Year: 1879

Upon each of the tables ranging along
the walls in Hunts dining-room there sits a
sugar-bowl 1t 10 placed upon the end OF
the table remotest from the wall, and when
a waiter takes an order he shoveS the bowl
across the table TO the other end This sig
nitics that customer occupying a seat at
that particular table has given his order,
and by this simple plan the other walters
are kept informed as to who is waited upon
and who is not. One day an honest farmer,
who was innocent OF the tricks of city
restaurants, entered the place, took a seat,
and, pulling the sugar-bowl on his table
back toward the wall proceeded to help
himself to pinch. He was not noticed by
any of the busy walters who were hurrying
back and forth filling orders and clearing
away dishes. The old fellow remained in
his seat for fifteen minutes, patiently ex-
| pecting some one to offer TO take his order !;
but no one appearing to see him, he got
mad at the apparent neglect and tried to
hail three or four passing waters, who
failed to grasp the situation. After half a
dozen Sights, as he thought, the honest
farmer stretched forth his mighty paw and
gathered waiter by the nspe of the neck
Squarely mprisoning the startled hash col
leCtor, the yeoman addressed him thus.


See hyar, young feller, you needn't
think cos l don't put on style and wear
store clothes when l come to town, that
| amt just Ms able to pay fer what chuck |
eat as any dressed-up galoot in this country.
Why, I'll buy yer burned old shop and
burn it down. Now | want you to fetch
me great big four-cornered meal-the best
In the place, and lots of it, dye hear me 2"


The young man, as soon as released,
started TO fill the commission Of the mus
cular Granger, and the customer took his
seat once more, but this time further away
from the wall. Reaching back he pulled
the sugar bowl TO the outer end of the
table and dug out another handful TO stay
his hunger until the big meal should arrive
The sugar-bowl was now on the end of the
table which signitied that the old farmer
was not waited upon, and in an instant a
young fellow stepped up to him and asked
what he would have.


Il sent feller after my grub" replied
the man from the country.


The waiter pushed the sugar bowl TO the
rear and walked of. The farmer again
pulled the bowl out and went TO eXploringit.
Another waiter, spying the bowl on the
outer end of the table, tackled the rural
rooster, who impatiently answered that he
had no use for him. This waiter gently
propelled the sugar-bow' to the wall, and
bounced away about his business. By this
time the countryman was thoroughly
aroused. Taking hold of the offending
bowl he savagcly drew it to the front, but
had no sooner done so than he was ap-
preached by youth wearing an apron,
who carried him bill of fare, and stood
waiting for instructions. ''Goto the DEVIL"
clustered the farmer YOU'RE almighty
all-fred willin' to get me something to eat
since you found out that amt beggar.
One feller is enough to git what l want,
and he 8 done gone for it. :"


The waiter took hold of the sugar-bowl
to place it where 1t belonged once more,
but the farmer wouldn't have it.


Fetching the young man a stroke across
the jaw, he sang out:


''Let that ere thing alone, dog-gonc you!
Yer fearful fraid that I'll eat half cents
worth of yer blasted old sugar. I'll pay for
all the stuff l swaller in this shebang, and
| don't want nobody comm around me
showing dishes outen my reach. Now you
just clare out o hyar."


BY this time the boys tumbled to the old
mans innocence, and allowed him to munich
his sugar in peace until his dinner arrived.