Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-07-16
A MHISTLING CoMPOSITOR.
He Regards a storm Of Kisses, Old
Boots, Shoes and slippers as Ap-
plause.

Boots, Shoes and Slippers as Ap-
plause.
He came into the office about
three months ago, says an interior
California paper, with his mouth
puckered, and the "Arkansas Tray
eler" issuing therefrom. 1t was not
loud, shrill whistle; it was not that
lively and cheerful whistle that be-
tokens the heart easy and the mind
free from care. On the contrary,
he sawed up and down through the
slaves like buzz saw ripping
through a pine log, and verse fol-
lowed verse without the least varia-
ton. He looked around the office
complacently, never losing a note,
and, finally, sliding up to the fore
man, he stopped whistling for an in
slant to enquire: SLOWS work?'
But before the reply could be given
he had picked up that whistle, right
where he had left it off, and rolling
it out
Tflly tum. tally, tally. tum, tilly, OH
with his mouth puckered but his
ears wide open. Well that fellow
was put to work, and he whistled
over his case, whistled around for a
stick and rule, whistled up to the
copy hook, whistled over to his case
again, and picking up an EN- quad,
drew fresh breath and whistled
all through the stake" till he whis-
tied over the galley to empty it
But it was the same cid whistle
the ''Arkansas Traveller" over and
over again, until it would seem that
the traveller had worn his shoes out
and was hunting a place to rest.
The thing at first was novelty,
and amused sthe boys but finally be-
came monotonous, and as the water
continually drips on a rock will wear
its surface, so did this everlasting
refrain of the "Arkansas Traveller"
CRATE and lacerate the sensitiveness
of his brother compositors. Low
angry murmurs betokened the rising
storm, and broad hints uncompli-
mentary to his musical abilities were
thrown out. But he paid no atten-
tention to them, and Just kept right
along, whistling and setting type.
Finally human nature could en-
dure no more. Loud cries of:
"Give us a rest!"
"Oh, let up!"
'sHire a hallr'
"Go East!'
"Cheese it, Cully!" svr5a,a
"Cork up!''
''Take spin round the block!"
"We're engagedp'
"Won't you tumble!!"
'EShoot himp'
mingled with groans, cat calls and
Kisses filled the Office, and made the
composing room resemble a large and
thriving lunatic asylum.
But it was no use. The fellow neV-
er let up, but just went right ahead
with his little old whsle, and never
missed a note except when he came
to a hard word in his copy, when
he would dwell on the last note un-
til he found out what it was, and
then go ahead again.
He took the. storm of old slippers,
shoes and boots that were showered
upon him with the utmost sang
frOid, and we believe the cuss act
ual1y thought it was intended for
applause.
At last the hands in the Office hit
upon a plan to stop the everlasting
whistle. One night when he was
asleep, they went up to his room
and clapped a tremendous strong
sticking plaster over his mouth, and
then retired, thanking God the unen-
durable nuisance was forever abat-
ed. The next morning that mis-
guided young man went over to a
carpenter shop, borrowed a gimlet,
bored a hole through the plaster and
waltzed into the Office, where he
Mortified the establishment with the
same old tune in a new dress.
So he still does nothing but suck
his soup through that hole and blow
the "Arkansas Traveller" out of it.
Three of the compositors have al
ready gone to Stockton, and, unless
some one murders the whistler, this
Office will soon be whistled out of
existence.