Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-09
AN OLD PHILOSOPHER.
He Holds sweet Converse with ,
knight of the Brush.
Datroit Eraa proes

-
He Holds sweet Converse with a
knight OF the Brush.
Detroit Free Press.l
About two o'clock Yesterday af-
ternoon a house-painter swinging
on a scaffold attached to a high
building on Woodland avenue.
heard some one calling upon him
to come down. Thinking it was
the owner of the block he descended
and met a wrinkled faced old chap
who was holding an ancient UNI
brella over his head.
SIS your name Duke?" inquired
the old man in a soft voice.
"No, sir" was the reply. "My
name is Ogden"
"There it is, you see p cackled
the stranger. "Your name isn't
Duke because it is Ogden. A plain
er case never came to my attention.
If your name was not Ogden it
would be Duke"
"Do you want to see me?" asked
the painter.
"Nominally, yes. Did you ever
devote any time to the study Of
philosophy ?"
Philosophy be hanged" growl-
ed the painter. eff you didn't
want me, what did you call me
down here for ?"
You now illustrate another
principle" chuckled the old man.
Why do yon betray yexation ?
Simply because YOU are yexed. If
you were pleased you would smile.
Let us go back eighteen hundred
years, to the first principles of mind
formation"
"You'd better 90 back to the lun-
attic asylum" muttered thepainter.
"Why are lunatic asylums neces-
sary ?" asked the old man. BE
cause we have lunatics. Why do
we have lunatics 2"
"Don't talk to me-" replied the
painter, starting to enter the build
ing.
"Why do | talk p inquired the
quaint old character, barring the
doorway. 81 talk because | have a
voice. Fish do not talk, and why
not? !"
81 don't want any more fooling
around r exclaimed the painter,
trying to pull the Old man out Of
the way.
owe will 90 back to what is
known as the stone age" sid the
stranger, splitting on his hands as
if he meant to resist.
odd you ever reflect that you
might have been a hill or a valley,
as well as a man? Suppose You
would have been a hillside, what
would have been your policy z"
just about this gasped the
painter, as he got a collar-hold and
jerked with all his might.
81 sometimes think" said the
old man, as he kicked the painter
in the stomach twice in succession
= " that man may have descended
from earth. | may have been a
hill, you a knoll, that man ovel
There a glade"
! There was a pause for a minute
e as the painter hit him on the
mouth. He retaliated by a left,
handler on the nose, and securing 9
hold on the painters hair, he held
him against the wall, and he went
on:
! "Why do we fight? Because we
are mad! Go back to the days Of
s Adam, and let us see how madness
came to exist"
; They were about half way back
there when a policeman came along
) and collared the old philosopher
and marched him off. He was re
D corded as John Horker, and as h,
was placed in the cell he remarked
4 "Why this prison Jug Because
! there are iuggers. Let us retraci
our steps to the drift period anC
! discover who was the first incarcer
I ated in a cooler"
. The painter looked after the ole
: man as he walked off, and givin!
his bleeding nose another wipe, h,
said
Il of that's what they call phi
: losopby, Pm going into training TO