Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-02-06
When Hoppe Came.
KANSAS.

When Hoppe Came.
rive said afore, and say 1t now. without
one grain o. fear,
Chet when 1t comes t. living right, fer
fellership an cheer,
tn town Of Hick'ry Holler is the
besti
It's sociabler than trav'lin' men asst
tin round tn stove
In sum old tavern off tn road, err sum
up country cove
never seen its equal In the West!
Why. every night the men go down t
sit at Shaw's hotel,
An give tn hand o. welcum warm to
them as cum L sell
Tn merchants stocks O. goods fer time
err cash.
An aIlus in tn billiard hall yew'd find
Gil Aldrich there
A-sittin' sort o. comfy on a tall split
oottomed chair.
A-waItin' fer sum feller tibet wuz
brashi
Yer Gil wuz sorter Iightnin' at tn three
ball carom game.
de wore tn billiard crown fer years an
gloried In tn same.
Twas honest pride he TUX in his re-
nown!
Cow Gil want what yew'd call a dude.
he never put On airs;
He sort O. wore his sleeves rolled up
and dressed sum unawares,
Fer GIL worked In fact'ry of tn
town.
Whenever Gil would git a bite by sum
young trav'ln' guy,
tn boys would sorter side up an wink
tn other eye,
An grin e see Gil trim him slick as
ae'd kind o. loaf along awhile and miss
shot or two,
An when tn player neared tn end, he'd
squirt and run clean through!
Twas nothha' short O. nuts" fer Gil
Z winI
one day there cum a Teller on the
Flyer" frum tn South,
de didn't hev much baggage an he
didn't hev much mouth,
But registered an set Ground tn place.
Cum night he sort of wandered whar tn
balls wuz rollin' free;
He TUX seat an glanced Ground L see
what he could see.
Meanwhile a restful smile wuz on his
facet
An then a table layin' dead, he sorter
tapped tn balls,
Awaitin' fer tn comm of tn keeper,
Henry Rawles
Sic looked about easy they grow.
chsn up spoke "Champeen'' Aldrich asst
in him t play a game,
tn fellers round tn tables sort o. wink
An settIin' In their chairs t. see tn
showi
He said he didn't play much but wuz
within Z amuse
man that loved tn iv'ries an wuz
hank'rtn' to enthuseI
solemn sort o cuss wuz he, and shy.
Gil run paltry dozen an tn little fell
Ter missed.
eEis next wuz sumwhat better, but tn
measly cue-ball kissed,
And Gil he missed purpus. on tn sly!
Twas plain tew all that lie wuz punk,
so Gil ne made a run
e sort o. scare tn Teller out an Civ tn
boys sum fun
He counted twenty odd and missed a
draw.
an then sumhow there cum change!
TIL little cuss woke up
an started in 4 play tn game like
playin' fer n cupi
TIL dardnest billiard shots I ever saw!
f1s played masse. he drew an kissed
and cushioned fit to kill
Twus seen In list a minute tibet II
want no snap fer GIL!
An then he missed and swore sum at
his luck!
GIL rallied frum his great surprise, his
gaspin' attitude,
An vowed he'd finish then and there;
but darn It, he miscued
TIL little Teller shot-an Gil wus stuck!
tn boys wuz all a-gapin' wide, tn
championship wuz lost!
On Hick'ry Holier there he'd cum a sort
of KILN frost!
GIL Aldrich wuz no more tn billiard
king!
An then Rob Brush cum sidlin' in a
laughin' TT t kill:
You've bin agin' tn best there is is
what he sed Z Gil!
That Teller wuz Bill Hoppe on tn
wing"
sut as fer me, still believe in Hick'ry
Hoiler town,
An still I'll back GIL Aldrich, him OF
billiard bail reuown!
I'm Stain now a natives attitude)
It's plain { me. an always wuz, tn
game wuz ours by right,
An Hoppe never would have won-not
by q dog-gone sight
CT Gil had chalked his stick an not
miscuedl