Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-02-25
HE TALKED TOO MUCH.
And Resolved to Addisess All of His
Crafty Conversation to Him.
self In Euture

take myself to a nickel car ride, go
way out into the country somewhere,
Walk from the car about 800 yards
nto. the woods, and say it all TO my
elf, remarked P street household
r, mournfully, relates the Washing
on Star.
And here's why:
Last summer, when the time came
around for ME to dig up another two
iollars for dog tag for my fox ter
Ter, sort o sidestepped on the prop
'sltlon. l happened just to need the
wo dollars for something else at the
lme' and, as had been buying two
ioIlars' worth Of dog license for that
mutt from the district government for
ABOUT eight years, concluded that
LAD done about my share, considering
low many dogs there are running
about Washington that never saw the
color OF tag. Moreover, somebody
had stolen the old tag from my dogs
collar only few days before.
so l decided to become little
crafty and dodge the two dollar dog
tax, for the present year.
These dog-catchers,' said I to my
self, never take a peek at the tags
attached to the dogs collars. If they
see any old kind of tag jingling from
a dogs collar, they pass on. taking it
Tor granted that that dogs tax is all
paid and settled for. Consequently.
what's the use of paying two dollars
for a little piece of brass that's never
looked at, when brass is so cheap?'
I've got a little tinkering work
room fitted up at my house, and on one
sunday L made a dog tag. I didn't
have any model, the old tag, as I say.
having been swiped from the dogs col
lar by some predatory youngster,
probably, but, after fooling around for
awhile, l framed up a piece of brass
and stamped it so that it looked a-plen.
ty like an honest-and-truly dog col
lar.
Now SON. 1 remarked to the mutt
when l fastened the cutely-stamped
piece of brass to his collar, all you've
got to do is to sit or stand around
looking innocent or chesty, as you
please, when you see the dog-catcher
coming your way, and you won't be
bothered. The piece of brassll bluff
him out all right. Don't sneak away
or try to crawl under a porch or any
thing like that just because you your
self know that you've got phony or
bogus dog tax on, and the dog swiper'n
never know the difference
Inc dog wagged his tail as much
as to say, I'm next, all right and
the next afternoon when 1 was COM
ing home from the office I saw him
sitting placidly on the pavement
watching a dog-catcher with net
just as if his dog tag was as good as
any ever issued by the district gov
eminent. The spectacle tickled me
almost foolish, 1 was so delighted
with my own ingenuity. After that
the dog-catcher's wagon came by the
house time and again while my fox
terrier was fooling around in front.
out none of the canine kidnapers
made any move toward grabbing TIE
log-the counterfeit tag had 'em
fooled proper.
We'll, one evening last week on nv
way home from the office in the opeu
arr was sitting in the last seat-I
got to telling friend who sat along.
side me about the great dag-tax-
lodging game of mine.
Its the simplest thing in life I
told him, and man that's got the
to edge up a little piece Of
brass has got no more right to paw
two dollars dog tax than he has to
pay a campaign assessment when he
can dodge it, and then went ahead
and explained the thing to him at
great length, chuckling gleefully the
while and poking him in the ribs at
intervals the better to force him ia
see how cute and cunnin' had been
noticed that roughly dressed
clack man standing right behind us
on the rear platform of the open car
seemed to extract a heap of amuse-
nent from my recital. He lust
doubled himself up laughing over II.
md he got off the car at P stree
where l debarked. He was still
laughing wholesomely to himself "a
re walked down street behind me
md was glad that my little story Of
he way l had chiseled the dog de-
oartment of the district government
'ut Of two dollars for dog tax tickled
aim hugely.
But l wasn't SO glad when, on the
following evening, a few moments
after I had got home from the Office
mat same black man-and he was
still chuckling. too, confound him!-