Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-30
REVERSED THE RULE

That stock feature Of the professional
funny mems repertoire about the young
fellow being booted out of the house, down
the steps and half way across the street
by the irate'-he's always frate-father OF
the girl whose hand in marriage the young
man has requested still fills up space in
the cozy corners of the newspapers, but
there was a mighty divertins reversal Of
the situation in my factory little while
ago." said a manufacturer from Newark
N. J.. who operates a large paint making
plant II was a witness of this turned
about incident. for both Of the principals
are employees OF my factory-two of the
best men. by the way. that I've got on my
pay roll.
''John. the father Of the exceedingly pref
ty eighteen-year-old girl that Jim wanted
Jim Is twenty-four. and, as he's first
class color mixer, pay him SO a day-was.
In his younger days. the best catch weight
pugilist in Newark. He Is still under forty.
nearly as handy with the mitts. as the
sporting writer's say today as he was when
he used to fight in the ring.
Jim had been the 'stiddy of Johns
daughter for more than a year, although
from the beginning. it appears. John had
entertained a sort OF Crouch against jim
I never could ascertain the reason why.
for the young fellows habits have always
U0cil SOOup duQs with HIS cACcApcat WdSSS,
he appeared to be a pretty fair catch for
the daughter Of worklngman. But John,
inns factory mate. was against the young
fellow who called every night to see the
girl, and / heard after the wind-up Of the
Incident that Jim had some sort Of a wordy
scrap with John every time the young man
called at the old mans home to see his
inamorata. For one thing. John thought
his daughter too young to marry, and, as
she was the only child, he was perhaps
justified in feeling that way. But the girl
was fond of Jim, and her father completely
failed in his attempts to shoe Jim from
the girls side-when the situation at her
home became 50 strained that Jim bad to
remain away from there for while, they
met somewhere else, as lovers do ana will.
should mention that Jim is powerful
young fellow, nearly six feet high. with the
arms and torso Of a blacksmith.
Zone morning, about three weeks ago, as
I watched the mixers at work. noticed
that there was a pretty hard and set look
about Jims Jaw. and so. when the noon
whistle blew. I was not surprised to OBJ
serve, from my office. Jim stride over to
John, who was working just outside my
office. with very determined air.
Pop said Jim to John In tone that
sounded perfectly square and manly to me,
Sue an me have been runnin' mates long
enough. Now we're ready t become side
pardners fr keeps. How bout it?-just
thought I'd asst you. see?
"'G'wan, you cub was Johns contemptu-
GUS reply to Jim. You'd better wait till
you learn how to strop razor t shave
yourself with before you git t chewtn
bout marryin' a snip of young one that
hasn't had her hair tucked under her hat
rr moren six months or SO. Anyhow,
you won't do, see?
81 won't. heyr inquired Jim. his face
becoming pretty ruddy-1 saw and heard
the whole thing from my office. Wots tn
matter wit me. heyr
"'You won't do that's ALL was Johns
suriy reply. You're one o. these feiiers
that they say bout. He's all right. but he
"'Say, look a-here,' said Jim then. fam
into sudden wrath, If youse wasn't an old
stiff an a has-been. I'd hand youse swift
poke in yr off lamp. dye know thatT
"'You would, would you? said John.
then, with a derisive laugh. Strengthening
himself up as IL awaiting an onslaught, as
he had done so many times In the prize
ring. wy. ye overgrown lubDers you
wouldn't make lunch FIR me. FIR cents
u take barrel stave t ye and lather you
good, ye mullet head.
You take back them names or I'll
knock y'r block of. see? said Jim. adj
vancing upon John threateningly-and then
1t happened
1.-The old man struck his old-fashioned
pugilistic attitude and then made swift
dab for Jims jaw with his right. Jim 8
Jaw wasn't there, however. and then Jim
handed the man whose son-in-law he want
ed to be a left-hand uppercut that made
the old mans teeth rattle-I advert to him
as the old man. although, as say, he was
under forty, as strong as an OK. and as
light on his feet IS a cat. But for all that.
the two men hadn't been fighting very long
before / saw that. with all OF his prize
ring experience, John wasn't any match for
Jim. Leaving out the difference between
twenty-four years of age and. say, thirty
nine, Jim had been fooling with the gloves
ever since his kidhood himself, and he was
onto all Of the new kinks In the boxing
game, whereas Johns game was Of the old
fashioned smuggling style. Jim knew how to
send in lightning jolts and then get away
without a comeback or rebate, whereas
when the old man got in good clout, he
stood his ground and had to endure sue
cession Of return jabs every time that put
him all to the bad. 1 knew that 1t would
be useless for me to attempt to interfere
to stop the fight before they had settled
their difficulty.
Scores of the men formed ring around
the two and let them have 1t out There
were no seconds. or fighting by rounds, or
funny business-the two men just punched
and pounded away at each other, fighting
perfectly fair however. until. after they
had been at it for about five minutes, the
younger man suddenly sent in crashing
Highlander which landed on the older
mans Jaw and felled him like an OK.
John lay prone for a good deal longer
than the count in a regular f1stic encoun-
ter, and when he came to and sat up his
face covered with bruises and hard bumps,
Jim was standing over him.
Pop said Jim, resuming the respect
full tone with which he had first addressed
the old man. Sue an mes figurin on
maxim a double-up sketch of it long bout
tn middle o. June. How bout It?
"'Yere all right. kid. said john. hearth
ly, scrambling to his feet and holding out
his hand to Jim-Jim took 1t and shook it
cordially. I didn't t'ink We had 1t in ye.
Sue is your'n any OF time We want her. I
guess We can take care Of her all right. all
right Say. W ere did We pick up that pivot
swing that ye landed on me left eye? I
never seen that one before. and they got
to talking amicably about new kinks in
the way Of boxing blows and kept 1t up
until the whistle. blew for the hands to
resume work.
Jim has already put in his application
for two weeks leave and he and Sue will
make a double-up sketch Of It on June
is, with old man John at the church to
give his daughter away.
Electric Light In Notre Dame.
Paris Corr. Of the London Pail Mall Gazette.
n IL