Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-09-05

himself was slammed against the fence
Hr was slammed and banged and chug
gcd, and when he managed TO wrench
himself loose and start off at three min
ute gait he left hat and coat and frag
ments behind. 1t was a quick anC
decisive victory for Mr.. Bowser, anc
the excitement acted like magic on his
aching ear. He could have justly re
tired on his laurels, but as Mrs. BowseI
came down TO the gate and begged hin
TO do so he replied:
Il have set out TO do a little reform
ing, and | don't propose to stop at one
case. BY John, I'll let 'em know thai
Bowser's IN town before I'm through
with en-
At that moment q match seller turned
the corner with a yell. Whether he
was making a long day of it or haG
gone to bed and got up again to sup
ply humanity with matches was i'm.
material TO Mr.. Bowser. He set out te
meet him. and the meeting took place
under a weeping willow. The peddlel
was a young man with the world be.
fore him, but he didn't last two min.
utes. He had just offered Mr.. Bowser
an unprecedented bargain in redheade6
matches when he was seized in a grip
of iron and used TO mop up a large
space of sidewalk. When his coat
finally gave way, he saw his opportu,
nifty and took advantage of 1t. and
another laurel wreath gently descended
upon Mr.. Bowser's brow. In addition
TO the laurels, several neighbors who
had got on to the racket threw up their
windows and shouted such stirring
words of encouragement as:
That's it, old man. Go onr'
keep 'em going, Bowser-keep 'em
goingw
Eve want reform, and We'll have it,
Mrs. Bowser made another effort, but
it was no use. If she had any chance
at all. it was destroyed when a man
came along singing topical song at
the top of his voice. He had been sing.
ing topical songs all his life as he
wendell his way homeward through
the night no matter what the hour OF
how many people had turned over in
bed and cursed him, and Mr.. Bowser's
inference was a complete eye opener.
Only a 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
in the darkness he wasn't sure wheth.
er he had been toyed with by cyclone
or fed through a thrashing machine.
This was victory No. 3, with more
wreaths and 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 peddler. 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 a
horn on which to blow, but voice
with which TO shout Fish until
every sleeping babe on the block woke
up and wondered If he had turned into
a 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 galloping around the corner be-
fore he discovered his mistake He
limped away as soon as he could, but
he was not 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 down