Because Adam Cartwright was away for business his father Ben Cartwright had look after the 3 year old Mitch. Mitch was the son of Adam. The little Cartwright was for his grandpa, father and uncles Hoss and Joe a boy where they had their hands full with.
On a morning said Ben, “Mitch, tomorrow you must go to the barber shop.”
“Then I become totally bald”, said the boy.
“That won’t be the case I think. Uncle Joe goes with you”, said Ben.
“My girlfriend Tina is hairdresser and she wants to cut you for half of the normal price for children”, said Joe.
Though Mitch found it not a good idea but he didn’t protest either.
That evening Joe had a meeting with his girlfriend Tina Yates. They had a courtship of 3 weeks and were crazy about each other.
“Of course your nephew is welcome at my hairdresser’s. I have made an reservation for him at 10.30 hour”, she said.
“We will be there”, answered Joe.
He began to kiss her whereby the subject ‘cutting nephew’ was closed.
The next morning Joe and Mitch arrived on time at the hairdresser’s. Tina was already waiting for them.
“Mitch, this is miss Yates. Tina, my nephew Mitch”, said Joe.
The youngest Cartwright looked around and didn’t feel comfortable. Joe noticed that and became worried.
“Just come along Mitch”, Tina said smiling.
“Why are here all sorts of circus things here?”, asked the boy.
“Because this is a children hairdresser’s and the circus is very funny”, answered Tina.
“I find a circus stupid and clowns aren’t funny at all”, was the reaction of Mitch.
Tina picked up Mitch and wanted to put him into a clown chair but the boy resisted very much. Joe recued his nephew by taking him away from Tina.
“Mitch, we are going”, Joe just said.
The boy was very upset and looked for protection by his uncle.
“Joe, you had promised that I was allowed to cut your nephew for half of the normal price!”, Tina said angry.
“I hadn’t promised that because that is your promise”, Joe reacted fierce.
Tina sniffed, “What are you a bunch of snobs. I don’t understand what I actually saw in you.”
“I am not a snob but a Cartwright”, Mitch said without diffidence.
Tina wanted to attack him but Joe quickly left the hairdresser’, dragging his nephew along. It was quite busy but by the commotion everyone kept silent so that all the customers left. It was known that the Cartwrights had very much influence in Virginia City.
In the car asked Mitch, who now had a bit calmed down, “Uncle Joe, are you angry because your courtship with her is over?”
“Of course not, I suspect that she only went with me because of the ranch. We will go to our regular barber to give you new haircut”, answered Joe.
He started the car and drove to the regular barber of the Cartwrights.
In the barber shop the Cartwrights got welcomed by Tom Baker.
“Tom, can you give this young man a short haircut?”, asked Joe.
“Of course Joe. Young man, what’s your name?”, asked Tom.
“Mitch. He is my uncle”, answered Mitch.
Tom took Mitch to a barber chair in the shape of a baseball.
“this one is much funnier than such a stupid clown chair”, said Mitch.
Tom began to cut and got to hear a lot of stories from the young on Cartwright. Especially about Joe.
Suddenly Tina Yates came rushing into the barber shop. Joe made clear to Tom that he would handle it
“Joe Cartwright, you owe me still 35 dollars. By that terrible nephew of yours I have lost all of my customers”, snapped Tina.
“Miss, this is a respectable establishment. That you lose all of your customers is your fault. Not by a child of 3”, said Joe.
Tina was so amazed by what Joe had said that she didn’t know anything to say. She walked insulted but stately out of the barber shop.
When Tom was ready with Mitch the boy didn’t want to leave the chair.
“Uncle Joe, can’t we take this chair home, can we?”, asked the boy.
“Mitch, we can’t do that because my car isn’t big enough for the chair. Besides Tom needs it too”, answered his uncle.
“Then you must buy a bigger car”, was the dry reaction of Mitch.
“Mitch, do you really like it?”, asked Tom.
The boy nodded.
“If you promise to let your hair cut here from now on the baseball chair is for you. We make sure that it gets at the ranch”, said Tom.
“I promise that”, Mitch said solemnly with his hand on his heart.
With a hand shake the deal was made. After Joe had paid the Cartwrights went home.
On the way home said Joe, “Mitch, your father was right: with you there is always an adventure.”
“I know. And daddy is always right”, said the boy.
Joe didn’t give a reaction to that because he knew that his nephew always had the last word.
Tom kept word and that evening the baseball chair got delivered at the ranch.