Beating a Powder-House.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1216, 23 January 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Beating a Powder-House.

11 They tried the gum-game on me down in Pennsylvania," said the old tramp as he got a fresh brace on the fence for his baok, " but I came out ahead, considerably ahead." " How was it ?" 11 Well, I struck the Town of York;/one day, and I didn't look a bit like a gentleman. My duds were old, my complexion ruined, and I was all run down at the heel. Ever in York?" '"No." 11 Weil, the people there neither send money to the heathen in Africa nor waste sympathy on the tramps of America. I struck thirteen houses in succession and didn't get a bite ; and I was looking around for scrap iron to stay my stomach, when along comes an officer and givea me the co'ter. He was taking me to the cooler when a waggon drivea up, and the chap on ihe front seat calls out that he will give me a steady job at a dollar a day." "What at?" " You wait a minute, I didn't hanker for work, mind yon, bat I didn't care for the jug, and so, a3 ths officer was willing, I climbed into the waggon and away we went. That job was in the powder-house which blew up the other day. The manager thought he had a big joke on me, and though I didn't like the idea of working over a volcano, I turned to and put in three days before I quit." "Why did you quit?" " Well on the third day, as I was carrying powder to the store house, the manager came into the building. There was a busted keg on the floor, and I waa smoking my pipe. He didn't notice this until he got past me and I had him cut off. Then I sits down by the busted keg, pulls away at my pipe and says I: " ' Mr. Manager, if we gets there at the same moment you muet give me a fair show." " ' W- where ?" says he, his face whiter than snow. " • The next world !" I answers. • "With that he wanted to know if I hadn't rather take $30 in cash — all the money he had with him — and go West and run for office and become a great man, and I didn't know but I would, He tossed me his wallet, remarking that the train would leave in about five minutes, and I picked it up and walked off. I reckoned on being pursued, but he didn't even yell after me. Thejast I saw of him hislega were giving out at the knees, .and a snowlandscape was no comparison to his complexion. He may have, picked up another tramp since, but I guess not — I g-u-e-s-s not.' 1 — Detroit Free Press.