The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-04-16
A CASE
OF q 1T
fcopyright, 1902, by c. g. Lewis.I

not only nice to have such things
about, but to look back and remember
that owe all I've goc to the state Of
Connecticut"
But why particnlarize Connecticut"
because OF its laws and because Of
its people. WhenI got my diploma as
a pharmacist, / went into business in
that state. In those old days drug
gist who started in bus mess in a Con
necticut town found ;bout forty old
laws on the statute books to confront
him and render his life miserable, ana
the stranger who, opened business in 81
small town found all other business
men against him. | got corner store
in big village and began to hustle.
The first thing did WIS to take full
page adj in local paper. CAM you be-
lieve that was arrested for it?"
ION what groundsY was asked.
"For unduly exciting the public.
Yes, sir; the warrant read that l was
seeking to stir up anger and excite
ment against public welfare. and l was
fined $40 and cautioned 10 go slow. |
paid the newspaper $50 for that adj,
and yet the editor came out In the next
issue and said it was evident that
dangerous agitatOr had settled in the
community and ought to be carefully
looked after 1t was the proprietor of
the other drugstore who Instituted the
proceedings against me, ard in revenge
l marked all my patent dollar remedies
down to cents. That left humping
big }'profit, as you know, but in less
than thirty-six hours l was arrested
again. The charge was that l was
preparing to defraud my creditors. |
proved that | hadn't any, but owned
my stock and had $1,5C0 in the bank
but the court held that there must be
some sort of fraud in my knocking
down prices, and l paid another fine.
| realized by this time that they We're
after me, but | was born of fighting
stock, and l made up my mind to hang
on"
"And the next move"
"Well, had a grocer next to me and
a shoestore on the opposite corner.
The grocer got four dozen bottles of
cough medicine to pcddle out, and the
shoe man put a lot of sponges and
toothbrushes on sale. at once bought
two barrels of sugar and sold it at a
cent less a pound than the grocer, and
| got a case of boots worth So pair
and gave every man his choice for
$3.50. | made those fellows tired in
about three days, and they had me
arrested for false pretenses. l turned
about and hauled 'em up for selling
goods not covered by their LICENSES
and they let go of me as if they'd
picked up a hot potato. Meanwhile the
other druggist was laying for me
again. There was law that every
prescription should be filed with the
town clerk, but, not knowing of 1t,
had taken no steps. l pleaded guilty
when arrested and was fined $40 and
costs. l wanted to get even, OF course.
and the chance soon occurred. He Wis
tied his store on Sunday to see that all
was right, and | swore out warrant,
and he had to fork over S.. The law
at that time even kept a man out of his
own store on Sunday unless in case OF
fire Or serious illness.
"a dry goods man went into toilet
soaps, and l bought and almost gave
away calico enough to last that county
ten years. When had settled him, a
bookstore man took up seidlitz pow
ders, and pills, and supplied the town
with free paper and envelopes. l had
got the better Of him when l was fined
for using obnoxious language. II
wasn't anything said, but sign In
the window reading You've All Got
EN-, but I've Got the Cure 1t WAS
a cold foot remedy. but the judge de-
cided that the sign might refer to bugs
and other things and was at any rate
calculated to shock sensitive people.
paid the usual fine and shOuldered my
gun to get back at the chap who
swore out the warrant. He was
furniture man and church deacon,
and after a bit had him fined S. for
obstructing the sidewalk with a bed
stead. AS to trade and profits, hadn't
any, Of course, but as my expenses
were light and my stock all paid for
could afford to hang on. When they
had made a general boycott on me,
used to go off fishing and hunting, and,
queerly enough, was arrested for
that. Under an old law, which read
that a drugstore must be kept open
during reasonable hours on weekdays
I was fined $40 and costs. Ny rival
was the man who caused 1t, and the
very next day l got even with him.
A chimney burned out, and he rang
the fire bell. The law read that any
person ringing the bell unless there
was a fire was guilty Of misde;
meanor, and as there was no fire ii