The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-09-13
IN 4PRH-FOOI JOKE


But these sells, ingenious as they were,
paled before the sublime audacity of
one that happened under the old regime,
which should, perhaps, have been given
first, but to which the ones described
serve as very proper introduction. 1t
was known as :" the atlas Extra hoax"
and had reachonary as well as direct
effect. The Colonel came down early
on the morning of the LIST of April, and
was attracted by crowd reading some
thing posted on the wall opposite the
Post Office. He sent Phil over to ascer-
tain what it was, who returned imme-
diately and reported that it was an
Atlas extra, containing an account of the
arrival during the night, in ten days
from Liverpool, of the ship Steiglitz-
one of the most VIGOROUSLY slow ships in
the world-with late news from Europe
There were riots in Ireland, an over
throw of the Ministry in England, a
revolution In France, disastrous erup-
ton of Vesuvius in Italy, an inundation
In Switzerland, massacre in Turkey,
and confusion generally all over the
world. In consequence of all this stocks
had fallen fearfully, the markets were
unsettled, and ships had arrived and
cleared, abroad, in a most miraculous
manner, showing the most alarming com
mercial status the world had ever known.
Phil assured the Colonel that it must be
hoax, and he had ust made up his
mind to laugh about it when Horton. the
editor of the Atlas, rushed in and ac-
cused the Post hands of issuing the
atlas extra. The Colonel denied the
charge strenuously, but Horton insisted,
and showed that it was printed on the
Post type, and bore unmistakable marks
of its paternity. There was little uues-
ton of honor involved here, and inves-
tigation was commenced by both editors
to find out the culprits. The foreman
was examined, who affirmed that he
locked the form up at the customary
time, the men having gone, after which
he had, he said, blown out the lights and
gone home. The pressman had worked
his form off and done the same. The
men were Intercepted, but none knew
anything about it, and the examination
showed more cases of injured innocence
than were ever before gathered together
under one roof. Proof-sheets and tym-
pan Impressions were sought for, bu.
not a trace of any eliminating thing
could be found. The Colonel was very
indignant ostensibly, but down under
his vest there was streak of fun that
behed his denunciatory words, and at
last the matter of the extra was hushed
or distributed.
Years afterward little Phil told the
story regarding it. The conspirators
watched for the disappearance of the
lights in the Post office after midnight,
when they returned, and each one took
a part to set up as it came to him, and
each one took that part which was most
familiar to him. The result was as de-
scribed. All was distributed after it
was printed, quite number of the ex-
tras were sent off by mail, and the bal
ance posted up for the morning. The
secret of the authorship of Junius was
not better kept by the Public Printer,
and the mystery never would have been
solved but for Phil, who was one of the
conspirators.
Sells, however, are not considered the
brightest kind of wit nowadays. PEG,
pie have grown more wary, and an April
fool hoax is liable to fail, or else react
like the Australian boomerang, and
"plague the inventor by proving him
the fool.-B. p. iShilla6er, in Bosto,