Smyrna times., 1873-08-27
WHOLE NO. 956
Our Visitor.

lie came IN with an interrogation point in
one eye, and stick in one hand. One eve
was covered with a handkerchief and one arm
IN SING. Ills bearing was that of man
with settled purpose in view
want to see, SAID he, the man that
puts things into this paper.
We intmated that several of rs earned
frugal livelihood in that way
Wen want to see the man which cribs
things out OF 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
trenSy 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. lie went on calmly but in voice
tremuious with suppressed feeling and indis-
unct through the recent loss Of a half a dozen
Or 50 Of his front teeth.
Just so. | presume So | don't know
much about this business but want to see a
m4n-the man that printed that little piece
about pouring cold water down a drunken
mans spine OF his back and making him
instantly sober. II you please, | want to see
that man. | would like 10 talk with him -
Then he leaned his stick against our desk
and spit on his serviceable hand, and resumed
his hold on the stick as though he was weigh
ING 1t. After studying the stick minute he
added in 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. I presume so. They told me
before | come that the man | wanted 10 see
wouldn be anywhere. I'll wait for him.
! live up north. and | We walked seven miles to
converse with that man. | guess Ill sit down
and wait
He sat down by the door and refectively
pounded the floor with his stick, but his feel
lngS would not allow him to keep still
suppose none OF you didn't ever pour
much cold water down any drunken man back
to make him instantly sober perhaps"
None of us in the office had tried the exper-
iment.
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 1t
WASH much of piece, don t think; but |
want to see the man that printed it, Just few
minutes. You see, John Smith, he lives next
to my house, when I'm to home, and he gets
how come-you-sO every little period. Now,
when he sober, he 5 all right if you keep out
OF his way; but when he 5 drunk, he goes
home and breaks dishes, and tips over the
stove, and throws the hardware around and
makes 1t lncOnvenient for his wife, and some
times he gets his gun and goes out calling on
his nelghbors. and it amt pleasant Not
that | want to say anything about Smith but
me and my wife don think he ought to do so.
lie came home drunk, yesterday, and broke
all the kitchen windows out Of his house, and
followed his wife around with the carving
knife, talking about her liver, and after a while
he lay down by my fence and went to sleep /
had been reading that little piece it wasn't
much OF piece, and thought if could pour
some water down his spine, on his back and
make him sober, 1t would be more comfortable
tor his wife and square thing to do all around.
SO poured bucket OF spring water down
John smiths spine of his back"
" ell, said we, as our visitor paused,
did it make him Sober?' Our visitor took
hrmer hold OF his stick, and replied with
increased cmotion
Just SO. | suppose it did make him as
sober as Il Judge i'll less time than you could say
Jack RoblnSon; but, mister, it made him mad.
1t made hlm the maddeSt man | ever saw, and
mister John Smith is bigger man than me,
and >touter. He is good deal stouter
Then he wcat for You, did he ?" we asked
innocenty.
Just SO. Exactly. I suppose he went for
me about the best he knew; but don IT hold no
grudge against John Smith | suppose he
am good man to hold grudge against
only J want to see that man what printed
that piece | want to see him bad | feel as
though it would So0thc me to see that
man. | want to show him how a drunken
man acts when you pour water down the spine
OF his back. That's what come for
The man he is looking tor started for Alaska
last evening for summer vacation and will
not be back before September, 1S7S.- Utica
(N ~ HcroM