The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-12-24
Der German obbler
He Makes His Shop
an Up to Date One
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1915. by Mcclure News
paIcr SNnlicate.

blIIS ~ Slllh uku AsbS "AN AAAOS ~
some faces.
do you smell solne new mince pisC
| asked him. und he answers:
Der law ought to complain for you
Dot old lamp OF yours alone gifts out
1 smell like some horse dead for two
weeks. Hans, you vhas II back number.
You vhas forty miles int der woods.
While all der peoples around you vhas
up to date. IL q man comes along here
in der evenings und likes a cement
patch on his shoe he looks into der
window und sees dat old lamp. The
place vhas gloomy und dark. Dat man
says to himself dat your leather vhas
mouldy, your shoe pegs rotten und dat
you can't get good work done. So he
goes along to some cobbler shop init en-
terprise. Dat old lamp has cost you 4
good many million dollars In loss Of
trade."
MAYBE 1t vhas 80, but i don't say
nothing
IF you have fOur gas burners 10
here" he goes III, ''all vhas different
Your shop vhas SO light dot you can see
when you drop a two dollar bill from
your pocket. People who 80 by stop
und say t themselves dat you are "
to date, und dey Will rush in here h
such crowds dat it takes four police
mems to rap der heads. A great fortune
is yours, Hans. und are you going H.
grab on to it,"
But | have no gas" ! says.
but you must have gas. Dots vha1
we are talking about. You vhas an OLD
friend of mine. | have some spare time
on my hands just now. und Will pus
In dot gas und see I'LL about 1t. VheL
1t vhas In. ! tell my clerk to give you
the VERY best gas und not mix an.
molasses with it."
'If you do dot, Mr.. %Sprickman, do1,s
more dan a brother would do. 1t vhih
show me dot you vhas der bigges,.
hearted nan in der world. never
hat soOch kindness offered me before,
und it makes some tears come into my
eyes,"
man. und dey dig a ditch und put in q
iron pipe and run der pipe into my
shop. Den Mr.. Sprickman gets some
gas fixtures. Dere vhas four lights.
Und my wife she claps her hands und
says we vhas rich. In three or four
days a man comes in NIT a big iron
box OH his back and says to me:
"Hello. Dutchy-here2 vhas your gak
meter"
In five days more Mr.. Sprickmak
comes in again. He looks around NH
Joy on his face. 1T vhas delightful to
see him. We shake hands und hug
each other. und he asks:
Hans. didn't l tell you 500"
"You did" ] says. II vhas a Rich
man now. und you vhas all to blame
for it. can do twice as much work
as before. und ! don't smell n single
smell, except dot Of roses. oh, MIR.
Sprickman, it vhas so good to meet q
man like you"
but what about this little bill,
Hans? We might as well settle up Is
night"
Bill? Bill? Was dere some billy
Its only a little one. l shall ask
you to pay me $3.50 for my work
Dot vhas way cheap. II had. done
dat work for Mr.. Vanderbilt it would
have been $500, but you und me vhas
just like brothers, you know. Come
down init der long green. Hans"
l don't come down NIT der ioag
green-not just den. l come down on
der floor in q faint, und Mr.. Sprick-
hammer before vhas all right agaix-
But l can't talk to him. My throat
was all swelled up. He says he Will:
see me some Odder time, 'MRd he geek
AWAY.
Den COMES a man from der gas Of
flee. He walks III NIT n whistle und
opens der closet dOOr to look at dat me
ter. His hair rose up und lifted hts
hat. und his eyes were like two tea
cups.
"Vhas it all right?' l asks.
lit vlas TOT dan all right. Hans"
lie replied. You have burned about
3.OOO.OOO feet Of gas in der last twenty
eight days! You keep right OH. un.l
der gas company Will haf porterhouse
steak three times a day. Will You
give me q check?"
"How mooch!
II Will take 100000 und come back
again tomorrow with Der wagon ~
take der rest"
I belief he goes out, but I dunno. 4
faints away again. Und When l ,cosire
to ! vhas in my bed upstairs und AZ.
wife und children vhas crying out .s!lE
l vhas dead. Der doctor vhas S.rr.,
und he saws:
"No; he isn't dead. He WAS jug
ripe enough for der idiot asylum, und
OATS where l vhill send him."
But promised to be good, und be
don't send me. In three or four nights
more Mr.. Sprickman calls. und he
shakes me by der hand until I vhaa
tired. Den he lets go und says:
"Hans. ! vhant to congratulate you-''
About vhat?"
why, about being up to date"
What YOU mean!"
why. YOU vhas in debt about g.
100000"
"Und I can never pay"
L