The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-04-01

can't do any good? Let the govern
ment get after these men and punish
them as they deserve"
'tI'u show you what good it'll do,
and I am no man to wait for the gov
eminent when &, thing is to be DONE"
MI Bowser. you are foolish. If
you will walt"
But he wouldn't He pulled on his
overcoat and away he went. The
butcher was the first one visited. He
was leaning on his cleaver and Won
dering how many of the heads of the
Chicago meat trust would be sent to
Jail when Mr.. Bowser. blew in and
began:
''Sir, have paid you hundreds and
hundreds of dollars this last wear for
bones-the bones of COWS, steers,
sheep and hogs-and I'll be hanged If
you get another cent out of met You
either send me clear meat or you get
no more of my eustom!''
you give me a pain, BoWser''
Whats that! Don't think to turn
me off that way, sir. What with the
adulterated. food sold on every side
and the old bones you ring in on us,
the people are being regularly high
way robbed. If others want to stand
it, well and good. but don't try it on
me any longer. I'm patient and long
suffering, but there comes a time at
last when the worm turns"
you'd better buy liver all the
time. There's no bone in that
tAnd you'd better go out Of the
scoundrel business before you bring
up in states prisonl When I want
liver, sir, 1 will buy liver. Good night,
siri"
There was no doubt in Mr.. Bow
ser's mind that he had given the
butcher good polishing off, and there
would be no more bone sent with his
orders, and his next visit was to the
grocers- He was given pleasant
good evening, but in response he re-
piled:
.'sir, have you got one single article
of food or drink in this shebang
which is not adulterated ~
II think So
wen. don't. You, sir, have been
killing me by slow degrees for the last
five years. Every article Mrs. Bowser
has ordered from you has saDDed- at
my health. You have known right
along that you had bone-dust in your
flour, sand in your sugar and chicory
in your coffee, and yet you have war
ranted them pure and wholesome Sir.
am obliged to call you a scoundreli"
There are certain things I can rec
ommend," quietly replied the grocer.
who knew pretty well how to take his
man
Il don't believe it. don't believe
you can show one thing which some
unhung scoundrel has not tempered
with.
There are the potatoes, turniDs and
onions'
Don't beg the question. sir. 7 called
here to say that the next time Won send
me adulterated goods I will take your
trail and follow it until the doors Of
prison close upon YOU
I viii try to do better, Mr.. BoWser''
See that you do. sir-see that you do.
It is only now and then that I take
the law into my own hands, but when
do such men as you want to look out
for me Don't drive me to the dead
line, sir"
There was another place to be visited
and Mr.. Bowser walked in on the coal
man, who was at work on his books,
and said:
Sir. in the last year you have cheat
ed me out of hundreds of dollars by
sending me short weight
''Siri" replied the coal man, as he
laid. down his pen, you are an internal
Hari"
e'Whatf whatl''
An Internal liar, sir!"
They went out doors together and
had a struggle for life in the snow At
the finish Of it Mr. Bowser was borne
homeward at the hands of two men,
and when they reached the front door
one of them said to Mrs. BowseT, who
answered the ring:
Are you the wife of Mr.. Bowser2''
Yes, SIR
short. fat. baldheaded man who is
always kicling?"
yes"
aFhen here he is, and you'd better
take him in before his ears get 'front.'
bitten: - Copyright, 1905, by T. G. Nc
Clure.9