The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-22
PRACTICAL JOKES IN KANSAS.
What They Used to Consider Fun in
the Early Days


dodge City, Kan. be-Republican)
Back I'm the lurid old times of Dodge
City. the fighter may have had his days
off. but the practical joker took no vaca-
ton and worked overtime. Even new
settler couldn't be in Dodge more than
tWenty-fOur hours before the practical
joke microbe began to turrow IN ms hlde
like "a chigger- Nose waters and X NJ
Wright were past masters. Their work
was pretty strong but usually ~ was d.
Iected by third party one, at least,
however, they clashed, and that time IS
one which will always be remembered by
old timers in Dodge City. Waters saw
Wright in his store. selecting a new suit
OF clothes one evening he had Wilsht
Swallowed until ne found ne had
dOnned the new garments and a few mo-
ments later Wright received a message
from Waters saloon. ostensiblv from q
United States army officer at the fort,
presenting the officers compliments and
requesting the pleasure of Wrights COM
pany at Waters wine rooms. such mes
sageS were not rare in those days and
little later Mr.. Wright left his store TO
respond to the polite invitation. About
half of the trip east on Front street led
along a row of flat top frame buildings.
The walk was covered with board avn
numerous barrels Of water which served
as q makeshift fire protection. Waters
had men mounted near the last barrel
and as Wright emerged from the end of
the walk, he was struck squarely with
such a body Of water as may be crowded
into a whisky barrel. He was literally
Z UFenEnEQ
bore him to the ground and took MS
{ breath. Waters appeared from some hid
den corner and piped sWeetly: w nat S
up. BOb2 Wetting your new SUITE!
The town laughed-and waited.
a few weeks later bUrly, big-fisted
Missourian struck Wright for work Was
willing to do anything, Wright sized
the stranger up Then he looked across
at Waters barn. This barn and the
blOOdCd horses that it contained were the
special pride of Waters. The barn was
I d
looked at that barn and twinkle was
reflected in his eve. lie looked back at
the Missourian He told him that he had
/ a red barn, that people were making run
of its color and he wanted 1t white
washed. The MissOurian took the job
/ There's a crazy Irishman here in town,
explained Wright, that imagines he
owns that barn If he bOtEers you break
a bucket of WhiteWdSh over his head and
/ ll pay double price for the work. The
I Missourian said he would whltewash the
/ barn and he'd like to see any luna1c stop
/ him.
/ was daubing the barn as if his life de-
pended on covering up the red in given
I time. Waters English d" Ostler'' pOked
/ his head through a side window and de
manded to know what the fellow was do
l ing. The MissOurian took quick aim and
placed q coating of WhiteWash two inches
/ thick across the hostler's features. The
/ vanquished Englishman quit the scene
ana ran lnlO ater presence. lie was
I so bedaubed with WhiteWaSh that he had
3 to introduce himself TO his employer be-
/ fore he was recognized. He was splitting
and spluttering i'm a way that suggested
\ hydrOphobia. but he managed at last to
blurt out that there was a bloomin'
blarsted idiot daubing whiteWash all over
/ the barn. Waters made his way TO the
7 scene, ordered the whitewasher to stop.
] and the MissOuriau daubed away faster
I than ever and his fists began to itch.
] A consuming desire came over him to get
/ one good. square punch at the offender 8
] head. He remembered thetplastered mug
I of the nOstler and kept his eve on the
/ brush, all the while slowly edgiug up
/ closer to get within reach He was al
/ most ready 20 land a blow when the Mis-
/ sCurian suddenly wheeled around and
/ forced a large bucket of whitdwash down
| over his shoulders. Waters broke away
/ from the bucket and frantiCally sCraped
/ the whltewash from his face There was
! murder i'm his eye when he got down 20
} it, The crowd was gathering and the
/ fight was furious The MissOurian saw
/ that the odds were against him. He
I fought and heWed his way through the
; crowd. crossed the line onto the rcserya-
1 ton and succeeded in getting away. Mr..
I Wright had been watching the proceed
T inEs from a distance. but before the
/ smoke OF battle had cleared away he had
/ ordered his team and left town. He knew
/ that Waters and his friends would be
T good friends later on. but just az that
/ time. until things cooled off n little he
I knew equally as well that Waters and
/ himself couldn't stay I'm the same town
/ over night and both enjoy good health
/ a few days later mutual friends patched
/ up a truce and Wright returned to town.