The Coconino sun., 1926-07-23
FOURTH OF JULY VISITOR
PLEASED WITH FLAGSTAFF

good things, the night clerk of the
hotel gave me nod and grin.
When | ordered bacon and coffee,
the good looking waitress gave me a
side order Of smiles.
When the sun climbed up over the
rim of the mountains, | took walk
down a nice street.
From out of a house which set back
in a big yard, freckled faced kid
came to the gate with grin which
spelled howdv.
This kid had a dog and an apple.
The kid offered to let me play with
his dog and also offered me bite of
his apple.
The dog was small and had a sore
leg and big wiggle on the end Of
his tail. | talked to the kid and his
dog. The kid grinned and both the
kid and his dog seemed to be glad to
be living.
went down to a drug store and
bought some salve, and when | put it
on that sore spot of the dog, he licked
my hand and waggled his tail some
more.
| climbed up on the side of the hill
at the end Of the street and went to
sleep under the shade of a big tree.
After this sleep | went down the
street and again saw and talked to
my pals.
The kid wore the same old grin and
the dog still carried the same old wag
on the end Of his tail
crossed on another street and
went into a little printing office. ]
borrowed the printers typewriter and
put down a few words. The printer
told me that it was all right, and the
look in the printers eye, when he said
it, told me that he was not lying. I
| went back to the hotel and met a
big cattle man. The mans fist was
hairy and big and had a grip like
''home folks"
The man with the big fist and grip
took the part OF Uncle Sam IN the
parade.
He took me over to meet his girl
where | got another smile and anoth-
er big grip.
The eye Of the girl of this big tall
cattle man looked square and straight
when she talked and smiled.
| went back to the printer and
bothered him some more.
The printer brought his wife and
put US acquainted with each other,
just like one white man will do to
another white man.
The lady had a smile of that kind
which mothers wear when feeding
their kids cookies and taffy candy.
- r,l,,,
house, somehow left feeling on my
insides as if ! had been listening to a
fine sermon from preacher who
wanted people to quit their meanness
and get square with the world
That night the bed in the hotel was
soft and the air was cool and sweet,
which made my old body rest fine.
Next morning after breakfast and
another side order of smiles, ] went
down the sidewalk of the street where
the kid and the dog lived.
The leg of the dog was better and
he gave me few more tail wiggles,
and licked my hand.
Just to show that he was a 5000
kind Of kid, the boy with the freck-
les threw in few more grins for
good measure.
Those grins were just the kind a
/ fellow is hungry for when lonesome
and in need of sure enough friend.
| walked out to the ball park and
joined in the crowd which was yelling
to beat the band.
When the game was over | started
to walk back to town. A fellow with
a ''tin lizzie" came up beside me and
said chop in"
We rode back by the printers Of
flee and by the house where the kid
and the dog lived.
The fellow who gave me ride. said
that cham shank and greens" was
waiting for me if / ever came over to
his ranch.
A fellow in town told me that as
was old and had a bum foot and the
rheumatism, he would give me ride
in the parade of 40.
Being a stranger in town of a
state | helped to dig out of the will
/ derness, | thought the offer of the
ride mighty white and in keeping with
the actions Of the kid, dog, printer
and wife, the cattle man and his girl
and the fellow with the "tin lizzie"
who said "hop in"
| joined in the parade as an sold
I Timer" and marched down through
town where all the ladies, the babies,
the men, kids and dogs were assem-
bled to watch the turn out" sights
of 40.
In getting in the parade and
marching behind the flag and hearing
the eagles wings flutter in the cheer
Of folks along the line Of march, |
found out by certain whispers, that
had done wrong, by not belonging
to the order which got up the parade.
That | was infringing on prior and
sacred rites and rights.
/ wish to offer my thanks to the
editor of The Sun for not mentioning
my serious mistake and that | doubled
/ back on the line of march, that |
might also see the parade, which /
had come long distance to see.
came away with pleasant memo
ries of that kid and his dog. | came
away with pleasant memories of the
big fisted cattle man and his girl, the
printer and his wife, the man with
his 'tin lizzie" and all of those with
the spirit of 40 in their hearts and