The Benton record. [volume] (Benton, M.T. [Mont.]) 1875-1879, 1877-05-04
George I'D. Prentice.


morning dew and after sunshine to til,
the flowers, but it was from his mex
haustible wit that most of his fame ant
fortune grew. He used to say, Il am tone
of writing verses. There is a genial salts
faction in the work Of doing SO, but the,
are the most unmarketabe article in al
the booths of Vanity Fair
Prentice was not a great talker, and was
as difident in company as schoolgirl, bnt
when he had any thing to sly there was al
ways something in it. lie never dealt il
eommonplaces. When his indignation was
excited, however, he became decidedly
yoluble.
Once, in coming out of a public build.
ing where there were double swinging
doors, that opened both IN aud ont, young
man, who was coming in, pushed against
the left-hand side of the door in order to
enter, willie Mr.. Prentice was pushing
against the same side Of the door to make
his exit. The result vas a ridlculously
awkward halt. Finally, when the two had
managed to get the door open, Prentice
said to the stranger, Ny young friend, in
making your waytbrough the world, ifyou
will only keep to the right, you viii never
run against any body but fool, and you
needn't apologize to him.
Somebody stole the unabridged diction-
ary once from the editorial room of the
Journal, and Mr. Prentice, having occa-
sion to use that valuable tome, discovered
the loss. Forthwith he ordered that an
other copy Of the book be purchased at
once, "For," said he, mo ore but shame
less egotist would attempt to edit news
paper without dictionary
Mr.. Prentice's hat was one Of his eccen-
tricities. He always had it more than half
full of bits of paper not larger than post
al stamp, on which he had written word
or two on each, in the way of memoranda
Besides, he carried his pocket knife, pen
ellis, scissors, spectacles and portmonnaie
: : .-.'--->,aAtimes in an absent-miaded
,''''asated chew
cud away.
Speaking of his occasional absent-mind-
edness reminds us OF one very ludicrous
case of it, which is worth telling. On a
dismal night in winter, about twelve years
ago, one of the reporters of the journal
brought into the editorial room a poor lit
tie kitten that he had picked up on the
street. Tie miserable creature was shiE-
ering with cold, wet from the drizzling
rain, aud. begrimmed from the dirt OF the
street. But Mr.. Prentice at once took pity
upon it, and adopted it for pet, and IN
der his kind treatment it soon grew to be
as pretty kitten as any one could wish te
see. Every morning the kind-hearted ole
gentleman would send to market for some
scraps of beef to feed his feline protege
and there was often more than she coule
eat at one time; the remainder MIR. Prem
tice would carefully wrap mp and hid
away for another meal for Pussy. On en-
occasion he placed the package IN tn
nocket of the skirt OF his coat, and it re
manned there fyr several days, until tn
aroma Of it was anything but pleasant
oltactories Of every one in the room al
the poet, having forgotten all aboutthe d.
posit of beef in his pocket, complained bl
terly of the awful odor that peryaded h
sanctum, aud threatens to have the lauatt
removed at once if he did not Immediate
remove that smell. The poor old darke
saturated every corner with dislnfectant
but it did no good, until, finally, he exam
med Air. Prentice's coat, after the wit an
satirist had put Oh his little pea.jacket i
work, The examination led to the disco
q ery from whence the unsavory odorem
! ed, and tie poet had to acknowledge, as
: said. that '.Uacookcd beetsteak, like bs
) wit, was an intolerable thing about prlf
, ing office.
{ Many persons from abroad used 70 Ct
on Mr. Prentice when they were IN Lou
] vile, as though he was one Of the enrlo
: ties of the city, or just for the purpose
y being able to say that they had talked VI
e such a great man, and this was peculiar
anroying to him, as he was inclined 70
e retiring, and really never thought Of 60
e pretending his own fame. On one oe'
sion an old friend called on the editor, q
d brought with him a calloW young m
K from some underlined locality in the ru
,e districts. This youth was partieula
a curious, and actually asked BIZ. Prent
e to say something funny. The ludierous
mark was smoothed over as quickly as P
is sible BY the gentleman who brought
Young man in, and shortly thereafter so
liquid refreshments we're ordered to
brought up to the sanctum. Mr. Prent
m selected n1int.jalep, and when i came
" held it up and asked the gentleman J
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