The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-11-14
HE COULDN'T FIND THE LIGHT.

One night during the recent troubles in
the Pennsylvania coal regions. Judge Potts s
brother, Thomas Potts, was round at meet
ing of mine owners, and after the adjourn
ment he stepped in at tavern. While there
he met some friends, and in the course of an
hour or two he became very intoxicated. On
his way home he lost his hat, and miner
who knew him. feeling compassion for him,
clapped on his head a miners hat, and in Or
der to make the dark street look brighter he
lighted the little lamp in font OF the hat.
When Potts reached his house his wife had
gone to bed aud the lights were out, but
Potts felt certain the lamp was burning in the
hall, but he couldn't for the life OF him tell
where it was.
| He looked at the regular lamp, and that
seemed to be out; then hunted in every direc-
ton for the light, but he was unable to find 1t,
although it seemed to shine brightly wherever
he went Presently he happened to stand in
front of the mirror in the hat rack, and then
he saw precisely where the lamp was. After
brief objurgation upon Mrs. Potts for leav-
| ing light in such preposterous place, he
went up to the mirror and tried to blow 1t out.
He blew, and blew, but somehow the flame
burned as steadily as ever.
"That," said Potts, is the MOI extror' nary
lamps ever been my mizfortunet encounter,
Then he took off his coat and holding it in
front of him, he crept cautiously up to the
mirror and tried to crush the light down over
the light to smother it. He made halt dozen
Intellectual attempts, and then standing OFT
and regarding the light, which still burned
brightly, he said:
"Thsts cert'nly very extor nary MOI
| stonishin' circumstanZ ever come uner my
observation. Don no how t account for 1t.
It occurred to him then that perhaps he
might smash tie lamp with the umbrella.
Selling the weapon he went up to the hal
rack, and aiming terrific blow at the light
he brought the umbrella down. He missed
and smashed his Sunday hat into chaos. HI
took aim again, and caught the umbrella II
the hall lamp overhead, bringing it down witt
a crash. Then he tried third time, and
plunged the ferule of the umbrella through
the mirror smashing it to atoms. He felt ex
ultant for a moment as the light disappeared
from his vision, but he was perplexed to fino
that there was another light somewhere, ht
couldn't tell exactly where. So he sat dowr
on the stairs and remarked:
"Ioz 'stonisbin cffgumstanz ever come
un 'er nv obzervazhun. What in thunder's
mean anyhow? Lights gone. and yet It,
shinin'. Perfectly incompreh' nsible. Wisf
t. gracious Mss Podd's wake up n explain it
Durn f know what I'd better do.
Then Potts took off his hat to scratch hi
head, in the hope that he might scare up al
idea, and the truth flashed upon him. Gazing
at the lamp for moment until he drank in
full conception of the trouble it had caused
him, he suddenly smashed it down on tn
! floor in a rage, and extinguished it after GOV
ering two yards of carpet with grease. Ihel
he went to bed, and when in the morning
, :, Mrs Potts informed him that some OF thos
awful miners had broken into the house thu
night before and left one of their hats with
, lamp, Potts turned over in bed so that sh
couldn't see his face, and said that if the sterl
hand of the law wasn't laid upon those rui
fans soon nobody's life would be safe.