The Globe-republican., 1903-10-15

Day Of the Practical Joke.
Back In the lurid old times OF Dodge
J. City, the fighter may have had bis days
off, but the practical joker took no vaca'
y tion and worked oyer time. Even a new
settler couldn't be 10 Dodge more than
4 twenty -four hours before the practical
a joke microbs begin to hurrow In hls
d hide like chlgger Nose Waters and
4 R. NJ. Wright were past masters. Their
d work was pretty strong but usually 1t was
J, directed at third party. Once; at least,
however, they clashed, and that time Is
one which will always be remembered
. by the old timers In Dodge City. Waters
saw Wright In bis store selecting a new
suit OF clothes one evening. He had
Wright "ahadowed" until hs found be
had donned the new garments and few
moments later Wright received message
from Waters saloon, ostensibly from q
United States army officer Of the fort,
presenting the officers compliments and
requesting the pleasure Of Wrlght's com.
pany at Waters wine rooms. Such mes.
sages were not rare In those days and a
little later Mr. Wright left his store to
respond to the polite invitation About
half Of the trip east on Front street led
along row Of flat top frame buildings.
The walk was covered with board avn
lug and on the top Of these awnings were
numerous barrels OF water which served
as a makeshift fire protection. Waters
had men mounted near the last barrel |
and as Wright emerged from the end Of ,
the waikiki WAS struck squarely by such Z
a body of water as may be crowded into
a whiskey barrel. He was literally {
drenched and the weight Of the water s
bore him to the ground and took bis n
breath. Waters appeared from some a
hidden corner and piped swectly "What's t,
up, Bob? Wetting your new sult?" e
The town lRughed-and waited. I,
b
A few weeks later burly, big.fsted
MissourIan struck Wright for work. Was
willing to "do anythiug''. Wright sized
the stranger up. Then be looked across
at Waters barn. This barn and the r.
blooded horses that 1t contained was the
special pride of Waters. The barn was =,
newly painted bright red. Wright a
ooked at that red barn and atwinkle was
effected 10 bis eye. He looked back at VI
be Missourian. He told him that be an
lad a red barn; that people were max. In
ny fun of its color and that be wanted 1t .
The Missourian took tile ha
OBJ. "There'sa crazy Irlshman here in W W
own," explained Wright, THAT nr IN,
lnagineshe owns that barn. | expect he
ell try to stop you. Don't 'tpay any at
enton to him. If be bothers you, break til,
bucket Of whitewash over bis head and pa
III pay you double price for the work." ha
he Missourian said he would whitewash nv nv,
ne barn and he'd like to see any lunatic sat
top him. in
" out
Half an hour later the big Missourian
as daublng the barn as though bis life /
spended on covering up the red In a knt
ven time. Waters English =" 'ostler' y
oked his head through q side window city
I'd demanded to know "what in the ed
oody = the fellow was doing. The the
issourian took quick aim and placed
atIng of whitewash two inches thick
ross the hOstler's features. The van
ished Englishman quit the scene and
n into Waters presence. He was so WEI
daubed with whitewash that he had to
troduce himself to his employer before v
was recognized. He was splitting and J. 1
luttering ina way thatsuggested hydro beef
obla, but he managed at lastto blurt out coul
1t there was a blooming blarsted idiot NJ
ubiDg whltewash all over the barn. dist
,ters made bis way to the scene, Or M
'ed the Whitewater to stop, and the, dist
ssourian daubed away faster than ever 81,
tiers was something Of a prize fighter MI
his fists begin to Itch. A consuming So, 2
ire came over him to get one good, and
are punch at the offenders head. He Nj
rendered the plastered mug of his trlctt
tier and kept his eye on the brush, all joint
while slowly edgiug up closer to get 81, 2
bin reach. He was almost ready to Mr.
"a blow when the Mlssourlan sudden tIlcts
wheeled about and forced large Do
ket Of wbitewash down over bis head No.
lis shoulders, 1t was a complete sur. Mr..
q. Waters broke away from the Mr..
set and frantlcally scraped the white Th'
b from his face. There was murder child
Is eye when he got down to 1t. The inclus
vd was gathering and the fight was prival
GUS. The Missourian saw that the school
were against him. He fought and Those
ed bis way through the frowd, law al