Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 March 1920 — JOHN DOE [ARTICLE]

JOHN DOE

Who has not heard of the story of John Doe? If you tell a story and do not want to be personal enough as to mention real names, or if you do not care to insert a fictitious one, out comes the old familiar one and that name is John Doe. So John Doe called upon me a few days ago. Yes! John Doe did, and says Johnnie: “I came over today to buy that cow.’’ Oh! you did? “Exactly.” Well now, John, it is too bad but she is gone. I sold •her. “What!” says Johnnie. "You sold that cow?” Yes, that’s what I did, says I. “Well, well, and I’ve been wanting that cow for six months, and always said I’d buy her next time I saw you.” Well, don't take it too hard, John, says I One good service yet I can rt nder you. “What is that?” says he. •’ • Come on and I will dhow you. So I took John out in the barn lot and we walked down the lane toward the stone highway and I says here, John, look. And says he: “What is it?” Don’t you see, says I: there are her tracks; take a good long look at them and remember she will never make any more here, and ulso remember that a hundred more men will act exactly like you, and write nue and phone me and come and see me, and cuss me afar off just because they wanted some of these fine fence posts after it is forever too late. You are not the most foolish man in Che world, John Doe. Oh, no' there are 100 more just like you. EVERETT HALSTEAD.