The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-16
JOBSON PUTS In COAL.

ing In the price of anthracite coal,
due to the big strike in Pennsylvania,
by ordering five tons of furnace coal
yesterday afternoon" said Mr. John
son at breakfast one morning last
week. eth be dumped in front of
the house about halfpast nine this
morning. / also engaged colored
man to put it in the cellar, and he'll
be around in the neighborhood of ten
o'clock. l only mention that little
matter to you in order that, If you
have any idea of rushing down town
before l am block away SO that
you II be first in line at the bargain
counters. you may abandon that idea "
The colored man engaged by Mr..
Jobson to put in the coal didn't make
his appearance at ten o'clock, nor at
IL, nor at 10. Mrs Jobson spent the
entire morning, to the neglect of her
work, peering out between the parlor
curtains for him, but it was obvious
that Mr.. Jobson's man got sidetracked
somewhere. When half-past 10 came
around, and no sign of Mr.. Jobson s
coal HEAVIER, Mrs. Jobson hurriedly
donned her street apparel and went in
search of another man to stow the
coal, which had arrived in a process
sion OF wagons shortly before ten
o'clock, IN the cellar. In this search
she had no luck at all. She met
with at least seven strong, hardy -look-
ing youths of color within radius of
two squares of the Jobson domicle,
all of whom appeared to be in the en-
joyment OF high-noon siestas, but she
couldn't induce any of them to under
take the coal-stowing job. although
she offered as much as 81 80 to have
it DONE All of the siesta enjoying
youths had "jes' bin gagged tub do nh
job o. wuk TO uh man down de
squayuh dat nd tex 'em all de aftuh-
noon" Mrs. Johson returned home
very much disheartened, knowing that
Mr.. Jobson would hold her personally
responsible for the slowing of those five
tons of coal. She resumed her vigil
at the front window, asking every
other colored man that passed If he
wanted the oal-stowing job, but each
and all of them lookeddiffidently at the
pyramid of black diamonds, scratched
his head, remarked that he didn't
hev no shovel and fled the tempta-
ton at greatly accelerated pace
At halfpast two Mrs Jobson re-
ceived message from Mr. Jobson
notifying her that he'd by up with
the horse and buggy at three o'clock
to take her for a drive She dressed
for the drive without any great degree
of confidence. She had premonition
that she wasn't going to have any
drive that afternoon.
Her premonition was correct, of
course. Mr.. Jobson drove up in front
of the house at FIVE minutes to three
and he scowled heavily when he saw
the mound of coal still standing on
the asphalt. Mrs. Jobson noted the
scowl from the front window and she
esstood BY" as mariners put it. Mr.
Jobson jumped out of the buggy,
clasped the weight to the horses bit
and dumped into the house.
might I venture to inquire, he
asked. in tone of awful calm,
whats the reason that coal hasn't
been put awayf''
The man you hired to do it didn'
come" replied Mrs. Jobson.
'.Oh he didn t heyf" snorted Mr..
Mrs. Jobson. butt just happen to know
thai the wcrd of that man l engaged
to put the coal in is just as good as his
bond. and If he wasn't here promptly
at ten O'Clock to the minute, then
there's something almighty queer
about 1t. You are perfectly certain, /
suppose, that you were here yourself
at ten O'Clock when the man Gamer"
THE man didn't come, - repeated
Mrs. Jobson, land have been in the
house all day. except for the mortal
hour that | spent trying to beg ana
implore numerous colored men to put
the coal in. !"
HUH shifted Mr. Jobson, II
have large pastel portrait of Mrs.
Jobson wasting her valuable time over
any such trivial and frivolous matter.
III bet million dollars to a hat
that can get the very first colored
man that passes by the front gate to
put the coal in, and be burned glad of
the job. -
Whereupon Mr.. Jobson took mp his
stand on the front steps and awaited
the passing of the first man and
brother. The first happened to be ar
rayed in very impressive clerical
makeup, but Mr.. Jobson didn't notice
that.
Hey, Zeb." called out Mr.. Jobson
from his position on the steps, "d'ye
want the job o. putting that coal INF
Give you dollar for the job if you
hustle. -
The dark skinned man in the cleri-
cal raiment stopped and regarded Mr..
Jobson reprovingly.
mo. sir, he replied, looking Mr..
Jobson square in the eye, 81 am not
In quest of employment of that char
acter, and you will permit me to say
that you exhibit a peculiar lack of
judgment in making such a PROPOSE
ton to man of my cloth.
Dir. Jobson just stood on the steps
and gurgled and looked wrathfully
as the man and brother passed on
down the street, and then he glared
into the parlor window to see If Mrs.
Jobson was laughing at him. Mrs.
Jobson wasn't visible, however, and
30 Mr.. Jobson whistled to a white
youth across the street and gave the
youth quarter to take the horse and
buggy back TO the livery stable. Then
Mr.. Jobson went upstairs. put ON the
most disreputable suit of clothes that
he could find in the store room and
dumped down again. He dug a bushel
basket and an old ragged lodged shovel
out of the cellar and made his appear
ance in the basement areaway with
these tools
What are you going to dor called
out Mrs. Jobson from above.
"De | look like I'm going to har-
vest dance" growied DIR. Jobson.