The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-13
OLD kooN7z AND THE WIDOW.

Old Herman koontz. having been born
and raised q boot-licking vassal of q
cheap German count. loved the sense Of
power which the ownership Of a North
Side fat building gave him. Failing TO
4 win either the respect of homage Of his
tenants he sought for ways in which 70
humiliate them and prove authority. Be-
ing penuriots as wen as arrogant. he was
his own janitor, and If he lost anything
Of mis- dignity by skoveling ashes nc
made up for it by the enhanced oppcrtt.
mites for petty tyranny and endless espi-
onage. sa
Being an old bachelor, he lived alone in
room in the basement of his building.
old his own cooking, gnawing always at
his own envious heart, and always watch
ing for q chance 10 show his authority
Every man, woman and child in his house
hated him, but they stayed in It because
They were afraid 10 Jump their leases
CT because the rent was low by conpari-
son. Koontz was wei aware CT the
terror in which he was held and gloated
ever his tenants as only a mar landlord
can.
1t was long time before Koontz' ten
ants knew that he owned the vacant lot
next door, and it became practice with
them TO have laundry. coal and ether
stores delivered into the basement win
dows OF their storeroorns or laundgses.
j was a convenient and economical plan,
as II enabled drivers TO drop their stun
right into its bin without the additional
work snd expense Of cartirg il in the
front or rear entrances.
When II dawned on Kocntz that En-
trance by the vacant lot had become a
convenience of rhe finest kind TO his ten
ants, he put barb-wire fence across the
back aEd high board fence across the
front of It. 1t took him six weeks to
build them both. and the material cost
him nearly $50, but he was so tickled to
see the annoyance and expense resultant
that he actually walked down TO Schiller
street to elbow himself off, to a Decent
glass of Schnapps. Then he leased the
fence 10 a bin-poster. and his joy rose
almost to laughter wheE he found out
that Mrs. Bingham, his star tenant, was
a member of the Municipal Art League
and loathed bill boards.
But his triumph was short-lived. for
the small boys of the block began TO
make a playground of the inclosed lot
For weeks they led old Koontz a dogs
life. and oddly enough he didn't seem 20
thrive on it. He chased them away turn
ed the hose on them. and would have
beaten them if he dared On the Fourth
of July the youngsters rallied Just out
side his window with f1recrackers that
woke him with the dawn. Never hav-
come a naturalized citizen, Koontz fairly
hated the Fourth, and on this occasion
so far forgot himself as to give Jimmy
Galbraith of the third fat a singing
wallop across the shins. Jimmy went
home bowling and in about five min
utes Papa Galbraith in his shirt sleeves
was gallOping around the building look
ing for old Koontz. He found him at
last in bed, but he went no further than
to drag him out and shake him by the
scrun of his lean neck.
You blankety-blank, wooden-shoe son
OF cormorant," bavled the enraged
Galbraith, but ne didn't have II in him to
beat an old man, If you ever speak to
or touch one of my children again I'll
oh. you old. blue-nosed spider If you
weren't so old-bing bang the blankety-
br-r-"
They all wanted to beat the
life out OF him, but he was old and de-
crepit and never one or them could come
to the point of a physical castigation.
The women tongue-lsshed him at inter
walls and yowled, ''Koontz. you brute, IL
/ was only a man." but for the most part
the old tyrant was Sinking around Sc
cure and happy in the enjoyment of his
furtive prosecutions.
Thus old Herman Koortz, the janitor-
landlord. who dressed like a Clark street
rariah and looked and smelled like a
vulture.