How to use Hand Grenades.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1596, 31 December 1885, Page 2

How to use Hand Grenades.

11 1 have seen some peculiar things in my tiine," said a merchant traveller, " but the queerest notion I ever came, across was down in Kansas one day last week. 1 was in a little town selling some goods, and made n call at the 4 general store ' the chief business place to the village. There were lots of countrymen cominjr and going there, and standing around, and talking crops and horses and politics. I noticed that, a good many of 'em bought these hand-grenade fire extinguishers — some as many as a half dozen. This struck me as being a little curious, and so I enquired of the storekeeper. " Oh. that's all right,' he said ; ' they use 'em to put'out prarie fires with.' "That didn't satisfy me, and so I tackled a fnrmer on the sidewalk and asked him what he wag going to do with the hand grenades. " I'm buying these to put in our schoolhouse," he said. " Thinks I that's a little funny, and bo I made enquiry of an old chap, whom I met on a former trip and knew to be a <3eaeon in the church and a shining light in his community. " ' Well,' he aays, in response to my inquiry, but a little confused like, •we thought it would be a good idea to have some in the meetin' house in case of fire.' "Just then I stepped around to the back end of the store to see a new threshing machine, and, would you believe it ? there between two big corn cribs was a countryman with one of those fire extinguishers ud to his mouth and drinking out of it !" '* ' Great heavens, man,' I exclaimed, 1 that will kill vou !' " ' That's all right, stranger/ he replied witha grin ; " you kin have your little joke if you want to, but I 'gpectver come out after a snifter. Ther Prohibitionists are right smart strict in this town, ye know. Try a little o' the patent fire water, eh ?" — Chicago Herald.