The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-18

Tom Shanger trades a shovel fur a
shirt That's like Tom AS long as he
mad a shovel he was sorter expected to
earn at least enough to pay fur his
drinks. He got rid of that shovel to git
rid on work From his looks 1 jedge he
would like to buck ag in my remarks, but
II he talks back it will be contempt of
court, and I'll raise him out of the game.
When he gifts the shirt, he diskivers that
it ought to be washed. Some men would
hev taken a bar of soap and gone down
to the creek and rubbed away fur a day
or two. but Mr.. Stranger had a high toned
streak on. He carries the garment up to
Hop Lee, and, putin on his swaggerest
style he seq:
'Yere, you blamed wall eyed son of
heathen,washee this shirtee plenty goodee
and mighty nice, and I'll drop around
after it in two days
These are facts which no one disputes"
said his honor as he turned over a dozen
pages of the statutes to strike "a new
chapter t'Leastwise this court hasn't
heard 'em disputed, and he probably
won't.
"Arter two days Tom goes up to the
Confucius washhouse fur his shirt. Hop
Lee greets him with a smile of welcome
The shirt has been washed and ironed
and dried and is awaitin' its owner. Now
arises the question of pay. There are
critters at Sandy Bend who never put
on clean shirts. There are others who
wash their own at long Intervals. There
are others still who argy that a heather
ought to be mighty proud to wash a
white mans shirt free gratis, fur nothin'
/ Tom Shanger is one of the latter class.
He was fur takin' that shirt away with
! out handin' over any dust but Hop Lee
files an objection. His eyes are on the
squint, his knees knock together. and he d
sooner eat a rat than rabbit, but he
amt washin' shirts fur the fun of the
thing. He's in dizziness to make his pile
and go back to Chny and run a duck
I FL r.
shirtee-' In the language of high society,
Tom Shanger is turned down fur 10 cents.
we hev got our facts and now fur what
may can q, eV1aence Facts ana evidence
amt so yere. We want each of them
to stand out fur itself. The evidence goes
take it away and that Hop Lee also grab
bed it to hang on till his wash bill was
language fit fur coyotes to listen to, and
the white man is liar from way back.
Howsumever, we kin imagine how it was
They lawed and jawed and fit and fit.They
kussed each other and abused each other
relations. Bimeby, as they kept it up, the
and a tear, and Tom Shanger had the
body of the shirt in his hands and Hop
Lee the tail. That's the evidence and
now comes what may be called corrobora-
ton. The Chinyman brings the tail of
the shirt and black eye and wants ies-
tice done, and he has only departed when
in walks Tom with the body of the shirt
and slaps it down on the bar of my saloon
and seq:
:. Jest look at that, will yer, and then
tell me is there any jestice fur white
man in these, digginsr
| corroboration and we now comes to tes-
timony,. There's the shirt and the shirt
the defendant offered to pay his wash
Him no payee," replied the chinaman,
The court will now ask Tom shanger
why he didn't put down the dust?"
n how 1 T0T0lip led
did you promise to pay at some future
timer?
7 did. yer honor. spent over an hour
was sot. It was come to a purity pass
when heather won't take a white man !
word fur Is cents
That's powerful true Tom, but I can
say I'm blamin the bloomn' heather so
very much. I'm noticin' that very few
white men are takin' promises in place Of
WAL, we've got in the testimony. and
next follers the decision me warrant
amt no doubt about your punchin Hop
Lee in the eye Kin you scrape up IS,
Not in ten years, your honor"
WAL. then, it'll be thirty days in jail.
As to that shirt, you kin take along the
and. though he brung this suit to git jes-
! tice. he'll hev to pay the costs. In fact,
be called jestice or the tail of the shirt.
Il don't reckon there will be any APP
peals from this decision. but I might jest
as well say to both plaintiff and defend
ant at this stage of the game that should
they so far furgit themselves as to kick
ag' in the. verdict and want the case taken
upon it as personal matter and act with
my usual promptness.
! Court is now adjourned, and any one
else hankerin' after jeStice will find me al
the Red Dog saloon up to IL o'clock to-
night. * Copyright. 1902, by R. j. HASKELL
TDTE nrTGGENcER ErES M MRS