The St. Louis Republic., 1902-01-17
! Letter to Collector Whyte Obtains
for Him Three Weeks Grace
on License.
Mr.. 0BEAR WRITES POETRY.
License Collector Dictates a Prose
Reply and Gets One Dol
lar i'll Exchange for
Il Tag.

An unique almost pathetic. letter from
poor man, in which the supplicant prayed
for the laws delay in behalf of pet dog
! yesterday induced License Collector Whyte
/ TO violate the regulations OF his department
| The official granted to the author of the
| nervously penCiled plea more ien.ency thar
! has been extended 10 any other citizen VINO
has patroniZed the License Collection Of
flee.
J Charles Lea. who sent the note 10 Mr.
| Whyte begged for grace until February /
stating that he could not afford to pay tht
81 dog license at present because ne needed
an tn change he had in order 10 support
, his family.
| II the collector would promise not to NO.
| lest him or the dog. he wrote, he would
| pay the 81 on the first Saturday of mex,
mcnth.
The letter was written with a pencil. or
cheap, ruled paper, and was delivered by
Mr. Lea's son, who returned to his father
| with an official order to policemen and in
spectors that the dog would not require 4
license until after February II. The letter
| follows:
License Collector OF Dogs: Dear sir-o:fcer
| Eugene o,,Connor Ief, me notice TO call at your
18th OF he month. which is to-day. / SEND
ny boy here with a note. to ask II you WIN
please he kind enough 10 let me pay you the
, trst saturday in February, because the firm
am Ipr - moving. ana. as q GRIP
pie | cant help them 70 move. bug as soon as
they get moved Will ,hen be at work and have
! need all the change have e keep my little
enough to let me pay the license next month, i;
will help me out a great deal. The number Q.
o'connor % 1r is Of the "' Fifth T District
S So MI 10 eGCr f , psass be kind n enough n4 TO al
and YOU will do me a great favor: The firm am
Gano % avenue m " Please lea s be kin kind enough to grant
me this favor: II you can't, why please send
me answer by my boy here aLsY HsJS LIssPefthfaAy hA
Please send me an answer If it Will be all rish.
Immediately Collector Whyte complied
with the request. issuing instructions, prop
erly signed and sealed, to the officers Of the
law. that Mr.. Lea's dog is exempt from
taxation for three weeks
The Municipal Code prescribes fine OF
not less than $; nor more NOR than 80: against against
tag. Mr.. Whyte is taking steps to enforce
this ordinance.
A poetical eftusion from Frank Obear of
the Obear Investment Company, also plead
ing for mercy. received entirely different
treatment
The Collector smiled benignly when he
read the rhyme This is license" he ex-
claimed. but il is poetic license. I'll mail
my friend some prose. setting forth the inn
portance of dollar from the city's stand
point" The prose brought Mr.. Obear to
the City Hall with tine necessary legal ten
der for tag. Mr.. Whyte accepted the 81
ana wished long lie 10 the OOg.
The victims poetry runs thus:
My Dear Mr.. Whyte:
I've received your request
To put tag my little dogs collar,
Accompanied by a threat OF arrest
II / did not send you dollar.
Now. / am informed II the law you'll lock up.
You'll find injustice Is done:
For my dog IS only a 5-months-old pup.
And at large not permitted to run.
II your well-known gallantry will not admit
That the claim above mentioned Is fair:
Then. for q round dollar guess I bit.
And will pay,
Yo friend.
FRANK OBEAR.
The License Collector replied in a merci-
less strain, as follows:
Dear SIR For your poetry please accept this
prose. You r.ust pay the one dollar at once. The
city needs the coin. Under the law I'm obliged
TO allow you ten days' grace. but that is the
limit. as the inclosed notice will show. Down
in the left-hand corner you will observe a warn
ing, that. IL the 81 is not 'coughed up in ten
days you will be subject fine Of not less
than s. nor than $50 How about the dol
lar" Compiacently yours.
JOSEPH P. WHYTE.
License Collector