The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-11-06

himSelFwas slammed against the fence.
He was slammed and banged and chug'
ged. and when he managed to wrench
himself loose and start of at three min.
ute gait he left hat and coat and frag.
ments behind. it WAS a quick and
decisive victory for Mr.. Bowser, and
the excitement acted like magic on his
aching ear He could have justly re-
tired on his laurelS. but as Mrs. RowSer
came down to the gate and begged him
to do so he replied:
Il have set out to do little reform
ing, and | don't propose to stop ut one
case. BY John, III let 'em know that
Bowser's In town before I'm through
with en-
At that moment match seller turned
the corner with yell. Whether he
was making q long day OF it or had
gone to bed and got up again to sup
ply humanity with matches was im'
material to Mr.. RowSer. He set out to
meet him, and the meeting took place
under weeping willow. The peddler
VI DIS IL .NUulIsS WIN ShS 'NA@' W.
fore him, but he didn't last two mill
utes. He had just offered Mr.. Bowser
all unprecedented bargain III redheaded
matches when he was seized in q grip
Of iron and used to mop up a large
space of sidewalk. When his coat
finally gave way, he saw his opportu-
nity and took advantage Of 1t, and
another laurel wreath gently descended
upon Mr.. Bowser's brow. In addition
to the laurcls, several Eeighbors who
had got oh to the racket threw up their
windows and shouted such stirring
words Of encouragement as:
THAT'S it. old man, Go on
.Keep 'em going, Bowser-keep 'em
goingr'
1--WE want reform, and we'll have it"
Mrs. Bowser made another effort, but
II was no use. If she had any chance
at all, it was destroyed when man
came along singing topical song at
the top Of his voice. He had been sing
ing topical songs all his life as he
wended his way homeward through
the night, no matter what the hour or
how many people had turned over in
bed and cursed him, and Mr.. Bowsers
inference was complete eye opener.
Only few words passed. He was
asked to shut up, and he replied that
he'd be hanged If he would. Then he
was seized and mopped and banged
and slammed, and as he limped away
I'm the darkness he wasn't sure wheth-
er he had been toyed with by a cyclone
or fed through thrashinS machine.
This was victory No. 3, with more
wreaths ard words Of encouragement,
and Mr.. Bowser leaned up against the
fence and gasped and painted and felt
that feeling Of deep satisfaction that
comes only to the earnest reformist as
victory perches upon his banner.
He was about to withdraw and reap
the benefits when fish pcddler, who
had been seized with the bright idea
OF getting ahead Of his rivals on the
next days sales, came along with his
horse and wagon. He not only had
horn on which to blow. but voice
with which to shout 'F-i-s-h!' until
every sleeping babe on the block woke
up and wondered if he had turned into
q whale. He made the mistake OF
thinking that Mr.. Bowser had come out
for a bluefish for breakfast, and he
was a licked man and his old horse
was galioping around the corner be-
fore he discovered his mistake. He
limped away as soon as he could, but
he was not a man to stay licked. On
the next street he met some friends
and told his tale, and, REINFORCED by
the popcorn man, the serenader and
the match seller, the mob moved dowL