The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-30
A CASE OF GRIT.
[By M. Quad.l


by M. Quad.1
Yes, it's nice. very nice.r said the
retired capitalist as he put the thou
sand dollar greenback he had been dis
playing back into q fat wallet. TITS
not only nice to have such things about.
but to look back and remember that I
owe all I've got to the state Of Con-
necticut."
but why particularize Connecticut? ~
Because of it's laws and because of
its people. When I got my diploma as
that state. In those old days drug
gfst who started in business in a Con-
necticut town found about forty old
laws on the statute books to confront
him and render hts life miserable. and
the stranger who opened business in
small town found all other business
men against him. got q corner store
in a big village and began to hustle.
The first thing did was to take a full
page ad. in a local paper. Can you be-
lieve that I was arrested for 1t %
ION what grounds?" was asked -
For unduly exciting the pubIcl Yes.
sir: the warrant read that was saak-
ing to stir uD anger and excitement
against public welfare. and, was Sned
$40 and, cautioned to go slow. ] paid
the newspaper $50 for that ad.. and yet
the editor came out in the next issue
and said it was evident that a danger
ity and ought to be carefully looked at
ter! 1t was the PROPRIETOR of the other
drugstore who instituted the proceed.
ings against me, and In revenge mark
ed all my patent dollar remedies down
| to cents. That left a humping big
profit. as you know. but IN less than
thirty-six hours was arrested, again.
The charge was that ] war; preparing
to defraud my creditors. proved that
hadn't any. but owned my stock and
had $1,000 in the bank. buts the court
| held that there must be Some sort of
fraud in my knocking down prices. and
paid another fine.- Isreaffzed ythis
time that they were after me, but I
up my mind to hang on
l. And the next mover"
"Well, had a grocer nextsto me and
shoestore on the opposite Acorner. The
grocer got four dozen BOTTLES of cough
medicine to peddle out. and the shoe
man put a lot of sponges and tooth
brushes on SALE at once bought two
barrels of sugar and sold It at a cent
less pound than the grocer and got
a case of boots worth So a pair and
gave every man his choice for $3.50. I
made those fellows tired in about three
days. and they had me arrested for
false Dretenses; turned about and
hauled 'em up for selling goods not COW
cred by their licenses. and they let go
of me as If they'd picked up hot po-
tato. Meanwhile the other druggist was
laying for me again. There was, law
that every prescription should be filed
with the town clerk. but. not knowing
| OF it. had taken no steps. I pleaded
| guilty when arrested and was fined SO
and costs. / wanted to get even. Of
course. and the chance SOON occurred.
He visited his store on Sunday to see
that all was right. and swore out a
warrant, and he had to fork over S.
The law at that time even kept a man
out of his own store on Sunday unless
! in case of fire or serious illness.
"a dry goods man went into toilet
soaps, and bought and almost gave
away calico enough to last that county
ten years. When I had settled him, a
and pills, and supplied the town with
| free paper and envelopes. had got the
better of him when was fined for using
obnoxious language. 1t wasn't anything
said, but sign in the window read
ing You've All Got EN-. but I've Got
| the Cure. 1t was cold feet remedy,
| but the Judge decided that the sign
might refer to bugs and other things
sensitive people. paid the usual fine
and shouldered my gun to get back at
| the chap who swore out the warrant
| He was a furniture man and a church
deacon, and after bit had him fined
S. for obstructing the sidewalk with a
bedstead. AS to trade and profits,
hadn't ANY, of course, but as my ex-
penses were light and my stock all paid
for could afford to hang on. When
they had made general boycott on
me, used to go off fishing and hunting,
| and, Queerly enough, was arrested for
that. Under an old law, which read
that a drugstore must be kept open
during reasonable hours on week days.
was fined SO and costs. My rival
was the man who caused it, and the
very next day I got even with him. A
chimney burned out, and he rang the
fire bell. The law read that any person
ringing the bell unless there was fire
was guilty Of a misdemeano1, and as
there was no fire it cost him So to square
matters"
But they let you alone at last?" was
asked by. one of the listeners.
Yes, after a year or two more of ii -
replied the retired druggist. with a grim
men in my position would have got dis
couraged and thrown up the sponge. Per-
be law in Connecticut against the use
| OF ambiguous language. We'll, there was,
and I was arrested and fined s. under it:
wanted to know if tar would heal it. I
told him 1 doubted it. and, that was de-
ture man who put up this job. and next
| day I had him up for cruelty to animals
in keeping his dog in the store over night.
In the last attempt to crush me the furnt-
ture man. the shoestore man, the grocer
and the rival druggist were combined A
| heel. and I dressed it with piece of court
plaster. They brought up an old law to
prove tnat 1 nad gwen meQlcal a1Q ana
assistance without having filed my diplo-
IS esaas lsaes
on me, but not for long. caught the old
deacon out after 10 O. clock without Ian
tern and had him hauled up. The shoe
storeman got into a jaw with a dray-
man, and had seven counts of harsh
and undue language against him in the
warrant The grocer left a trapdoor open
| against public safety and had to pay 81
4 and costs, and the druggist was soaked 81
salves sold for the curing of sores must
be compounded by we keeper of the drug
store himself -
1 And then you shook hands over the
chasm and began to make your million
and a half?" was asked as the retired
| druggist got up to go.
why, yes; that was the end of the at
tempted freeze out, but ] sold my store
made there"
But how-how- x.