Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-07-20
Rambling RecOllectiOns of a Printer.

virginia, strapped, dead DuSled, WITHOUT
enough in my pockets to buy even Wheeling
stoga"-that curious-looking, crooked cigar
which sells there ibid at that timel at the rate of
twelve for ten cents, and no questions asked
about revenue stamps My Strengthened cir
cumstances did not occasion any anxiety, or
cause second thought until was brought to a
realization of the fact that there wasn't posi-
bility of replenishing my finances by working
at my trade; and-worse still-Yankee printers
were regarded by hotel and boarding house
keepers as 4 class of customers with which the
pay-in-advance system was the only way to deal.
What should we do7 My friend and had been
strapped" times enough to be thoroughly
familiar with that condition, but this idea of not
being able to get a boarding place without first
paying for what healthy man might possibly
eat in the course of week, was formidable oh
stacle to our happiness. To say the least, it was
food for meditation, and we had plenty of time
to mediate, and a great lack of food.
As a place best suited to our coun-
Gil we strolled out to the wire bridge-the pride
Of the city-whch connects Wheeling with
Bridgeport, Ohio, and over which the Irrational
road" passes. Coming to the middle of this
lofty structure, we paused on the side which
looked down stream-it wouldn do to look up
stream then-at about the place where three
weary mortals have at different times
tried their chances by a jump into the
Ohio and across the dark river. There we
stood, looking down among the sand bars,
wishing we had the little trihe the bridge cost
S210,000-and wondering how we could get TO
Cincinnati or somewhere down stream. But
the case was too tough to bother our brains
over, so we showed our hands into our empty
pockets and walked once more into the narrow,
dirty streets of that crooked city.
Everybody seemed TO regard us with sus-
piciOn, and each turn in our conversation acted
like thunder shower in dairy. We got
thoroughly soured in two hours time; and my
friend went growing off in one direction, while
| took another. My course led to the bar room
of the Mcclure house-where he wandered to L
never knew, for when we next met we each
knew better than TO ask questions. And that
boarding house question would force itself into
our conversation as the most timely topic when
supper time drew near. We were wondering
how much could be realized on a silver watch
that originally cost ten dollars, when good
natured, greasy looking fellow approached us
and, after imparting the information that he
was compostor on the lntelligencer, and tell
ing the usual string of stories about the high
positions he had held and refused to take-as-
surfing me privately that he was the week before
offered tue position of "local" on the Register
at ten dollars week-he finally preached the
subject which called up reverberating answer
from an empty stomach.
"Where are you going to board?" says he.
Haven't decided" said my friend; Eve are
strangers, you know, and don't know where
| TO CO."
"Wel, come over to John Balls tavern with
me, board there, and like mighty well. Johns
youngest boy sleeps with me, and so as an offset
he gives me privileges behind the bar which the
rest don't have"
But" said !, eve are short of cash, and
didn't bring our baggage away from the depot"
"Baggagel" said he, grinning in a way which
told me plainly that l had overshot in pretend
ing to one of the craft that we had any baggage,
''You never mind that baggage, and III act as
clerk when you book your names"
So we all laughed at the joke, and started for
John Balls, our new friend beguiling the way
with accounts of his valor while on provost
| duty during the war, frequent look of we'll
fei2ned astonishment amply rewarding him for
the bold step he, in the kindness Of his heart,
was about to take in our behalf.
| We found John Balls to be the most dilapi-
Dated dingy, dismal old shell of house that
could well be imagined, but made he best of
| it, amusing ourselves at the officousness of our
benefactor, as he took occasion to show us that
what he had said about the bar was not idle
| tale. 1t was patent to our overweight senses
of smell and sight that preparations for supper
were going on among a slOuchy set of darkeys
in the back kitchen, and we bided our time.
struck up a conversation with grizzly old
specimen of slavery, who told me that he had
been Henry Clay's body servant, and went on
with a string of rare Old Virginia lies until the
process of setting the tables was finished. There
being no occasion for the table manners taught
me at home. diligently busted myself in laying
in provisions, experience having taught me to
make the most Of opportunities. All that could
be said in praise of the supper was that there
was plenty of it, which seemed to be the chief
requisite at that time.
After supper we lit our stogas and walked
out better satisfied with ourselves and the
world generally. Having exhausted the sight
ly walks in which Wheeling does not abound, we
turned our steps down narrow alley lined on
each side with storehouses for iron material
and turned into dark entry which led to the
office Of the Intelligencer. In the composing
room of this narrow-co lumned journal we saw
half dozen men waiting for copy, their only
noticeable or Distinguishing feature being uni
formly dirty shirts, which, indeed are a charac-
teristic with Louisville printers, and members
Of the craft in other portions Of the south. One
Of these "comps," a little wiry fellow with small
moustache and large mouthful of tobacco
edged over to where we stood, and evinced
disposition to be socabe, which we encouraged
until he found his tongue. This member he
Immediately put to work in telling all about
himself. In the first place he told us conhden-
TALLY how very little his fellow workmen
amounted to and how the foreman was "mean
cuss" who favored "that cross-eyed sardne that
ANT Dlu sudVeu LOT TWO weeks. IleSe fellows,
said he, wouldn't give you days work to help
you down the river if you had to float without
it. No, mister, il you want to get any Sub
bling in this town, you must have change
enough when you strike it to get two or three
these chaps drunk, then you're all right for a
week. This showed up our destitute and
hopeless condition once more, but we
were too much interested in our new
acquaintance to dwell on any tIiaing subject.
He continued bis account OF himself, SAYING: 81
would put you at work on my cases, but'-here
he looked cautiously around and seeing the
foreman come in, said in low voice, "come
into the pressroom, sometimes he don't like to
have strangers here, for fear they may know
more about the business than he does, and run
him out Of his situation" SO we followed him
through doorway into little, hot, ink.daubed
room, containing an old Taylor press, a rcketty
engine and boiler, IN close proximity to each
other lie then considered ii safe to proceed
81 would put you at work on my cases, but you
see am making a stake to start out with my
seight-ol-hand show. What never heard of
my tricks2 Why, started last spring and went
over as far as Columbus, giving two exhibitions
before | got there, and should have done first
rate il the doorkeeper and agent hadn't entered
.aaN.. ~