The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1899-02-02
AN OBJECT LESSON.
THE FAKiR ONLY WANTED A
PIECE OF SIDEWALK.
Art That Pointed u MoraI-To This
Day tho Thlcis-skinncd Proprietor Is,
Wondering Why Thai Crowd looked
at Him So Hard. 81

NOhusrAnS why lHab crown LooECu
at Him So Hard. q
From Chicago News: There being
no fair 'uns present" began the fakir
in the preliminary canter of his tongue,
1T amt necessary for me to say La
dies and gents l just want your at
tention for a moment, gents; just n
minute. / have here a piece of every
day chalk and l want TO show you
what a chunk of chalk can do. You
can't forge no blank check with it no
more than | can. But l car draw some
quick pictures with it on the sidewalk
If you watch me with one eye and keep
the other on the cop
BY this time the crowd surrounded
the fakir five or six deep, says the New
York Mail and Express, and the sa-
loonkeeper in front of whose shop
the gathering anchored, to use a West
street expression, anne out to the
gangway of his deserted saloon and
shouted:
Clear out. you! I've got no water
to waste cleaning up your mess"
And some of the crowd began to
move, but were held back by the re-
mark Of the cruising artist:
That's all right, shipmate. I'm an
old tar and has had many a cargo OF
grog alongshore. I'll knock off If you
howl, but l promise to swab off your
deck if you let's me fire ahead"
Without waiting for the permission
the stranded fakir stopped owe and
made a long mark on the sidewalk
with the chalk, standing in the gutter
as he did so. Hes a nasty shark,
he remarked in confidence to his audi
ence. Nov, gents, I'll draw a picture
of my host, the boss of the tavern.
And he did, quickly and we'll. There
was the bloated owner, with his great
beam and soiled white apron. There
was the open door, leading to the ILL
smelling bar and the beer sign on the
wall outside, showing a two-masted
schooner sailing up the East river I'M
der the Brooklyn bridge, with an i'm
llICloO 6ldDO Va I'LL lo6OA SoNNo
on the deck between the fore and main
masts. The crowd had swelled to such
proportions now that all gangway on
the sidewalk was cut off, and the pro-
prietor could not see what the fakir
was drawing, not ever between the
legs of the big crowd.
Now" resumed the wielder of the
F.. chalk, as he and the crowd shifted
their berths to a cleaner stretch of
sidewalk neal by-"now, I'll draw you
a picture Of a school lad"
There he was, after a half a dozen CT
perhaps more strokes of the chalk. A
lad fair to look upon! Long, curly
hair, a sweet, open face, neat boots
and a trim rig. A bundle of books
under his arm, and the reflection of
innocent sunshine In his face. A few
more dashes of the chalk, with a
change of %moorings, and it was seen
that the figure of the saloonkeeper on
the sidewalk was offering the lad a
glass Of the same foaming lager which
the schooner with all sheets lifted
was rapidly carrying UP stream.
That's the schoolboy," announced
the fakir. Just one more, gents, and
I'm Off"
Another shift to a clean piece of
sidewalk, a hasty dash of the CHALK
and the figure of a health-shattered,
ragged, unkempt thing doomed up on
the sidewalk. A bottle of rum showed
up from one of the tattered pockets,
the head was hatless and the feet were
partly concealed by a miserable pair of
shoes that were torn and cut in a
dozen places. Again the chalk flashed
on the sidewalk, and it was seen that
the saloonkeeper was driving the ema
ciated creature from his door.
That's the ~schoolboy again." said
the artist, pointing at the m~iserabls
wretch on the sidewalk. That's the
~schoolboy, but his hooks and brains
is gone, and so is his manhood. Don't
be afraid to contribute, gents. This
amt no temperance lecture, nor it
amt no treat for me unless you pony
up"
Flu it was both. The sidewalk is
clean now, and to his dying day the
thick-skinned saloonkeeper may new
er be able to understand why that
crowd looked at him so hard as it
moved away.
Il wouldn't mind" said he to a
crony that night, but that fellow
promised to clean off the sidewalk and
he didn't keep his word. Do you think
he was making fun of me when he
drew them pictures?"
Blamed if I know" said the bleary-
eyed man in front of the bar. Give
us another drink and don't bother me
with your troubles. l have some of
my own"
And he had.