The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1873-07-18

He came in with an Interrogation point
| In one eye and stick In one hand. One
eye was covered with handkerchief and
one arm In "A sling. His bearing was that
OF "A man with settled purpose In view.
want to see," says he, "the man that
puts things into this paper"
We intimated that several of us earned
4 frugal livelihood in that way.
"Well, want 10 see the man which
cribs things out OF the other papers. The
fellow who writes mostly with shears, you
understand"
We explained to him that there were
seasons when the most gifted among us,
driven TO frenzy by the scarcity of ideas
and events, and by the clamorous demands
of an Unsuitable public, In moments Of
emotional insanity plunged the glittering
shears into our exchanges. He went of
calmly, but In voice tremulous with sup
pressed feeling and indistinct through the
recent loss Of half dozen or so OF his
front teeth
Just so. presume so. don't know
much about this business, but want to
see man, the man that printed that little
piece about pouring cold water down a
drunken mans spine of his back, and
making him instantly sober. If you please,
want 10 see that man. | would like to
talk with him."
Then he leaned his stick against our
desk and moistened his serviceable hand,
and resumed his hold on the stick as
though he was weighing it. After study
ing the stick a minute, he added, in a
somewhat louder tone:
Mister, came here to see that ere
man. | want TO see him bad"
We told him that particular man was
not in.
"Just so. presume so. They told
me before | came that the man | wanted
TO see wouldn't be anywhere. I'll wait
for him. | live up north, and I've walked
seven miles to converse with him. /
guess I'll sit down and wait"
He sat down by the door and reflect
lively pounded the floor with his stick,
but his feelings would not allow him TO
keep still.
II suppose none of you didn't ever
pour much cold water down any drunken
mans back TO make him instantly sober,
perhaps"
None of us in the Office had ever tried
the experiment.
Just so. Thought just as like as not
you had not. Well. mister, / have, |
tried ii yesterday, and / have come seven
miles on foot to see the man that printed
that piece. Ii want much of piece, /
don't think, but | want TO see the man
that printed It, just few minutes. You
see, John Smith, he lives just next door
to my house, when I'm TO home, and he
gets how-come-you-so every little period.
Now, when he's sober, he's all right il
you keep out of his way; but when he's
drunk, he goes home and breaks dishes,
and tips over the stove, and throws the
hardware around, and makes it inconven-
lent for his wife, and sometimes he gets a
gun and he goes out calling on his neigh
bors. and IL amt pleasant.
Not that | want TO say anything about
smith but me and my wife don't think
he ought to do so. He came home drunk
yesterday, and broke all the kitchen win
dows out of the house, and followed
his wife around with a carving knife,
talking about her liver, and after while
he lay down by my fence and went to sleep.
had been reading that little piece; 1t want
much of piece, and thought If could
pour some water down his spine. on his
back. and make him sober, IL would be
square thing all around. So | poured
bucket of spring water down John Smiths
spine Of his back
"Well," said we as our visitor paused.
ibid it make him sober?' Our visitor
took firmer hold of his stick, and re-
piled with increased emotion:
"Just so, suppose il did make him as
sober as a Judge in less time than you
could say Jack Robinson; but, mister, it
made him mad. 1t made him the maddest
man you ever saw; and Mr.. John Smith is
a bigger man than me and stouter. He is
a good deal stouter. Bla-bless him,
never knew he was half so stout till yes
terday. and he's handy with his fists, too.
| should suppose he Is the handiest man
with his fists | ever saw"
"Then he went for you, did he?" we
asked innocently.
"Just so. Exactly. Isuppose he went
for me about the best he knew, but |
don't hold any grudge against John
Smith. suppose he ain'ta GOOD man to
hold grudge against, only / want TO see
that man what printed that piece. Iwant
to see him bad. feel as though Ii would
soothe me to see that man. l want to
show him how drunken man acts when
you pour water down the spine of his
back. That's what come for"
Our, visitor who had poured water down
the spine of drunken mans back, re-
NAMED until about 6 o'clock in the even
ing, and then went up street to find the
man that printed that little piece The
man he is looking for started for Alaska
last evening for summer vacation, and
will not be back before September, 1873. |
Utica Herald.
Row. John r. Williamson, missionary