The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-12
IN HOTEL CORRIDORS.


in the papers concerning plumbers. their
methods of killing time and system of
charging fabulous prices for trifiing JOBS
OF work that they are inclined TO look
upon the stories jokes and rank the
plumber story with the mother-in-law
story" said gentleman at educational.
There is nothing that will knock the
fun out OF the plumber jokes quicker
than a little experience with the plumb
erS themselves / went through siege
of it recently and am now prepared to
believe any statement hear made con-
corning a plumber. More than that I
will affiliate with any political party who
will introduce a plank in their platform
regulating plumbers charges and the
hours they should work-actually work.
I will work hard and earnestly for such
a party and will contribute literally to
the campaign fund, for consider that
the plumber evil can give the trust evil
cards and spades and win out without
least trouble. Not long ago the sewer
pipe which connected my house with the
main sewer because stopped and the
sewage ran into the cellar. OF course 7
went to the plumber at once and told
him to go down and fix it-I did not ask
the price. just said go fix it, for / was
in a hurry to get the cellar dry. When /
went home at noon the plumber had not
been there and my wife was inclined to
the belief that I had forgotten to tell
him. That evening upon returning home
l found he had not yet arrived. Things
in the cellar were getting in bad shape
and had to go down, slosh around and
rescue what articles could. The next
day the plumber came looked around
gave us free lecture on the different
causes of stoppage of sewer pipes, put a
colored man to digging a hole in the
front yard and went away The man
worked faithfully all day and dug a hole
deep enough to bury the plumbers
crimes but he failed to find the pipe.
The next day another hole was dug and
so on until five holes and an equal num-
Der OF dirt piles marred the lawn and
stood as monuments to the co1ored mans
industry and the plumbers iInbeciIity. In
the meantime the cellar was not driving
out and we were cultivating the enmity
or the nelghbOrhOOd who seemed to think
We were starting a microbe ranch Just
for spite Finally the pipe was found,
the obstruction, which was caused by the
moved and life began to run smoothly
again. The holes on the lawn were filed
and gave the place the appearance of a
graveyard with five newly made graves.
Inc entire time consumed from start to
finish was six days for the coIored man
and two hours for the plumber and the
bill was $50. The next time the sewer.
stops | viii have new pipe laid. 1t
can De done for less money and the
yard will look better when the lob is fin
lshed- Those five mounds in the ward
make me feel mournful and grieye that
each does not cover the remains of a
plumber who has had some poor man at
his mercy and wrung from him money
Tor digging misplaced holes"
81 heard a story of friends meeting
unexpectedly that may interest Won
said gentleman who was talking with
some friends. There lived near INV
home in Missouri a young man who had
been raised on his fathers farm Tho
young man is about Is wears old and
concluded about year ago that he had
worked on the farm long enough He
wanted to see more of the world and its
ways, and communicated his desires to
his father. The old man had his idea of
how boy should be raised and he
wanted his plan followed out. He had
worked with his father until he was
II and wanted his boy to do the same.
AT the end of that time he proposed
to help the boy establish himself on a
farm. They boy thought over the mat
ter and decided to leave without his
fathers consent. He could have done
this in daylight, but took a more ro-
mantle way and left home at night with
only a grip and a small amount of
money If he had told his father he
was determined to go, the old man
would have given him money and car
ried his trunk to the station, but it sat
isfied the boys notion better by leav-
ing surreptitiously. A few days before
he left home a team of mules belonging
to his father had been stolen, and when
the boy left the old man concluded that
he had gone to hunt for them, but
months passed and neither the boy nor
the mules were heard from. A few
weeks ago the boy came home and he
was mighty glad to get back. The story
of his wanderings was told to the fam
lily. When he left home he had made up
his mind to go to South Africa, and he
at once went to New Orleans, thinking
he would get chance to ship from that
place. After waiting there for several
weeks the opportunity he was looking
for presented itself. He saw an adj
vertisement for men to go to South
Africa with horses and mules which
were being shipped to the English army
The pay was only SIS, but he would get
his food and passage which was all he
cared for. After the ship had been out
several days, and he had got his sea
legs, he began to get acquainted with
the other men and to visit over the ship.
One day he was in a different part of
the ship from where the mules under
his care were kept when he noticed a
familiar looking mule and upon closer
examination it proved to be one of the
mules stolen from his fathers farm. He
soon found it's mate, and the boy de-
cIared the animals were glad to see
him. He said that when he would get
homesick he would visit the mules and
talk over old times with them. All
three made the journey safely and the
boy almost cried when his Missouri
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