The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-10-09
He HAD MUCH NERVE
MAN WHO WOULD TAKE BIG
CHANCES TO GET A MEAL.
WENT TO DINE WITH SENATORS
Was Perfectly Willing to Have His
Bills Charged to Statesmen
Ladies Played Trick
on Him.

Il have seen a few people who had
plenty of gall, but I think a man I once
knew back in an eastern city some years
ago simply took the palm away from any
other person with whom l have ever
come in contact said James Long, 4
travelling man, at the Thornton this
morning, in addressing a party of
friends.
THE fellow I have in mind first at
tracted my attention as 1 used to see
him about the hotels where 1 stopped
He had a fairly good acquaintance
among the well known men of the coun-
try, and he worked it for all it was
worth, 1 can tell you. He was always
hanging around the hotels looking for
fish, think that is the proper way to
express n-and he found quite a number
among men who were not in the habit
OF being worked for anything.
For instance, if United States SEN
ator came into a hotel and registered,
the fellow would know about it within
10 minutes of the time that the name of
the statesman went down on the list, and
the chances were about even that he
would know him, or have some eX-
cuse fer introducing himself. He would
wait about the Railways until the sem
ator was going into dinner, and then he
would step up and speak to him and
make himself very numerous. He would
always wind up by asking the senator
if he were just going in to dinner and
then would accompany him to the dining
room. He would play that he was the
senator's guest and the hotel manage
ment would charge his meal up to the
room of the statesman.
cd hat of hi 20
eral years. OF course, there would be
times when the prominent guests of the
hotels would rebel when they found that
they were charged up with dinner that
was eaten by the man who had force /
his company upon them. In fact, it was
just that sort of rebellion that finally
brought the fellow to grief in a way.
One of the hotels had accumulated din
ner bills against him that amounted ~
nearly $50, and one day sent him state
ment for the whole amount He could
not very we'll allow himself to be sued
on such an account, for that would spoil
his graft entirely. He paid the bill, and
for time was little slow about the
kind of people he tried to work for q
meal.
1T was not alone around the hotel
that the individual was wont to work
himself in where he was not wanted. He
was very hot boy around among the
society folks and when there was re-
ception to be given where there was
anything to cat in sight he could be
counted on to show up and invite himself
to attend. People, Of course, got onto
him, but his unblushing nerve was such
that nothing short of blow would stop
him. Some society people once played a
trick on him that would have made
a 1O1OSt h,,f a.
feazed him. He went out to the home of
a prominent politician where there was
to be some sort of function, and in his
usual style asked himself to come out
and join the party when the day for thu
gathering should arrive. There were two
daughters in the family where the func-
ton was to be held and both of
them had become very tired of the bore
who inflicted himself upon everybody
who did not actually kick him out. The
young ladies concluded to play trick
on him. This is what they did: On the
day set for the party they dressed two
of their servant girls in some of their
gowns and sent them to the parlor to
await the coming of the bore. The serv-
ants We're to receive full pay foc enter
tanning the nervy man and guess they
earned their money. Well, the man with
the gall came and was shown into the
parlOr where the servants were awaiting
him. There was something to eat in
sight, so he thought. and he was not
to be put off easily. He began to chat
with the girls in the parlor, but the con-
versation seemed to lag, no matter how
much he tried. He evidently thought
something was wrong but he was in no
wise inclined to give up for a long time
Finally he did catch on to what had
been done for his benefit and for once
in his life he took his leave of d house
before refreshments We're served.
However, he was inclined to laugh
the matter off the next time he saw the
young ladies who had played the trick
on him, and they We're chagrined to
find that he was not in the least put out
over the affair 1t is sometimes said
that you can reach man through his
stomach easier than in any other way.
/ think that was certainly true of the
fellow I am talking about. Perhaps, in
this case, however. it would be more
accurate to say that he reached other
people on account of his stomach, for his
certainly had all kinds of gall when it