Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-12-15
POTTS LOOKING FOR A LIGHT.

One night, during the recent troubles
in the Pennsylvania coal regions, Judge
Potts brother, Thomas Potts, was round
at meeting of the mine owners, and af
ter the adjournment he stepped into
tavern. While there, he met some
:wo he got very intoxicated. On his way
home he lost his hat, and n miner, who
knew him, feeling compassion for him,
clapped on his head "A miners hat and in
order to make the dark street look bright
er, he lighted the lamp in front of the hat.
When Potts reached the house his wife
had gone to bed, and the lights were out;
but Potts felt certain the lamp was burn
ing in the hall, but he couldn't for the
life of him tell where it was.
He looked at the regular lamp and it
seemed TO be out then hunted in every
direction for the light, but he was unable
to find it, although it seemed to shine
brightly wherever he went. Presently
he happened to stop in front Of the mir
ror in the hat-racl, and then he saw pre-
ciscly where the light was. After brief
a6jurgatlon upon Mrs. Potts for leaving
"A light in such place, he went up to the
mirror and tried to blow it out. lie
blew and blew, but somehow the flame
burned as steadily as before.
"That," said Potts, "is the most extra
or'nary lamps even been my misfortune
t'cncounter."
Then he took off his coat, and, hold
ing it up in front Of him, crcpt cautiously
up to the mirror, and tried to crush the
coat over the lamp, which still burned
brightly. lie said
"Thats ccrt'inly very extraor'nary !!
MOI 'stonishin' circumstanz ever come
un'er my observation. Don'o how to
count for it !"
1t occurred TO him that perhaps he
might smash the lamp with IN umbrella,
Selzng the weapon, he went up to the
bat rack, and, aiming II tofrible blow at
the light, he brought the umbrella down.
He missed, and smashed his Sunday Int
into chaos. llo took aim again, and
caught the umbrella in the lamp over
head, bringing it down with crash. -
Then he tried a third time, and plunged
the ferrule OF the umbrella through the
mirror, smashing it to atoms. lie felt
exutant for a moment, as the light dis
appeared from his vision, but he was per-
picked to find there was another light
somewhere, he did not know exactly
where. SO he sat down on tho stairs and
remarked
"Moz 'astonishin' circumstanz ever
come un'er my observation. Whaten
thunder doz it mean anyhow Lights
gone, an vets shinin'! Perfectly in
comprehensive! Wish to gracious Mrs.
Potts d wake up an splain it. Durn'f l
know what | d better 90 ~
Then Potts took off his hat to scratch
his head, in the hope that he might scare
up an idea, and the truth flashed upon
him. Gazing at the lamp for moment,
until he drank in full conception of the
trouble it had cos. him, he suddenly
smashed it down on the floor in rage, ard
extinguished it after covering two yards
of carpet with grease. Then he went to
bed, and in the morning Mrs. Potts in
formed him that some of those horrible
miners had broken into the house the
night before, and left one Of their hats
with a lamp. Potts turned over in bed
so that she could not see his face, and
said "ii the stern hand of the law wasn't
laid upon those rufIians soon, nobody's life
would be safe. ."-Gree0 Mountain Free
man.