The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1902-06-27
"ONE OR
T'OTHER +"
fcopyright. 1902. by 6. B. Lewts.1 !


1t was not only the first to be established
at Cedar Hill, but the only one for 200
miles around, and we were inclined to
look upon the druggist with awe and
respect. We were very healthy lot
up there, and, aside from accident, no
man had lost a day for six months.
No sooner was that drugstore opened
Tor business. however, than most of US
felt yearning. Hiram Davis hit the
nail on the head when he said to the
crowd:
Boys. that drugstore reminds me Of
home and of the old woman and chill
dren. Jest think Of pills and salts and
calomel and quininei Civilizashun has
come knockin' at our doors, and it's our
solemn dooty to feel bad and buy SUM-
thin'w
Now, some Of US began to 'feel bad"
but when we came to buying something
we found that the druggist was doing
business on line Of his own. When Abe
Smallman dropped in to get dose Of
caiomel for his liver. which was doing
business seven days in the week and
In no need Of any encouragement Of
any sort, Mr. Davis said to him.
Il bought this drugstore outfit of Q
tenderfoot down at Grass Valley. He
was sick and discouraged and wanted
to go back home. I don't know much
about the business myself. I'll hunt
up the cal0mel and sell it to you, but I
won't be responsible for the results."
What dye mean by the resultsr'
queried Abe.
"Well. I've got calomel. arsenic. salts
and q lot of other things mixed up.
, here. and I'm not going to guarantee
anything. Mebbe it'll be calomel and
mebbe not"
We all shied OF for day or two at
that. but when we came to think 1t over
| We rather liked the uncertainty, and
the druggist was kept busy with our
purchases. Some Of his liquids and
powders were In bottles or papers. duly
labeled. and some Of the powders were
In parcels without q label on them. II
| anybody asked for epson salts. for in
| stance, the druggist would fish around
under the heap Of boots and shoes and
clothing till he got hold Of a box or
parcel, and. bringing 1t out. he would
say:
"All know about this stuff is that II
amt copperas. took parcel Of cop
peras on q debt once. and so I know
the stun when l see it II you want
to run chances, you can take 1t along"
Most everybody was willing to run
chances, and for two weeks all went
well. If nobody was made any better.
/ nobody and tho
druggist did a rushing trade. Then
came an afternoon on which old Joe
Crosby laid down his working tools
and announced that he was ''off his
feed" and had got to have something
to ward of bilious attack.
81 can't say what's good for it" said
the druggist. "but I'll fish up a lot Of
packages, and you can take your
choice"
He laid out ten parcels on the coun-
ter. and old Joe wet the tip of his
finger and tasted the contents of each
in succession. He finally found one to
suit his palate at least, and he bought
a dollars worth and went or to his
shanty to dose. Half an hour later he
was taken with violent cramps, and In
side of two hours he was dead. A
move was made ON the druggist, but
the smiling and urbane Mr. Davis re-
Iplied:
Gentlemen, it might have been pow
dered borax or it might have been ar
senic. l can't tell the difference be-
tween the two, and have been free to
say so. I gave him good weight, and
he took his chances"
Our purchases were light for the
next week, but in time we got over the
scare and went to buying again. A
man named Healy was made terrible
sick for two or three days by dose Of
some unknown stuff. and the next day
Sile Warner entered the drugstore to
say:
Il amt feelin' Jest as orter, and
want sunthin to brace me up. Kin ye
recommend bracer"
Il never recommend" was the reply.
Heres the bottles and here's the
packages. They may brace or they may
lay you out"
"Waal. this is a world of chance" !"
continued Sile as he paved the stun
over, ''and I'll take dollars wuth Of
this stuff in the bottle. It'll wet the
throat when it goes down anyway"
The stuff was probably laudanum,
for Sile never woke up from that
nights sleep. His chum went over to
give the druggist fits about the matter,
but Mr.. Davis headed him of with:
"Dead, eh? Sorry to hear it. but he
took his chances. l will now label that
bottle Poison and should any Of you
wish to ask to commit suicide you will
know what to ask for"
We tried to brace up after the second
calamity and were gradually getting
our confidence back when a man NAM
ed Grimshaw got something for chills.
The druggist wouldn't recommend it.
as usual, but it had been marked by
the tenderfoot as Good For Chills- u
, 1t proved to be. One dose removed Mr..
Grimshaw from this chilly world, and
. over his grave we held q public meet.
, ing and whereased:
. 1t bein' only a question of time when
| our drugstore will kill on every man in
Cedar HILL and
Whereas We owe a dooty to ourselves
and them as has gone: now. tharfore.
Resolved. That one or tother Of US has
got to git.
"T'other" was the drugstore. After q
general consultation we made up q
, shake purse of $50 to buy all the drugs
on hand, and after everybody had
given himself one last dose Of whatever
he fancied the remainder was thrown
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