They were sitting opposite me in the smoking car, two traveling
salesmen, having a quiet game of cards and sharpening their wits between
deals with quips, quirks and conundrums.
"You come from Kalamazoo, I believe?" queried the one.
"Yep," said the other, "best old town on the earth."
"D'ye know," drawled the Boston man, "what we Boston people call the
people that live in your town?"
"Nope, an' we don't care much, neither. But, just by way of
conversation, may I inquire what you call 'em?"
"We call 'em a zoo. See?"
"Yep, I see," said the Kalamazoo man. "And do you know and can you tell
me what kind o' people live in your town of Boston?"
"Best and smartest people on earth," was the emphatic answer.
"Well," was the response, "out my way we say that people that live in
Boston are nothing but human beans. See? Cut for a new deal."