Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-08-29
How a Fierce American
Was AppeaSed.
[Original.l

|
America is far from Europe. and
the poorer classes know very little
about the western continent. When
was a boy | was one morning ut the
Hotel DIES Invalides. in Paris. with my
father He was speaking in French
with a pensioner. Presently my father
burst into a laugh. l asked him what
he was laughing at. He said that he
had told the Frenchman that he was
an American. NO." replied the old
soldier; Americans are all black
Some years ago an American wild
west show visited Budapest. There
were the usual fusillades, individual
shootings and stagecoach robberies.
The people who saw them got an idea
that all Americans shot, and shot to
kill, on the slightest provocation. ]
| spent few days at the place soon aft
er the show had passed on, register
ing from my home, Toledo, o. The
day after my arrival l saw some citi-
zens over the register debating in an
excited fashion about just where in
| America Toledo was, whether it was
on the Atlantic or Pacific coast, one
| man declaring that it was in the
Allegheny mountains, the region Of the
| fierceSt tribes Of cowboys. Suddenly
catching sight Of me, they scattered
| like a flock of birds among which a
stone had been thrown.
The same evening / attended a per-
| Torrance in a music nall. A little,
deformed girl, with pale cheeks and
great, daring black eyes. was selling
programmes. A waiter moving across
| the floor with half a dozen glasses Of
beer poised on a tray above his head.
not seeing the child, ran her down.
The six glasses Of beer went crashing
on the floor, and the waiter fell on the
girl. As she and he rose in his irrita-
ton he gave her cuff, saying, "Take
that for getting in my way"
| Now, l am a mild hammered, peace
full man, nothing of knight Grant, but
1 thought the waiter should be re-
| proved for giving way to his temper
and the little girl given tip to make
| up for the blow she had received, SO
said:
waiter, you had no business to
strike the child in that manner. The
accident was your fault. You should
have looked about you to see if any
body was in your way"
AS 1 spoke 1 put my hand to my hip
| pocket to get out my portemonnaie,
which always carry there, to give the
little programme seller coin.
The noise of the fall had attracted
the attention of every one in the hall.
All eyes were upon the waiter, the girl
and me. AS 1 spoke those farthest
away from me got on chairs to see
what was going to do. l had been
pointed out to many of them as an
American, and as they saw that 1 was
| displeased at the waiter they con-
| sidered him in imminent danger. When
put my hand to my hip pocket there
was the most remarkable commotion !
have ever had the honor to occasion.
Indeed, it is the only glittering spot in
my otherwise uneventful life.
There was a wild scramble at the
| tables nearest me to get out of the
way. The men knocked over the
chairs, jumped across tables; the wo-
| men shrieked; the children (they take
| their children to such places abroad
| cried. Those nearest the door blocked
the opening in a vain effort to get out
all at once. had my eye on the poor
little programme girl and to prevent
her being trampled upon put an arm
| about her to protect her.
The manager came fighting his way
toward me and when he got near
enough shouted to me: do not shoot.
Everything you require shall be done.
What will appease you?"
1t suddenly occurred to me to turn
the score to account for the little pro-
gramme girl.
''I'm not going to kill any one," I
said, "but have q suggestion to make.
Let us take up a collection for this
poor little girl, who received a cuff she
did not deserve"
l had my portemonnaie, not revolv-
er, in my hand and, opening it, took out
bill, dropped it in my hat and gave it
to the manager. He stood on a chair
and as soon as he could make himself
heard said:
"The American will not fight if we
take up collection for the programme
girl. Let us ransom Carl Steffens, the
waiter who offended him. Carl is a
poor man and has a large family
With that he went around with the
hat. Every person in the assembly
considered that he was bound to dis
gorge as he had seen stagecoach pas
sengers disgorge to road agents in the
wild west show. When the hat came
back it was brimful of bills and coins.
The manager handed it to me, and,
pouring its contents into my handker-
chief, 1 handed it to the child The
manager got on table and cried: