Teamster Becks' Peck Of Trouble

A beautiful basswood tree is the innocent cause of Jake Beck, the robustious colored teamster, being in a pretty pickle out of which he is only likely to emerge after transferring to Clinton J. Snyder, the well known contractor of 726 Gott Street, some of the golden ducats, of which Beck says he has not a few.

It seems that Beck's "$300" team of horses surprised their owner the other day by getting an unusually lively move on themselves and frisked along Gott Street as though pursued by some evil demon. In their excitable hurry, they made too free with the lovely basswood tree owned by Mr. Snyder, the result being that the tree was badly damaged, according to the latter, by the horses brushing against it.

Mr. Snyder wants $25 for the damage which occurred to his property. Beck says he will not give him a five-cent piece, and that he will fight the case to the limit. He has already agreed, he says, to replace the damaged tree with another, but Mr. Snyder, he alleges, wants financial reimbursement or he'll know the reason why.

Justice Gibson will try to settle the case to the satisfaction of both men when the cause comes up for hearing in a few days.