The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-07-25
AN MOURNING SUBSCRIBER IN
DANBURY.
A Man Visits the Editor to Find "Who
Printed that Piece"

He came in with an interroga-
ton in one eye, and with a stick
in one hand. One eye was cover
ed with q handkerchief, and one
arm was in sling. His bearing
was that of man with a settled
purpose in view.
Il want TO see," said he, ''the
man that puts things into this pa
per-"
We intimated that several of us
earned q frugal livelihood in that
way.
"WeH, / want to see the man
which cribs things out of the 9TH
er papers-the fellow who writes
mostly with shears. You under
stand"
We explained to him that there
were seasons when the 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 ex-
changes. He went on calmly, but
in voice tremulous with sup
pressed feeling, and indistinct
through the loss of a half dozen
or so.of his front teeth:
"Just so. I presume SO. l
don't know much about this bust
ness, but want to see a man
the man that printed that little
piece about pouring water down a
drunken mans spine of his back
and making him instantly sober.
If you please, want to see that
man. | would like to talk with
him.
Then he leaned his stick against
our desk, and spit on his service
able hand, and resumed his hold
on the stick, as though he was
weighing it. After studying 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.
aJust so. l presume so. They
told me before / came that the
man 1 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. I guess I'll sit down and
wait
He sat down by the door and
refiectiyely pounded the floor with
his stick, but his feelings would
not allow him to be still.
81 suppose none of you didn't
never 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 it yesterday, and
| ! have come seven miles on foot
to see the man that printed that
| piece. It wasn't much of piece,
/ don't think; but 1 want to see
the man that printed it, just a few
moments. You see John Smith
lives next door to my house, when
Pm to home, and he gets how
come-you-so every little period.
Now, when he's sober, he's all
right, if 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
| inconvenient for his wife, and
sometimes he gets his gun and
goes out calling on his neighbors,
and it amt pleasant.
Not that I want to say any
thing about Smith; but me and
my wife don't think he ought 70
do so. He came home drunk yes
terday and broke all tie kitchen
windows out of his house, and fol-
lowed his wife around with q cary
ing knife, talking about her liver
J and after awhile he lay down by
! my fence and went to sleep. ]
had been reading that little piece,
| and I thought IL ! couid poul
some cold water down his spine
on his back, and make him sober
i It would be more comfortable fol
his wife, and q square thing al
around. So I poured a bucket o.
! spring water down John Smiths
] spine of his back. "
II aWell,o said we as our visitor
: paused, s.Did It make him soDeff'
! Our visitor took q firmer sold O
. his stick. and replied with increas
j ed emotion:
.Iust so. ] suppose it did MAKE
: him sober as Judge in less tins