The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-12-05
'oLDT SCHMIDT, o WAS TEN JACKAssEs
UND FOOLS"

UND FOOLSw
of der biggest men in dis country. She
vhas bound in calves, nit gold edges,
und she last five hoonered years"
"By golly, but dot vhas better ash
some ice cream! like to hat a pook
for five hoonered years. Don't she hat
more ash two t'Ousand big men in
him?"
"Shust two t'ousand und no more.
Each n has q picture und a page.
1t tells who he vhas und all aboudt
him. und When he yhas deadt his shil-
dren read dot pOOk. I told dot agent
to come down und see you. Maybe
you vhas big enough to get in dot pook
if you like to. Vhas he here?"
eff he yhas L don't see him. Did he
speak NIT yOu?'
HE did. Last week he comes in my
place und says Was | old Schmidt. I
vhas. All right. He reads Of me in
der papers Und comes up from Phil
adelphia to see me. He don't like to
get dot pOok Oudt unless l vhas in him,
und he shows me der names of one
t'ousand big men. | see Shorge Wash
ingt0n, Abraham Lincoln, Grofer Cleve-
land und all sooch men,"
"By George, but dot vhas great!
Does he want some money to put you
in dot pook:'
Yes; one hoonered dollars. For one
hooneged dollars | yhas on page II, be-
tween Lincoln and Grant. Dot makes
me ash big ash anybody, und MAYBE l
don't haf to pay fare on der street
cars no more. l like you to be in dere,
too, Hans, if you can pay n hoonered
dollars
But l can't. l can't pay one hoon-
cred cents. If l vhas a big mans, no.
pody Will find him oudt. Does it
please your wife dot you go In dot
pook?"
mo. 1 speak to her aboudt it, but
she says l vhas some fools und Will get
swindled. 1t vhas all jealousy. 1t vhas
two t'ousand big men und no women,
und dot makes her mad"
But you go in der pook all der
same?" l says.
"Shust der same. Der price vhas
high, but if you vhas a big mans you
don't mind it. Yes, 1 goes in dot pook
und der agent writes me oop. 1 come
in to show you. Listen to dis:
":Dot oldt mans Schmidt vhas born
in Shermany a long while ago., und
When he yhas a young mans he comes
oafer to America NIT brass buttons On
his coat.
"'He vhas poor und proud und re-
spectables, und he work in a grocery
for So a month In two years he vhas
like Shorge Washington
"'Vhen be grows oop to own dot
grocery der peoples like to run him for
alderman, hut he don't care for Office,
und he vhas some honest mans.
"'He has one wife, who vhas a treas
ure, und his only son, Joe, Will climb
o to der top if he keeps on like he
vhas.
"'Mr. Schmidt can't ride a bicycle
nor cut some pigeon wings on roller
skates, but he vhas good natured,
cheerful nnd ready to help others.
eff some war breaks oudt in Amer
lea he Will be found alongside der pa
triots, a gun on his shoulder, a flag in
his hand und a wish to perish in his
enthusiastic heart. Don't you make no
mistake on oldt Schmidt.
awe like to say aboudt dis great
mans dot he vhas some ~greenhorns when
he first comes to America, but py und
py be vhas so smart dot nopody can
beat him for 2 cents. More ash ten
peoples try to swindle him efery day,
but it vhas all in vain.
"'Finally we like to say Of dis mans
dot he vhas ash big ash Washington.
ash good ash Lincoln und ash brave ash