The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-04-02
The Whistllng COmpositor.

He come into the office about three
lnorEhs ago, with his mouth puckered,
and the Arkansas Traveller issuing
therefrom. It was not a loud or sllriIl
whistle-it was not that lively and ioy-
Gus whistle that betokens the heart
light and the mind free from care On
the contrary, he sawed up and down
through the slaves like buzz-saw rip-
ping through pine log, and verse fol-
lowed verse without the least variation.
This showed that he was thoroughly
used to that whistle, and its constant
repetition was the principal object of his
life.
So ne came in whistling.
he looked around the Office com
placently, never losing note. and
| finally siding up to the foreman. he
stopped whistling for an instant to in
quire
'' ''How's work 2"
But before the reply could be given.
he had picked up that whistle right
where he had left off, and was rolling it
/ out
Tilly tun, tally, tally tum tilly, O.!
with his mouth puckered, but his ears
wide open.
! Well, that fellow was put to work. and
he whistled over to his case, whistled
around for a stick and rule, whistled up
to the copy-hook, whistled off to his case
again, and, picking up an EN- quad, drew
fresh breath and whistled all through
the take " till he whistled over to the
galley to empty it. But it was the same
| old whistle-the Arkansas Traveller.
over and over again, until it would seem
| that the traveller had worn his shoes ont
and was hunting place to rest. Still he
kept ON.
/
/ This thing at first was novelty. and
amused the boys y but finally it be-
came monotonous, and as water continu-
| ally dripping on rock will wear it's sur
lace, SO did this everlasting refrain of
/ the $ Arkansas Traveller" CRATE and
1acerate the sensitive nerves of his
brother compositors. Low, angry muir
murs betokened the rising storm, and
broad hints uncomplimentary to his
musical abilities were thrown out But
he paid no attention to them, and lust
kept right along whistling and setting
type.
He is an easy whistler.
| All he has to do is to just pucker up his
mouth, and that blasted old Arkansas
Traveller rolls right out in a steady
stream, just as if his mouth was music
box set to one tune, and wound up ever-y
PRESIDENTIAL election, or once In four
years.
Finally, human nature could endure
no more. Loud cries of
Give us a rest -
"Oh, let upi"
Hire a hall %
$50 West %
''Cheese it %
Shet up!'
misses filed the office, and made the
composing-room resemble large and
thriving lunatic-asylum.
But 1t was no use. That fellow never
paid the least attention to them, but lust
went right ahead with his little old
whistle, and never missed a note except
when he came to hard word in his
copy, when he would dwell on the last
/ note until he found out what it was. and
then went ahead again.
He took the storm of old shoes, slip
pers and boots that was showered upon
hum with the utmost sang .froid, and we
bel1eve the cuss actually thought it was
intended for applause.
The rest of the men became indignant,
and held a "chapel meeting" to consider
! the propriety of a strike
! Now, what could we do2 The Consti-
tuition as it was contained nothing that
would warrant us in discharging man
/ Tor whlstllng, nor neither would he stop
4 his whistle. So the only plan for us to
adopt was to let things and the ss Arkan-
sas Traveller" have their own way.
! Even the landlord came down and made
complaint. He said this man would wake
up IN the middle of the night, sit bolt
/ upright In bed, and whistle the ss TRAY
eler" for half an hour in his sleep, until
he had awoke the whole house, when he
would lie down and go to sleep until he
would whistle himself down to breakfast.
! At last the hands IN the office hit upon a
plan to stop this everlasting whistle. One
night, when he was asleep, they went up
to his room and clapped a tremendous
strong sticking plaster right over his
mouth, and then retired, thanking God
that the uncomfortable nuisance was for
ever abated. The next morning that mis-
| guided young man went over to carpen-
| ter shop, borrowed gimlet, bored hole
through the plaster, and waltzed into the
/ office, where he Mortified the establish
ment by that same old tune in new
dress.
SO now he does nothing but suck soup
through that hole, and blow the IS sArkan-
sas Traveller out of it.
Does any body want whistline COM
posItor!-SedaSiG (no.) Democrat.
Billingsiana.