Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-30
BILL sANGER's LETTER.
He Offers Mr. Bristow a Job as I'm
dertaker


Mr. Bill Sanger sheriff of Armin, Texas,
who married the lady postmaster of the
"hats-off- or o-mair order has resumed his
correspondence with former Fourth Assist
| ant Postmaster General Bristow. In a let
ter received the other day Mr.. Sanger
apologies for not coming to Washington
March 4, as he had promised, and has a
few comments to make on other things
His letter follows:
Dear Friend Bristow:
I'm plumb humble and abashed but
hope you don't hold no hard feelings over
my busting that promise l made you Me
and Mrs. Sanger-whfch was the lady post
master-had sure agreed and determined To
hit the trail for Washington about election
time and the only reason we didn't come
was because of me carrying the roll. The
circumstances was this way: I'd been out
after a greater all morning and had JUST
come In with him, some unconscious-hln
having tried to get away. and me being
fretful and peevish that morning-and !
stops by Sans place to cut the dust. The
mayor was there-which was some usual
and ordinary. the mayor taking his red
eye regular and continuous-and we got to
talking about that trip me and Mrs. San
ger was going TO make.
Sanger said the mayor, waving his
hand friendly and casual at SANDWICH Is
the barkeep-"unless the President takes
you in like he does them other cowpunchers,
you are sure going to have hard time
Meaning what?' l ask, casual and I'M
convinced, the mayor being noted for the
frills he can put on straight story.
Meaning" he says pulling a newspaper
out of his pocket and slapping 1t down on
the bar, that the orneriest shack in WASH
ington has raised it's price for shake
down to $40 day, not counting grub and
trimmings. How long was you calculating
to stay at that rate?"
II amt calculating" 1 says. cold and
. L,,.n 70 eta,
at any onery shack, and l amt going up
there expecting the President to bunk me
up. So if there's anybody in this crowd
that's aiming to contribute let him speak
up.
We'll, to make this here letter some brief
and lucid. sat in a game to get the rest
of what was necessary and when L got
home. some ribald and unsteady. l didn
have no roll. I'm telling you this so that
you wont have no hard feelings. but will
understand that 1 broke my promise to you
while l was trying to keep it.
Friend Bristow, I've been reading the
papers lately some regular and complete,
and 1 cannot understand what that man
Roosevelt is thinking about that he ain
put you on the trail of those people that
held up the Agricultural Department. We
amt much on cotton in this toWn-the same
not growing around here and being used
mostly for banda ges-but we're all real
friendly to you, account of the square deal
you put up in this here lady postmaster
any job. I'm frank to say that the mayor
and me and the boys held a little talk the
other night and we agreed that If you d
drift down this way we'd sure fix you up
somehow. But as l was saying to the boys
when it come up. l guess you amt never
done any cowgentleman's work, similar and
precise. and l suppose you don't know
nothing about planting. If you do there
a fine opening. This here town has got
a mayor, but it amt got an undertaken,
and were sure losing ground as a COM
munity, natural and swift.
l was discoursing with the mayor the
other night about this, and he says, con-
versing fluent and familiar, like he does
after six sugs:
bill. you just write to your friend and
ask him, and even If he don't want the job
he'll sure be grateful and affectionata
There amt many men gets an opening in
that line where business is good, and where
even the greasers has money. You just
drop him line and tell him the facts for
NAL and correct.
Then" says the mayor. after he had
liquored, brisk and enjoying, you tell him
about Coffin Charlie. which went out in
Sam 5 place sudden and abrupt, aIorg of his
own carelessness some years ago Wei
sir, Charlie was friend of mine and I'm
plumb accurate in saying he was credit to
his business. He had all the frills down
fine and exact, and he did his planting that
graceful and artistic that it was plumb
pleasant to watch. And everybody liked
Charlie. He was a credit to the town-our
DeHiS Inc oilly around mere nav
ing mayor and an undertaken, and the
boys was real interested in him and
watched him careful. They wouldn't stir
up no rtctions with him, no matter how
much they needed trouble, and they always
seen to it that he didn't stop no lead acct
dental and careless. And some of them got
to know him friendly and intimate that
they went around drumming up trade
friendly and impartial. just to give him
something to do"
Whats the point to this story?" 1 asks
waving my hand at Sam. brisk and encour-
aging. I,
Well says the mayor, tasting his liquor
critical and obServing-the same being
plumb unusual with him-"he wasn't sat
isfied with one business, and he took up
with broncho busting. He couldn't sit on a
cayuse long enough to roll a cigarette but
that didn't stop him none. and after he got
this here horse bug he sure did live in the
air most of the time, and take his grub
erect and painful when it come time. And
then he got so he did most of his planting
in the afternoon. he could have his
mornings for broneho busting.
We'll to make this a short trail. I'll skip
the details. and just mention that after
while the boys got to treating Charlie like
one of themselves. They wasn't so careful
about seeing where he was when arga-
ments was going on. and generally they got
him mixed up between cow gentleman
and a planter. And one night when Jim
Hicks and old man Anderson got some irri-
tated over little discussion in Sans place.
Charlie he didn't get to the floor quick
enough and stopped three loads from Jim's