Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01
HEWAS THE" GALLIEST"

settled down, lived in this town until
about ten years ago. His first name was
Joe. The rest of his name doesn't matter.
because he's in the advertising business
somewhere out west now, and understand
that his spirit has become chastened. AT
the time he was around the District II
Columbia he jewelry auctioneer. He
was huge man and a swell locker. and
he always kept himself primped up ID the
times whether he was in funds or up
against it. He was great believer in the
'front.' and he was the originator of that
classic phrase. You can't keep squirrel
on the ground He not only originated the
phrase, but he proved 1t. He wasn't afraid
Of anybody or anything, and he'd take a
chance on any old thing. Some IF the
propositions that he got away with were
almost beyond belief.
"One afternoon about a dozen winters
ago, while standing at the corner of the
avenue and 14th street with a bunch of
pals, he bet them that he could knock the
hat off the head of any big man passing
by that they'd point out to him and not get
into fight over it. The gang took him,
and they waited until giant came swing
ing in their direction. He was a we'll
dressed man. with the proportions of a
| 'longshoreman. This man of gall that I'm
telling you about deliberately fell in step
behind the giant and knocked his hat off
from the rear. The astonished pedestrian,
before STOPPING to pick up his derby,
wheeled about furiously, and when he saw
this Joe man, swaddled up in a fur coat
that reached to his heels and wearing
plug hat, confronting him and laughing
amusedly he was speeches.. He didn't
know what to make of it, but he was mad,
all the same and he pulled his right back
for wallop.
flush, there chum OILY remarked the
man of gall, holding his hand up deprecat
ingly. Mix the red-headedness. Those
swaybacks over there jerking his thumb in
49, Ii 49,, data x -
that 1 couldn't get away with 1t without
rough-house. Here's your dicer,' picking
the hat up from where it rested on the
curb. Come on and have one
THE big man accepted his hat, grinned
In dubious sort of way, replaced the hat
on his head and walked into cafe with
the man rugged out with the cast-steel
nerve who only moment before had tipped
take a chance on job like that for 81 900
In double eagles.
He put over so many gally stunts on
strangers that I can't remember the half of
them. One evening he stood outside of the
theater before the show. with two or three
OF his chums. They all had their evening
clothes on. The man named Joe suddenly
united his black string tie, pulled 1t off, and
stuck 1t into his pocket. Then he wagered
his chums that he could borrow the cravat
OF the first man that came along wearing a
black string necktie. They took this one too
and they waited for man to heave in sight
be dignifed-looking man of sixty or So
with the appearance Of a lawyer or some
sort of professional man. The Joseph in
dlvidual stepped up to the dignifed-appear-
Ing man and addressed him impressively
- Sir, he said with an amable grin
you perceive that in the hurry Of dressing
Tor the theater l neglected to don one of the
essentials. pointing to his shirt front The
haperdasher1es In this neighborhood are all
closed. and the ladies of my party await me
In their box I observe that your cravat is
suitable for evening wear. Will you lend it
to me for this evening?
% 'Assuredly, SIR was the instan MT renIv
OF the d1gniied looking man. You have NV
sympathy in your difficulty, due, no doubt
to Observation-Disclosures, a trait in which I
myself am not deficient and with ono tug
he Embossed his tie, pulled it off. and ex.
TENDED 1t to the man with the gall Then
ne pulled his overcoat collar I'D around his
ears SO as to cover up his lack of a tie. and
vent vent ms way 1t was absolutely easy
on another occasion he made bet with
ms outnt, while they were strolling on F
street. that he could borrow a dollar from
the nrst stranger who came along and who
LIZ th as II ne mad dollar. He got away
with this one. too. He had winning WAYS
spout MIN, there's no use in talking
But the galliest thing that he ever did
was when he took dinner at the home of An
L street man whom he had never seen he
fore. He was walking along l. street with
a companion one raw afternoon when his
nostrils were titivated with the pleasant
aroma OF trying onions.
BY George, he exclaimed to his friend
tney re going to have steak and onions for
dlnner IN there, pointing to the residence
from winch the fragrance proceeded Let's
go In and have some
DO you know the people. Joe7 dennur-
red his companions
NIX was the reply, but that doesn't
make any difference. Come on in
Ihe friend wanted to bolt for it, but the
Joseph person had powerful clutch on his
arm and he had to permit himself to he
dragged up the steps of the fine house
When the becapped maid answered the bell
ring the man of gall asked to see the mas
ter OF the house. The latter made his an
pearance directly in the parlor The galIv
| man handed the head of the house his
card. Then he made his little speech The
aroma or those frying onions had con-
quered his sense of propriety and quite
| swept away his delcacy he said. The
homelike suggestion of those onions irving
| had SO wrought upon him as he passed.
Well, now could the effect be otherwise upon
man whose family had been aWav on a
| visit in the west for several months and
VINO upon the consequent temporary clos
ing OF his home had been compelled to put
| up with the monotonous and unsatisfying
! rare OF hotels and restaurants? Oh. he
could hand you a life-sze imitation of
Prince Charlie, all right, could Joseph
When II came his turn. He won out hands
down. The master of the house extended
| TO MIN and his companion a most cordial
invitation to join him and his family in
| their coZy dinner of beefsteak and onions
and instantly sent out for more steak and
ordered more onions into the pan Josenh
| and his companion dined sumptuously on
| the steak and onions and crisp, hot his
cults and honey and Coffee and when the
meal was Over the man of gall leaned hack
| in his chair, wiped his mouth with his nan
| kin and gazed dreamily at the ceiling.
Now, who would suppose he remarked
| that man could have made a meal off a
| little snack like this?
with which dazzlingly impudent crack
| he went with the family into the parlor
! and amused them for an hour or so singing
| comic songs to his own piano accountant.
ment. Ninety-nine men out of hundred
| would have been incontinently chucked off
| the stoop as cranks or drunks had thew
| tried that scheme on, but this man of gall
not only picked 1t up and ran away with
| it. but he made hit in the bargain
"On still another occasion he saw a
young fellow get arrested for fighting and
resisting an officer. He bet his cronies that
| he could go to the Police Court on the fol-
lowing morning and get the young chap off
without either a fine or Imprisonment
They accepted the bet. and the next morn
Ing the gally individual went down and had
| talk with the prisoner and told him to
say nothing in court. Then he went into
the court room and introduced himself to
the late Judge Mills as New Jersey ius-
tice of the peace. Judge Mills invited him
to sit alongside him on the bench. When