Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-28

| ton turned on the subject of wild tur-
| keys, the old negro declaring that there
WIZ a whole heap of EN- around dis
place" The result of this conversation
was that the president resolved TO hunt
turkeys then and there.
Following the old negro into the woods
the president and DR.. Rixeqy stationed
| themselves behind some blinds which
| the host had erected for his own use,
| while the old negro. with a handful of
corn started in a circuit thru the woods.
initiating the Wild turkey call, and
dropping few grains of corn at dis
tances of from two to three yards apart,
Before the hunt began, the old negro
had cautioned the president not to shoot
the first turkey that came in view for
the reason that the rest of the flock
would soon follow, and thus give them a
chance to kill several birds, instead of
the one leading the others, but when he
completed his round and sat down be-
hind the blinds to continue initiating the
wild turkeys notes the old negro was
thunderstruck to see the president ele-
vate his gun on the approach of a large
gobbler, the leader of flock following
al some distance In the rear.
'Hol on. w'ite man. doan sSoot jes'
yeti" he begged under his breath. "De
whole bizness will come long torectkly,
an eff yo' shoots now. yo'll skeer 'em all
off, sho's yo' bohn. Yo' bet min, dey'll
all run off, jais laik tells yo.''
But the president did not propose to
take any chances.
No he said. I'm going to have that
bird right now. / intend to make sure
of one, let the rest come or not" and
he blazed away. at such close range
that Mr.. Wild Turkey was simply
blown all to smithereens.
LECTURED THE PRESIDENT.
"Unm- M -mumphnph. now see what
yo done! l KEEP a-tellin' yo' toe min
cut. Now yo ruin't yo turkey huntin.' ;
sho' nuff. Tain no use to stay hyeah no
mo- he declared; 'deres' OBJ dem
buhds has done runred off,
President Roosevelt was so impressed
with the old negros foresight N the
matter of wild turkeys that he thought
to test him along other lines, and found
the old fellow quite intelligent.
How much do you make, uncle?" Mr..
Roosevelt inquired.
African. why, l dunno. Reckon l
makes bout IS aiv'ry month. Mighty
nigh dat much, ennyhow."
How would you like to work for the
government" the president continued.
Now yo shoutin' in earnes.' man.
I'se been wantin' toe get in de guv'-
ment nigh untoe fo yeahs Wuz stud
yin bout dat bizness las night i bin
AKIN some questyuns hyeah lately bout
how wuz de bes' way toe get in, but dey
tells me yo' got toe be zamined fus' to
see eff yo' been in de civil waw. En-
nyhow, dat knocks me plumb out, be-
cuz / wuz It home Wen de army broke
out an nev' had no chanot toe run
away an jine in de waw until it wug
done oyah wild. Is yo' one OBJ dem guv'
ment 'ployes?"
The president managed to keep a
straight face and to tell the old man
that he was one "guv'm ment ploye' who
had more bosses than all the rest
What department would you like to
work in?" he continued, with view to
drawing the old man out and discover
ing what other crude notions he enter
tanned with regard to the functions and
powers of government
Pahtments! Who. me? Whut yo'
mean by 'pahtmenis? Dunno what dey
is. Fact is, boss, 1 doan keer muffin
bout workin in pahtments. Use jaist
a plain ole nisgah an CANT keep UP no
style. Dey is. howsumevah, one paht oh
de CUB lnent where Use been wantin' TO
get job for mighty long spell, jais as
l been tellin' y'all, an dat is in de place
6e ycals de guv'ment printin office. Il
knowed man onct who used TO wuhk
in dat pace-used toe sweep out an do
bout gently. 1t wuz mighty easy job.
an de pay dat man got wuz sight, an
The upshot of the matter was that the
old negro is today working in the gov
printing Office as general utility
man at n salary Of $50 per month He
declares that such luck does not as a |
general thing strike ordinary mortals
this side of paradise and is the happiest
negro in sixteen states
His feeling of gratitude to President
Roosevelt ie such that since his arrival
at the printing office he has quite over
done himself in efforts to be useful. |
with the result that the printing office
officials are congratulating themselves
on having secured, by the oldest of
one of the most useful. trust |
worthy, and satisfactory laborers in the |
office.