12 THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN SMILES AND SUCH HUMOROUS GLEANINGS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AN UNPOPULAR RAISE Recently the Colorado State tax commission, de sirous of swelling the public purse, ordered raises on certain property classifications in some of the counties. Motorcycles were among the articles on which local assessors were instructed to collect an increased tax. The assessor of Otero County, one Mr. Cartwright, did not do very well in forcing his valuations up, and in extenuation forwarded to the commission a letter from a Japanese constituent to prove that it was easier to write down a raise from seventy to a hundred dol lars on a motorcycle, as he had tried to do, than to collect on the advanced valuation. Here is the in closure: "Hon tex comision and Hon comision bord and Kartrite: Gents: this respectfy to say that mi go devil motorcickle is maid to much in tex ritin receeve from you. trade fur it 5 years long with 2 hog. they ded. it now ded. run theru sticky fence on ditch, no koff no go, you bon hed, kum tak him. no pay so dam much as Hon comision says in ritin on ded go devil . you kum tak em hole ranch, dam. J. Notaku." The honorable board threw up its hands and told Mr. Cartwright that it appreciated his position and that he was to get as much as he could out of the fatal accident to Mr. Notaku 's motorcycle.