The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-21
FISH IN THE MILK
BY FRANK 4. HAYS.

Spring approached, and l was out
very early of mornings, when | be
came interested in two dairy wagons.
Rivals, as sure as fate" thought.
One was Farmer Browns wagon;
the other, Farmer Jones.
As the days passed l could notice
that when Brown would make an i'm,
provement in his milk cans, wagon or
harness, Jones would, the very next
morning, have as good or better.
| saw here a contest to the finish
between Brown and Jones that APP
pealed to me very much, being myself
farmer. My sympathies were with
Brown, as he was the older man, and
he furnished milk to the family where
| roomed
Warm days having arrived, | con-
cluded to go fishing, and on a particu-
lar Saturday | started for the river,
few miles from town. On the way
out heard wagon approaching from
the rear. Looking back, | recognized
the red top of Browns milk wagon,
and as | stepped aside to let him pass
was hailed with these words
Young Teller, if you git lank under
the jacket, why jist sa'nter over thar
to that white house an I'll feed you"
About noon | concluded | would
''sa' inter- over" and share Browns ex-
tended hospitality.
Il knowed you'd come bout feedin
time. Come in and have a cheer.
ketch anything
mot thing replied, and l con-
cluded l would rather visit with you
than to fish"
After good dinner, Brown said:
Young teller, now l want you to
tell me how | can down Jones'"
well, Mr.. Brown, l have often
thought, when your wagon would rat
tie and your horses hoofs would
pound the paved street, that If a
scheme could be devised by which
this noise would not waken your Gus
toners at such an early hour it would
be winner"
Sure enough, next morning but one,
Brown drove down the street with his
horses shod with coffee sacks.
A week later Jones appeared with
his horses all shod with rubber.
Soon they both had equipped them
selves pretty well with rubber appa-
ratus of various kinds, Brown having
bought rubber tires for his wagon.
1t began to look as if Jones was
down, when, one afternoon, Brown
rushed into my room exclaiming:
This time l am beat. Jones has
an autompbile."
After dinner | walked up to the
corner grocery" whose owner, a Mr..
Johnson, and | were good friends
| found Johnson back in the ware
room changing the water on some
minnows he had in tank | saw
two milk cans, and learned they
belonged to Farmer Jones.
On Tuesday morning | told Brown
to meet me at Johnson's store at ten
o'clock.
On arriving there | pointed out his
competitors cans
Now, listen, said |, lin these cans
will be found little milk and we
will pour in as much water. In yon-
der tank are some minnows; we will
get some of them and drop in one of
| those cans, and then well have Jones
tell us how they got there"
Jones came in and started back for
his cans, when Johnson said
Say, all you fellows. come back
here with Jones and me- | want to
show you something"
OF course. we all went johnson
said:
Now, Jones, you have always
| sworn to me, and to all your custom.
ers, that you never watered any milk.
How did these minnows get into this
, CAM"
Fur Lords sake, mem" exclaimed
Jones. I'll confess. | was in a hurry
this mornin and didn't git all the
milkin' done. and as | crossed the
crick l reached down and scooped
| up couple of bucketfuls uf water
~