Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-26
Hotel Gossip


crossed his legs. The group of men about
him recognized him as Johnson, of Mis-
souri,. Some Of them had known him
for years and yet scarcely one in the
party could have said under oath wheth-
err Johnson hailed from ST. Louis or But
Ter. Neither did anyone around him APP
pear to have a definite idea of the first
name of the person near whom they how
cred. but they all We're acquainted with
johnson, Missouri He had become
known to them in that way and readily
answered whether addressed by his sur
nam or the name Of the state. In fact,
he was quite as frequently called Mis-
souri, as Johnson. Missouri" it was
evident. was a favorite With the travel
ing man and bore a good reputation as
a story teller.
Let us nave one of those fhappy-mood
tales of your before we jump in for the
day." said one Of the men who stood
near Missouri" as he winked at the 9TH
ers about Aim.
''.All right returned Johnson. as he
took a liner at a cuspidor which stood
about ten feet from him. L will give
you a few hot shots on the war in the
Philippines and then wind UP by telling
you how to vote"
Never mind came in chorus from the
group about him. We can get that sort
CT thing every hour in the day. Spring
something we don't lave FOR a steady
diet. if you have o go away back to the
days when you were a member of a Sur
day school class"
II have you now" declared ''Missouri,'
as he ground a couple of inches from a
piece of twist tobacco. Il will not take
up the Sunday school question for some
of you might not be at home with the
subject: but / have a little experience in
mind that will get pretty close to most of
you. l am going to tell you about water
melon stealing. Now. don get excited.
I was IL taking m melons myself, but
the fact that melons disappeared came
near costing me my life. This all hap
pened while I was quite young You I'M
darstand, but it comes UP to me as WV
idly now as 1t did the day after the oc-
curance.
Some bad boys had been stealing mel
pms from my fathers patch for some time
Just before the time of which I am about
to speak. Melons were fine in Missouri
hat year and the old gentleman became
pretty rolled up over the way his fine
Dnes were disappearing. One evening he
confided to me that he was going to
make a raid on tine invaders of the melon
patch, and asked me to accompany him.
He took down the old shotgun which had
not been loaded since l hunted rabbits
with it the winter before and poured DOW
Ger enough into it to raise the corner Of
a house. Then We started out to look
for our big game. My father directed
to go down the road to the lower end
sf the field where the patch was located,
that he would work directly
through the field n head off any
gang that I might be able to stir up.
Well, I hustled along the pike at a pretty
lively clip and a few minutes was over
In the lower end of the field looking
around among the melon vines and weeds
for the miscreants who were carrying off
property. FOUND no one and was be-
ginning to think, as I thrashed through
the weeds. that we were going to make
our trip for nothing, when I was startled
Wy d leIOtt AtiStlis II 1loIt VI ile lIIdl
fairly made my hair stand on end. I
SAW the flash from a gun and screamed
at the top of my voice. In an instant
my father was by my side trembling
with fright. I was somewhat dazed, but
he took in the situation in a minute. &c
heard me in the weeds and thought he
coming upon the fellows who were
taking his melons and fired. He was of
tho IvIininp that II had mt had fipoa M
get down to the lower end of the field by
the time he heard the noise in front of
him, and consequently never dreamed
that he was endangering my life when
he discharged the old shotgun.
"Overjoyed because L was uninjured,
my father was satisfied to give UP his
quest OF melon thieves for that evening.
I believe, in fact, he never caught the
guilty parties. For years after the oc-
currence the Old shotgun leaned up
against the wall in the smokeaouse at
home. I think the gun was never taken
out into he field for active operations
again. Il often used to take my friends
around to the shed to show them the
weapon that came so near ending my
existence and when I got married point
ed out the dangerous fraction of an arse
nal to my Wife. The old iron may be
mound the old home place to this day
and if any of o fellows ever happen
to he down in Missouri I will take pleas-
ure in PRAYING my story by showing
you."
Frank II. Hubbard, who represents an
eastern win house, is stopping at the
Butte while he is looking after his trade
here. Great country for business aeA
politics, this" declared Mr.. Hubbard this
morning, as he pushed the bell in his
room to call for a pitcher Of icewater.
II like Montana, and Butte people are all
good fellows, and make you feel at home.
You can't get me to do any b~ackcapping
on this country. 1t is all right any way
you take it. If you want to talk politics
with a man he is with you; when it
comes to business, he is at home, and if
you want him to be sociable, he can't be
beat. Election results may make some
difference in trade in Montana. But |