Year: 1868




ing out.


A Practical JOke--Aed How it Resulted,


Friday morning last gentleman employ.
ed as travelling salesman for New York
house, whose family resides in an interior
town Of this State. stopped, as many do,
weary and travel-stained at hotel in this
city. He arrived on the $50 train from De-
troit having come from some point far to the
westward that day, and tired, weary, dusty,
sore. fatigued and disgusted, registered his
name, had room assigned him, aud pro.
cceding thereto sought repose in the quiet
arms of Morpheus, dreaming, if he dreamed
at all, of the trade he should drive with the
thrifty merchants Of the Corn city on the NOR
row.


A merchant of this city, who was patron
of the house to which this particular travel.
Ter belongs, happened to be in the hotel that
evening at about Q o'clock, and his eye falling
upon the register it alighted upon this par
tlcular name. Unfortunate look Unhappy
circumstance For this merchant was of a
jocose tIrn of mind, a wag a joker-one of
those men who do all sorts of absurd things,
hoping that amusement of some kind will
follow. He did an absurd thing to this
name, though the occurrences that followed
were anything but amusing. What did he
do? Why he seized pen, and in the same
handwriting, as near as possible, he added
to the name of the commercial traveller up
stairs, the words, 6 and lady," Two small
words; but small things are often productive
of great results. 1t is said that dispute
about hog, trough set in motion the success
sion of events that made Martin Van Buren
President, and it issa we'll known fact that a
well bucket caused one of the largest and
bloodiest wars that ever afflicted Europe
These two words, :" and lady," added to the
name of sleeping commercial traveller, was
the occasion of an unpleasantness not as ter
rible to humanity in general as war, but quite
as dsagreeable to this one member of the hu-
man family.


For as the fates would have it, a brother
in-law of this commercial travel er, the only
brother of the idolized wife of his bosom.
also traveller for a New York house-had
been that very morning at his 1.-THE first COM
mercial traveller's) house in the interior,
where he had seen his sister, Anxious to
see her husband, he had ascertained that he
would probably be at Toledo that night, and,
as fast as steam could carry him, he sped
thither. arriving on the ll:30 p. NJ. train of
the 4 I. He went to one hotel, and then
to another, and finally struck the right one.
lie looked at the register, be saw the name,
and he saw, alas the added words, land
ladyp' And lady |" What lady? Not
the lady who had right to travel with him,
for that lady, his sister, he left at her home
in that pleasant interior that morning, and
as she did not come with him, it was morally
impossible that it could be she. The brother
in-law knew all about it at once, and, being
IL IL.
shamefully abusing the confidence reposed in
him, he determined to surprise him in his
sin. and with his good right hand, or rather
both hands and feet if need be, to chastise
him. Boiling with rage, he mounted the
stairs, and, without waiting to announce his
presence by the regular knock, he applied
his foot to the door, which, unable to stand
the pressure, as j. N. has it, yielded. In
he went; and the sleeping traveller awoke
to find himself in the embrace of a strong
and angry man.


The commercial traveller was somewhat
astonished, as may be supposed He had no
time to think be was assailed so ferociously
as to leave no doubt that the assailant meant
to take his life. He resisted Though small
he is remarkably active man, and not at
all cowardly, and he sailed in. The fight
was rather pretty one. Now one was on
the top and then the other Now the COM
mercial traveller was under, and anon the
brother-in-law. Now the brother in law had
the commercial travellers ear between his
teeth, and then again the commercial travel
er was industriously tearing away small but
savory bits of the brother. in laws cheek
Chairs were smashed, stands and tables were
upset. and groans, and screams, and yells,
enough to furnish an ordinary lunatc asylum,
proceeded from the room.


There never was such fight, with the ex-
ception, perhaps, of the famous free fight in
Arkansas, of which it is recorded that an
hour after its close a bushel of noses were
picked up.


Finally the clerk heard the rumpus and
proceeded to the room. 1t was lucky that he
did so, for they had each other by the throat
with such a vicious grasp that both must
have died in moment more.


He tore them apart.


Where is she?' gasped the brother-in-
law, splitting out three teeth, which knocked
out, were of no use to him.


sShe?~ asked the commercial traveller as
well as man could whose upper lip was
split Who is she?''


"Why, the woman registered with you,'
muttered the brother in-law, tearing away a
bit of his left ear and chucking it out of the
window.


1t is unnecessary to pursue the subject
farther. The pair proceeded to the register
the signature and the added were examin-
ed, the cheat was apparent, and harmony
was restored The parties left on Saturday
morning for the home of .the commercial
traveller. where they will tarry awhile till