The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-07-04

and net = Pct LEcIer ever hesitated where
this .cio led the way.
The committee went directly into ex-
ecutiVe session and laid all necessary plans
to gather the largest crowd of men ever
collected in Pot Luck and march in q body
down to the Gap or the morning Of the
Fourth, row ten days away.
The ditch and fiune long contemplated
by the Pot Luck miners was suddenly
foand to be an Immediate necessity, and
word was sent down to the valleys and to
neghboring camps that 200 extra men
were wanted to begin work upon it July l.
Not tramp came to town but was offer
ed n chance to do light work for his board
until after the Fourth a move which of
itself almost doubled the population of
the town, the news spreading with such
mysterious rapidity that every Weary
Watkins within its reach quickly turned
his face toward Pot Luck as the Mecca he
long had sought Pot Luck knew the Gap
never figured upon entertaining more
than 500 or 600 people at the most and
determined to muster at least that number
in its invading host.
Less than a week before the Fourth
that the Gapers might not have time to
discover the trap set for them, Pot Luck
sent this reply to their invitation, an epis-
tie upon which 'Ceptin Johnson and the
whole committee expended much time
and ingenuity:
To the Chairman and Members of the Fourth
Of July Committee of Dutch Bills Gap:
GENTLEMEN AND TELLER CITIZENs-In ac-
ceptin The invitation cordially extended US
to participate in the good time you intend
havin the Fourth, allow Us, behalf Of the
citizens of Pot Luck, to thank the coed people
of the Gap fer courtesy which is doubly ap-
preciated account of present boom
havin upset our own preparations fer cele-
bratin. We assure you that every Pot Lucker
who can afford to knock off work will be down
to see you on cur nations glorious birthday.
THE FOURTH OF July COMMITTEE OF PoT
LUCK.
This reply had the precise effect intend
ed-namely, it assured the Gapers that
the Pot Luckers were as good as them
selves at blu1Iing, and big Jake Tohmer's
fat sides shook with laughter when as
their chairman he read it to the committee.
Some one suggested that perhaps Pot
Luck had accepted the invitation in good
faith.
Jake roared again Good faith moth
in' said he. They want us to think so
and go ahead and prepare for 'em, and
then not Pot Lucker come near our cele-
bration That's their game. We wasn't
born yesterday; not all of lis. The idce
of Il boom at Pot Luck! That's too
good "
And so things went on, the Gapers
making preparations for their usual
crowd only while Pot Luck strained it.
self to add men enough to its population
to ''eat the Gap out of house and home"
as Ike Bledsoe put it.
Two days before the Fourth Jake Toh-
mer's boys, Fritz and Jake Junior went
fishing far up the creek toward Pot Luck
4
citement.
Dad said the breathless Fritz, dash
ing into his fathers grocery, "the Pot
Luckers are goin to bus st our Fourth wide
open.
go long, you young rascal" said his
father. What you tryin to play on your
old dad now? They amt goin to cele-
brate at all up there. -
That's just it, dad, and say, the
woods is plumb full of men up that way.
never saw such droves of 'em, an me an
Jakey heard 'em talkin, an they re every
one of 'em goin to march down on US
Fourth of July mornin an cat an drink
up everything in sight, run all the Gapers
off the dancin floor an off the groun's an
just par'lyZe us gen rally. Them's the
very words they said, amt they, Jakey?'
A great light suddenly flashed upon the
Fritz's news confirmed he spread a big
sheet Of wrapping paper on his counter,
hastily penciled a call for a meeting that
night not only of the Fourth of July com
mittee, but all good citizens of the Gap.
and tackled it up outside his door.
Jake'S grocery store wouldn't begin to
hold the Gapcrs who answered the call,
and the public pulse ran so high that it
seemed nothing but bloodshCd could result.
Some of the more impetuouS Gapers were
for arning every man and going to meet
the Pot Luckers half way. This was given
up as too hazardous. Pot Luckers were
known to be fighters to IA man and would
doubtless greatly Outnumbcr the Gapers.
Others suggested moving to a grove u
dozen miles down the river early in the
day and thus escaping the ravaging horde
from Pot Luck. But this smacked of
cowardice and could not be considered for
a moment
The chagrined Gapers blamed their
committee for getting them into such a
dilemma. while accusations of bungling
and stupidity passed freely between the
committee members themselves Big
Jake Tohnler was almost the only man
present who did not lose his temper, and
when the meeting seemed about to break
up in "a free fight he banged loudly upon
his grocery counter with a sugar scoop and
as chairman of the meeting commanded
order
What Ccptin johnson was to Pot Luck
Jake Tohmer was to the Gap and the
noisy crowd was hushed to silence when
he rose to speak.
"Feller citizens, y said big Jake Il own
I'm as much to blame in this matter as
any one; perhaps more. 1 don't believe
any of you will call me a coward, and you
all know l amt Il man to set my Judgment
up against the will of the majority What
goes with the crowd goes with me, but if
you'll allow 4ne to say so, it's just struck
me all of hea,. that we amt been -reatin
the Pot Luckers just right fer some years
back
Now, about this celebration. We
wasn't satisfied to beat 'em so bad that
they didn't have the heart TO try to cele-
brate at all, KNOWN our attractions would
draw all the crowd from the country round
about. Not satisfied with this, as / say,