The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-07
The PR|Iz !! ] ! MEAN Man
1T Won't Be Good Fer Him if He
Goes Out Lyndale Avenue
Agin Soon.
He Stole a Pair Of Crack s'Bobs'
and the Boys Are laying
For Him. =

711SdpS IEt94CdnnOn gDal1Ss are
now lurking in snow drifts and cold stor
age around about the hill on Franklin ave-
nue. between Aldrich and Lyndale ave-
nues =. Snow balls, glittering and pom
derous snow balls that have been soaked
with water and then frozen over night.
are pe1ns gathered by the boys Of Aldrich
avenue IN preparation for summary ven
geance upon the meanest man in Minneso-
"a. II ne wasn't the meanest man a-liy-
lng, youll have to show us!'' exclaimed
one Of the kids" this morning. ..Fer
why? He gived a little Teller a hitch and
then ruined away with his new Christ
mas hobs, that's what he did!,'
The little feller'' was Platt Walker
Jr., aged Z, of 201s Aldrich avenue Platt
Us not only Junior but he is s..i,,nior
iourth In a direct line. Strictly speak
ing, ne Is the sixth or seventh oldest son
OF the same name in the family of his
father, Platt B. Walker, Jr,, treasurer
and manager of the Mississippi Va, Valle ~
Lumberman Publishing company, 1917
Lumber Exchange. But no other Platt, saws
Junior Fourth, was ever SO meanly
treated. ..e ~. ri 4 :, ~ ! - -
at Was 'Beaut' y -.
+ for the greater glory of little Platt's
Christmas, his father manufactured a; Dajr
or those sliding vehicles that Boston bows
call Roberts. ;" The father bought, two
sleds and braced them with steel ribs.
SAAAOoSAiSSI C1cdIeSL ana Cl1CkeEt
pine plank in the great numbering district
OF Minneapolis was obtained wherewith
10 connect these. "bobs.'' 81, A cross-piece
was contrived by Mr.. Walker out of a
handsome birch panel torn from the wood
work OF his own residence. A king bolt
W an automatic ,oiler was made to at
tach the leading sled to the birch panel
ana the superior plank. The sleds were
painted gay and riotous red. 49,.
The "bobs' were all ready few days
before Christmas, except that the plank
nad not yet been encased in the section
OF Moquette carpet which little Platt's
mother was preparing to sacrifice: How
ever, the sliding was great that day on
the Franklin avenue hill, and Platt wanted
TO test his prospective gift. mot for
Keeps, y know, but juster see how they
soed.'' They went indeed. :..s~... .5>
. Platt the Fourth and three aides had
made preliminary test. They were
getting ready for: an official squirt along
measured quartermile. l., They had
agreed to name their equipage 'The Red
Demon in harmony with fashions
automobile. One kid was saying that
he believed the first sled ON the bobs
had 'runned the fastest''-when farm
er drove by along Lyndale avenue,
Say, mister, give us hitch? yelled
tunity to test the "Demon's'' behavior
in tow. "a right yelled back man
wearing a black fur overcoat. who was
standing in the wagon box upon the farm
er's sleigh. +. = 80 .~. -.
Plat made a jump at the potato chariot
and lassoed an upright post with the
painter of his bobs Everybody
"hopped on" after Plat. ''N she slowed
splendid!' = +.
Where the Meanness Came Out ]
They had scarcely trailed happy half
block when the man standing up leaned
over the front seat and spoke to the man
driving the sleigh. ~ The driver and AL
third man seated beside him laughed
loudly. The fellow standing then seized
a whip with long lash and began strik- 1
ing at the helpless children on the bob q
His trick, they thought, was jocular until
the whip cut across their, faces. One 1
boy. struck in the eye, rolled of. ~. ~
LET a Teller loose, can't yeh?'''' begged
the remaining participants: in. this. Ma
zeppa ride. But the creature swung his
whip more savagely. Little Platt, cut
several times across the bare hands, was
the last to abandon his snow ship. The
farmer whipped his horses into gallop,
and the "bobs'' soon reflected a red good
by in the far, white distance. s..x
But a, young friend of Platt's, riding
pony along Lyndale avenue, beheld the 1
robbery, and pursued the rob-
bers. He followed them two miles to the
city limits; saw them drink frequently
from a bottle, and was frightened into
retreat by their threats. When Christ
mas brought another Demon equally
red, the little feller'' was also comforted
with an improved rope that may be cast
off by means Of an infallible slip-knot.