Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-05-27
TELLING THE TRUTH
SOME MEN WHO PRACTICE IT
OCCASIONALLY.

Pacific coast Something that had been
said brought up the subject OF men
dacity.
Il never lie in business matters"
said the travelling man. Il couldn't do
it and hold my job. A man in my line
has to be truthful to his customers. If
he once got the reputation of being un-
reliable in his statements it would be
all day with him; so | can only let
my imagination getter the better of
facts incidentally"
81 never lie except professionally,
said the lawyer. That's the difference
between us. If | once got reputation
for truthfulness some of my best
clients would leave me-"
Il sometimes get reputation as
liar that | don't deserve" said the real
estate man. Il have to describe the
properties | am selling, but | only han
die gilt-edged propositions and, though
make it a rule to understate their adj
vantages, what do say somehow
sounds too good to be true. Now, if
fhould tell you gentlemen about a lit
tie tract | have for sale within eight
miles of Santa Barbara you would
"Of course we would" interrupted
the horse dealer, land I'll bet we would
be right, too. | don't pretend to say
| that | keep to the straight and narrow
path of veracity in my business. | shy
out of the track at times, but then
tell the truth about the horse now and
then"
THE one the other fellow is trying
to sell, | suppose" hazarded the drum
mer.
Maybe" said the horse dealer, Sc
renely.
But that's better than some" con-
tinued the horse dealer. II knew a
man out my way who was never
known to tell the truth. If liars are
to have their portion of the birthstone
lake, as I've heard said, I'll bet Jim
Murphy's portion will be good half
of the whole business. He couldn't
do anything else but lie and that was
all there was to 1t.
Zone day Jim was a witness in
hog stealing case and when the clerk
administered the oath he said, You
do solemnly swear that the testimony
you are about to give in the case now
in hearing shall be the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth
to the best of your ability The
Judge fined the clerk $50 for that, but
the fellow didn't mean to be funny
/ he just knew Jim Murphy.
II remember another time the edi-
tor of the republican paper in our
town put in a piece about the demo
cratic candidate for county treasurer.
He said: We are not hide bound In
politics and we are willing to do JUS
tice to the gentleman the democrats
have thought At to put on their ticket
for this responsible Office. He Ia a
comparative stranger to most of us,
but Jim Murphy informs us that he
has known him since boyhood and
that he is honest, sober and capable
and entirely worthy of the confidence
Of the voters of the county, irrespec-
tive of party | think that helped to
defeat the democrat more than any
other one thing.
Jim married daughter OF farmer
named Hibben, who was a mighty
strict church member and didn't be-
lieve in fiction. Jim didn't waste any
time to speak of counting. which was
Just as we'll. A friend of mine named
Dan Sweet was chump enough to tell
the old man what kind of liar he
was going to get for a son-in-law, but
Jim convinced the old man that he
was mistaken-for the time being.
Not long after that Dan, who was
great josher, met Jim driving toward
town and hailed him. Jim pulled up
his horses, which had been going at
pretty lively clip, and asked him what
| he wanted
Let's see what sort OF lie you
can get right off without thinking,
Jim,' says Dan.
'Shucks!' says Jim. sort of mad. 4
haven't any time to fool with you now.
I'm going to town after a coffin for
Mrs. Hibben. sac died last night
Then he leaned forward and shook the
! lines over his horses backs and they
started up.
You don't say!' says Dan, pretty
he shouted.
"Jim leaned around and shouted
back: Ten o'clock tomorrow morn
Ing at the house.
We'll, when Dan got home he told
his wife and the next morning they
fixed up and drove nine miles over to
the Hibbens' place to attend the funer-
al. Well there wasn't any funeral,
Mrs. Hibben told them. But it had
never occurred to Dan that Jim was ly-
ing That will give you an idea of the
kind of a liar Jim was"
rs he living YETI" asked the real
estate man.
81 suppose So" replied the horse
dealer
"In prosperous circumstances? ?"
well, l don't suppose he makes
more than a living"
GIVE me his address" said the real
estate man. pulling out a notebook and
ynfgbt ba 900 I;r.