Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-07-13

Following the Advice OF q NeBspnner
ParaEraph-Thc Effect OF Pouring
Cold Water Down Drunken Man'a
Spine.
From the Utica Herald
He came in with an interrogation point in
one eye and q stick in one hand. One eye
was covered with handkerchief and one
arm in a sling. His bearing was that Of s
man with a settled purpose in view.
Il want to see, says lie, "the man that
puts things into this paper
We iutfmated that several of Us earned
frugal livelihood in that way.
"We!i, want 70 see the man which cribs
things cut Of the o,har papers. The fel-
low writes mostly with sh-ars, you under
stand.'
We explained to him that there were sea-
SONS when the most gifted amongst Us, dTiV-
en- to frenzy by the scarcity of ideas and
events, and by the ClamOrous demand of an
Unsuitable public, in moments of emotional
insanity plunged tie glitteriug shears into
our exchanges. lie went or calmly, but in a
voice tTemulous with suppressed feeling and
indisiinc, tbT0I gh the recent loss Of half 4
dozen or 50 Of lis front teeth
"Jast SO. presume so. 1 don't kaoW
much about the business, but want to see
a man, the nlan that printed that little piece
about pouring cod water down q drunken
mans spine Of bis back, and making him
instantly sober. Ii you please, l want TO
see that MAJ. l would Ike 10 talk with
him"
Then he ieaned his stick against our desk
and m0istened his seIviCeaUle hand, and
resumed his hold On the stick as though
he was weighing it. After studying the
tricka minute, he added, in q somewhat
louder tone:
"AIister, 1 came here to see that ere II n.
want 10 see him bad"
We told him hat particular man was not
in.
"Just so. presume SO. They told me
before / come that the man / wanted %
see wouldn't lie aByvLeTe. I'll wait for
him. l live upUOIth, and I've walked seven
miles to converse with that man. l guess
I'll sit down ard wai..'
He sat down 10y The door and Relatively
pounded the floor With his stick, but his
feelings would moi allow Inn to keep still.
81 suppose none Of you didn't ever pour
cold water down any drunken mans back
10 make him Instantly sober, perhaps.
None of Us in the Ciiica had ever tried the
experiment,
AUST so. l thought Just as Ike as rot
You had not. We'll, mister, have. TT ed
it yesterday, sud 1 have come seven miles
OF foot to see the man that printed tina.
piece. 1t want much oi piece, / don't
think, but ] want To zee the mau that print
cd it, Just few minutes. You sre, john
Smith, lie Ives Hex. door 10 my house,
when fIn TO home, aiid he gets how come
you-so every Little period. Now, when he's
sober, he's al right # you keep out OF his
way; but when bG'5 drunk he goes home
and breaks dishes. and trips over the s.. re-,
and throws the haUdEd around, and
makes il incenVeuieL5 for h.s wife, and
somelim. s lie gets his gun and goes cut
calling on his nelgEbOTs, and it amt pleas
snt.
"Not that I want TO cay anything about
Smith; but me and my wife don't think ne
ought TO do so. He came home drunk YES /
teIdsy, and broke al the kitchen windows
out of his house, and followed lis wife
around with the carving knife, talking about
her liver, ana after a while be lay q WI By
nv fence and went 20 sleep l had been read
ing that little piece: it want much Of 4
piece, and | thought if J could pour some
water down his spine, on his back, and
make him sober, it would be more comfort
able for his wife, and a square thing to do
all round. So poured a bucket Of spring
water down John Smiths spine Of his
back"
"WeH," said we, as our visi or paused,
"did it make him s0ber?" Our visitor
took fiTmsr holj Of his stick aud replied
with increased emotion:
"Just so. / supposed il did make him
as sober as q Judge In less time than YOU
could say Jack Robinson, but, mister it
made him mad. l. made him the madest
man l ever saw; and, Mr.. Smith is a bigger
man than me and stouter. BE is = good
deal stOu,er. Bla-bless him, never knew
lie was half so s;ou til Yesterday, and he's
handy with his iiss, too. ] should suppose
he's the handiess man with his isg | eve.
saw"
"Then he went for you, did hc?" we
asked him innocently.
"Just so. Exactly. l suppose lie went
for me about the best be knew, but | don't
hold no grudge against john Smith. sup
pose he amt good man TO hold 4 grudge
against, only ] want 10 see that man what
printed that piece. l want 10 see hm bad.
/ feel IS though T. would soO.h me 10 see
that man. | want to show him how
drunken man sets when you pour wster
down the spine Uf his back. That's what
/ come for"
Our visitor, who had poured water down
The spine Of a .unken mans back, remain
ed Ilatil about 6 O'Clock in the evening; and
shen went up e street totind The man that
printed that little piece. The man be is
looking f0 started for Alaska last evening
for a summer vacation, and will not be
back before September, 1873.