The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-11-13
The Champion Stove Pelisher.

Since the death of Reason Davis,
several years ago, Sundown Smith has
claimed to be the champion stove-pol-
isher of Michigan, and he has held his
medal through many hot contests. He
goes for a stove like Texas steer for
red necktie, aud when he leaves it
there is shine on it which makes the
owners heart swell with pride. The
other day a Gratiot street merchant
fished his coal stove out of the cellar and
found it red with rust. He ordered the
store boy to clean it, and the boy creased
it all over with lard oil and kerosene as a
preparatory step. The oil took the rust
off, but the blacking slid right off from
it when applied, and the boy was told to
get up and dust and never come near
that store again. The stove was wheel
ed out on the walk and Sundown Smith
came along, out of a job. He took a
look, made a mental calculation, and
said he'd make that stove put on the re-
fection of a mirror for about twenty five
cents. The bargain was closed, and the
negro slid up to the base-burner and
gently applied the foundation for a
shine. He remarked that it was very
soft, smooth stove, and he wondered If
they hadn't got so that they mixed
the iron with glue or India rubber. It
seemed to him that stove polish spread
money was in his pocket and he didn' t
say anything. When he had good
thick coat on he seized his broom, took
a long breath and went in. He brushed
up and down, sideways, diagonally, and
various other ways, and the broom
seemed to just glide around without an
effort. After ten minutes work with
out result, Sundown paused and re-
marked i:
'Whar's dat shine, eh? Didn't know
| dat Sundown Smif was here, did We
| S'posed it was sum common stove
| blacker, eh ?"
i He took upanother broom and danced
around and went for the stove door like
a tornado, shutting his eyes and breath
ing hard and calling to the small boys
to stand away if they did not want tc
meet the fate of Pompeii, and be buried
under cloud of dust. The grease held
it down. The sweat trickled down Sun
downs cheeks, and the rent in the bach
seam of his coat widened rapidly. He
worked desperately for nine or ten min
utes, and then he opened his eyes IL
amazement.
"Dis yer's powerful GURUS" h'
growled as he gazed at de door. 6
guess dat backing dun fell down in d,
road and got mud in it.
14O AOShSo dG lAS 0ACl
walked around the stove, and as tn,
crowd began to jeer at him he got MAJ
and shouted
Cant shine dat stove Can't make
dat base-burner reflect the morning
rays.of de sun Cant 1 do dat p
And he kneeled down, uttered
"whoop p which sounded far up ant
down, and made that broom fly like
towel on clothes-line with a nor
wester blowing.
Can't make him shine, eh ?-whoop
never heard of Sundown Smif, eh ?
whoop p he shouted, but after awhil
he paused. There was a new light il
his eye. He got up, rubbed his ham
over the stove, looked at his hand, an
then, without saying a word or replyin
to a question, he picked up his g" kit
and slid across the road into an alley
his face wearing such a look of contemE
and disgust that it was study for
painter. He came not back. His forl
finally disappeared behind a wagon, an
the crowd slowly dispersed. It was a
hour of Grecian triumph Detro
Free Press.