Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
lone or T'other."
lcopyrlght, 1s0e. BY c. B. Lewls.l

Davis drugstore was an innovation.
1t was not only the first to be established
at Cedar Hill, but the only one for 200
miles around, and we were inclined 10
look upon the druggist with awe and
respect. We were Il very healthy lot
up there, and, aside from accident, no
man had lost q day for six months.
| No sooner was that drugstore opened
| for business, however, than most of us
| felt yearning. Hiram Davis hit the
| nail ON the head when he said TO the
crowd: ia
Boys, that drugstore reminds me OF
home and of the old woman and chill
dren. jest think of pills and salts and
calomel and quinine! Civilizashun has
come knockin' Mt our doors, and it's our
solemn dooty TO feel bad and buy sun
thin'r'
Now, some of us began to "feel bad
but when we came to buying something
we found that the druggist was doing
business on Il line of his own. When Abe
Smallman dropped in to get dose OF
calomel for his liver, which was doing
business seven days in the week and
in no need of any encourag cement of
T.,
81 bought this drugstore outfit of n
tenderfoot down at Grass Valley. He
was sick and discouraged and wanted
TO go back home. 1 don't know much
about the business myself. I'll hunt
up the calomel and sell it To you. but l
won't be responsible for the results"
What dye mean by the results?
queried Abe.
well. I've got calomel, arsenic, salts
and n lot of other things mixed UP
here, and I'm not going 10 guarantee
anything. Mebbe it'll be calOmcl and
mebbc not"
We all SHE'D off for a day or two ut
that but when we came TO think it 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 Il label on them. IL
anybody asked for EPSON salts, for in
stance the druggist would fish around
under the heap of boots and shoes and
clothing till lie got hold of box or
parcel, and, bringing it out, he would
say:
"All know about this stuff is that it
amt coppcras. 1 took a parcel of cop
peras on a debt once, and SO l know
the stuff when l see ii. If You want
to run chances, you can take it along"
Most everybody was willing to run
chances. and for two weeks all went
well. If nobody WAS made any better,
nobody was made any worse, and the
druggist did Il rushing trade. Then
f,1n old
Crosby laid down his working tools
and announced that he was on his
feed" and had got to have something
to ward off bilious attack.
Il can't say what's good for it," said
the druggist. "but I'll fish up Il 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 off to his
shanty to dose. Half an hour later he
was taken with violent cramps. and in
side of two hours he was dead y
move was made on the druggist, but
the smiling and urbane Mr.. Davis re-
piled:
Gentlemen, it might have been pow
dered bOrax or it might have been ar
senic. 1 can't tell the difference be-
tween the two, and 1 have been free to
say so. 1 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. \
fortnight after the death of Crosby a
man named Healy was made terrible |
sick for two or three days by n dose of |
some unknown stuff. and the next day |
Sile Warner entered the drugstore TO
say:
II amt feeliu' jest as l orter. and 1 I
want sunthin TO brace me up. Kin We /
a bracer:'
Il never recommend" was the reply. |
Heres the bottles and here's the 4
packages. They may brace or they may !
lay you out"
WAL, this is a world of chance"
continued Sile as he paved the stuff
over, land I'll take a dollars with of /
this stuff in the bottle. It'n 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 off with:
Dead, ell? Sorry to hear it, but he
took his chances. l will now label that l
bottle Poison and should any of you |
wish to ask TO commit suicide you will 1