The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-01-22
4 LITERAL DIVISION.
Dramatic. Way In Which Fishermen
Dissolved Partnership.

Dran.ass,. Way In Which Fishermen
Dissolved Partnership.
Gere,c,ra pasq,inucci and Giuseppi
Passantinc. suns of Italy and usher
men, recently dissolved partnership in
q dramatic manner, For years they mad
sailed in the same boat. One demlJohn
served. to carry the vino that slaked
two thirsts. and the last loaf Of black
bread e1erelomo and Giuseppi divided.
crumb and crust alike. Mesh for mesh.
each had an equal share in the two nets
with which they fished, and for every
strand in the incidental gear that Gu
seppi owned Gerelomo owned strand
Equal owners in everything and share
aid share alike in toll, hardshlpS and
profits had been the rule under which
the partnership tlulrished. A few days
ago they uuarreled. For twenty-fo'lr
hours neither would speak to the other.
Gerelomo sent by neutral hand an offer
to buy out Giuseppi. Giuseppe replied
with an offer to buy out GerelOmo. An-
other twenty-four hours of silence.
meeting was arranged. and at the APP
pointed time the estranged partners
met
After eleven hours of violent discus
sion a plan Of settlement was agreed
upon They would spread the assets
of the firm on tishermen's wharf ana
with knife, ak and saw make Il literal
division of the property owned in com
mon. Every disengaged Greek and ltal-
ian fisherman of the local colony gath
cred on the wharf to witness the cere-
mony of dissolving partnership. com
mittee was appointed to see fair play
First came the nets. There are two
nets. Better take one apiece sug-
gested one Of the committee. This did
not suit the dissolving partners One
net might be little better than tlfe
other. and the one drawing the better
net would have more than his share.
The committee stepped back and allow
ed Giuseppi and Gerelomo to carry out
the ceremony in their own way. The
nets were spread on the wharf. and
with sharp knife Gerelomo divided
one lengthways, making 4 fair divi-
sion. but rendering each half useless.
Giuseppi performed. a similar operation
on the other net. The ropes, lying in
neat coils, were then divided by sever
ing the coils in half. The oars were
split down the center, one silver going
Oh Giuseppi's junk pile and the other
on Gerelomo's heap. The division OF
the boat hook presented problem that
was solved by throwing that article of
equipment into the bay. The boat.
drawn up on the ways, was then at
tackled with crosscut saw.
AS they watched this destruction of
precious property the assembled fish
ermen had worked themselves into a
frenzy, which reached white heat when
they realized that boat, stout saucy
and of good reputation, was about to be
sacrificed. At the second stroke of
the saw the partners were seized. drag
ged to nearby resort and persuaded
that the community fully realized the
contempt in which each held the other.
but that the destruction of the boat
would not be permitted. The boat was
offered for sale, the purchaser paid the
price to the committee, and Giuseppi
and Gerelomo received each one-half.
They accepted whole coins. The crowd
dispersed. eand the dissolved partners
walked slowly to the street. Face to
face they stood for a moment. Eac,,
made Il half turn. Giuseppe walked
away on northerly course. Gerelomo
when last seen was headed due south.
-Sa14 Francisco Call.