The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1878-05-09

Nj
One night during the recent troubles
in re Pennsylvania coal regions, Judge
Po(l's brother; Thomas Potts, wa
round It smeeting Of the mine owners
and after the adjournment he stepped
into . tavern. While there, he met
some friends, and in the course of an
hoee ertwo he got very intoxicated.
On his way home he lost his hal, and
miner, who knew him. feeling compass
sion for him, clapped on his head q
miners hat, and ih>order to make the
dark street look brighter, 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
burning 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 ont then he hunted in
every direction for the light, but he
was unable to Ind it, although it seem.
ed to shtns briShtly wherever he went.
Preseaay - happened to stop in front
of tbomlsrof 4 The hat rack, and then
he saw precisely where the light was,
After . brief objuration upon Mrs. p.
for leaving light in such . place, he
went up to the mirror and tried to
blow e out. He blow and blew but
somel5ov the fame burned as steadily
As sbefss. SH
"That," said Potts, ''is the most ex-
traor'nary lamps ever been my mis-
fortune t encounter"
Then he took off his coat, and, hold.
ing It 10 front of him, crept cautiously
up to the mirror, and tried to crush
the coat oyer the lamp, which still
burned brightly. He said:
"That's cert'inly very extra'nory =
Moz 'stonishin' circumstaRz ever come
un'er my observation. Don'o how to
Count for iti'
1t occurred to him, that perhaps he
might smash the lamp with an umbrel-
Ia. Seizing the weapon, he went up to
the hat rack. and, aiming terrible
hlow ct the light, he brought the um-
brelia down. He missed, and smashed
his Sunday hat into chaos. He took
aim again, and caught the umbrella in
the lamp overhead. bringing it down
with q crash. Then he tried a third
time. and plunged the ferrule of the
umbrella through the mirror, ,smashing
II to atoms. He felt exultant for q
moment as the light disappeared from
his vision, but he was perplexed to
find there was another light some
where, he did not know exactly where.
So he sat down on the stairs aud re-
marked:
Moz 'stonisin' circumstanz ever
come un'er my observation. Whaten
thunder doz it mean anyhow? Light's
gone, an vets shisin'! Perfectly in.
comprehensive! Wish to gracious
Mrs. Pott'd wake up an 'splain ii.
Durn'f know what had better do !"
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 con-
ception Of the trouble it had caused
him, he suddenly smashed it down on
the floor in rage, and 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 hOrri-
BILE miners had broken into the house
the night before and left one of their
hats with lamp. Potts turned over
in bed so that she could not see his
face, and said il the stern hand of the
law wasn't laid upon those ruffians
soon, nobody's life would be safe.-
Green Mountain Freeman.