The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1900-06-28

whole crowd to and from town has to
go over on the right hand of the bridge.
It's wooden trestle business, and half
way across, over the middle of the
Amber river, there's an angle. where
the sidewalk bends round. The tender
foot wanted to trade at that angle.
McPhail represented the county, the
city and the vigilance committee. He
knew that the thing was plain against
three different laws, and yet that Brit
isher was smart. He had chosen the
best stand for business in Amber
Gulch.
'You can't trade" says McPhail, ION
the bridge"
'No," says the Engishman, land, 1
don't want to. Who does the air over
the middle of the river belong to?''
"The Almighty" says McPhail; "if
you want to trade there you'll have to
take out a license from Heaven"
"Will you interfere?"
NO." says McPhail, 81 guess not. I
never interfere outside of my jurisdic-
tion." J
"Thanks," says the Britisher.
Next day found that Englishman
on a plank, which he had chucked
across the angle of the bridge. Under
meath was the river, raging among the
big powders, all ice and spray, but
mind? He didn't mind. He was hang
ing on in midair by the skin of his
teeth, peddling cigars across the hand
rail.
"Have a smoker" says he, and pre-
sented me with a cigar, then struck
match on his breeches and gave me a
light. Pay for it? Not much! Why.
the Britisher thought he was under an
obligation to me. He met his obliga-
tions. Once saw man pay him q
| silver dollar that was in dispute, and
the Britisher flung it at his face. Next
time passed the man on the bridge
had two dry goods boxes for coun-
ter, a trading license stuck up, lot
| of apples, two kinds of cigars and
some trinkets which didn't catch on.
In three days he was full of grub, color
in his face, coat on his back and doing
roaring business.
After a week or so he began to build,
and the beaver wasn't in it for cunning.
On three bits of scantling across the
angle he put floor, walls, roof, then
q glass front along the hand-rail with
sliding sashes. He had dog kennel
door under the hand-rail to crawl in
by, box stove to keep him warm and
cook his meals on, and enough floor
space to roll out his blankets at night.
In six weeks the man on the bridge was
worth hundred and fifty dollars, do
! ing q business at hundred per cent.
profit of eight dollars a day. Then he
began to advertise all over town with
pictures he made himself of cats smok-
ing, babies crying for 'em, and whole
menagerie of men and animals enjoy.
ing of 'em. Here's from one of his poem
advertisements:
HE saw that the prospect was fair
) II he only could find him lair,
! But no place could be found
On the dry, solid ground.
So he built up his house in the air.
With cigars he's seen desperate times
| AS he roped In the nickels and dimes
When men died of his smoke
With q gulp and choke
He was sent to this town for his crimes.
II Idon't know whether it was the poem
or the cold or the Barring crash which
: busted all the banks and reduced oul
population to half, but anyway ths
) crazy man on the bridge began to have
} a bad time. His trade went down tt
nothing, and instead of three square
meals a day he began to fill up va
, cancies by eating his own stock, fv'
: cents worth of candy for breakfas
and smoke for dinner. Besides that
3 Long Shorty, one of our special brans
Of toughs, thought that the man OF
: the bridge was having more than hi
share of prosperity. One morning lat
: in December Long Shorty put tw'
: heavy timbers across the river behin'
D the man on the bridge and began t
0 build q house on them beams. H.
planked over his floor, set up his franz
!, Of scantling and began to fill in tn
I walls, then went to the city council an
told them that he intended, at his ow1
e expense, to lay down an extra side
walk to cover the space over the rive
y between the bridge and his new Ga
|, loon.
e OF course that meant sweeping ava
the man on the bridge, shanty and al
e by permission of the city authorities
r so sent one of my deputy marshal
/ to see how the Britisher felt.
"Oh, that's all right" says the ma
e on the bridge. "Long Shorty rests on
{, end of his bridge timbers on railroa
land and the other end on private hous
d property. If get his timbers sawn o
+, at both ends, the gentleman will hay
It to swing his saloon with ropes"
le "What from?"
'Ihe clouds" says the Britisher. IN
I'll gave my deputy cigar.
II Now. X that youngater had kicked =