broken surface of the stone
caught his eye. He gave loud
whistle.
''Look here, Sam. Stop your laugh
ing and see what is inside your white
elephant potato"
With that keen interest in ''speci-
mems" which is the natural birthright
of every Rocky Mountain boy. Sam
stepped eagerly forward.
''Geode?"