Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-11-22
THE rIRE.rlENp 0N 4 HIGn HORSE
Grandfather Iiekshinglc'S Exposition pf
i florid Newspaper
on ~ lacrritN

4 Grandfather lickShinglc broke tho
silence Yesterday evening As follows:
n tC)l Vow what il il, children there's
no use taikjn' The newspaper men of
4 to-day can't sling ink with their grand
4 fathers they're dCgencratin 'Ehis
country secs III graphic Writm' like il
idlI When your grandfather WAS ridin'
I inc editorial tripod like witch aStriac
/ The gale, | know 81 no place that NJ
forsls n better field of descriptive writin'
than these very oil regions, Why the
\ tires yeu have heard 81 can't IL beat -
4 eNceptm', VI course, beyond the tomb.
\ When hear of one az thcsc eontlagra-
! tinnS ! Just ache Is take my pen III
/ hard aud describe il III my own graphic
style"
Grandfather closed his eyes, swaycd
u and fro on his easy char, while hia
face glowed with enthusiasm. He
seemed IL be ina transport OF joy.
Bring forth my good gray quill,
lac said, land let me paint the burnin
tow3."
Ono of tho children said he thought
grandfather was gong ~ have \ iii,
father said lie was only III tho newspa-
per business, III his imagination, II II
salary of II thousand dollars week hut
would soon bc IN right
Ills night. Fire! fire, fire." said
grandfather, rapidly tracing sheet Of
Imaginary paper with 4 goosc.quill of
the mind, Fire fire! tirol and the
frightod winds took up tho cry, The
frc-tiend with his sword of llamc, was
seen leaping from the back window Of
y bake-shup, hrcathin' smoke and fork
"a hghtnm' from hisnostrils. In IN in
slant tho sleopm' city was cut on the
floor, tMrkm It's Sims on chairs and
things III lis mad hunt after il pnnta-
looms. Hush hark The iiro.iicnd
PUSHES on and on like II war-horso, lcav-
III destruction i'll his trail. Look lie
scales the side " Won corner grocery,
oven Ms II kitehen-mnid would scale
FISH, nm with his fiery, forked tongue
lieis the paint often the huildin' Seel
like the hungry holocaust that lie is, he
il lickn' UP tho sign, 'Sa.t maekcrel,
bacon, flour, tccd M provisions, rs il
lie hadn't tasted u bite for month ste
him leap to the caves Of my lndys bow
or M gorge himself upon tho ginger
bread work nf the corniccs. Now III
hurls his body through the windows ~
yondcr residence, ransacks the prcmis-
o., nm escapes like il rocket through the
roof. llo turns somorsaults from house
top to housotop, knocks over chimney
pots, dances il iig on the hot shingles,
like tho boy on the burnin' deck, an
without Us much rs il look ont bohind,
rains shower Of sparks upon the heads
Of the pnnic-strickcn populace. But
see him now! lie splits upon his cal
lousod hands M scoots up the liberty
pole like II cat NJ III apple tree. w
up upl Higher! higher higher Higher
and yet higher Higher than the price
Of butter, until now with one fiery foot
hc tiptoos il upon The topmost tip, the
while lie filings his arms uf flame about
him like Il village lawyer making y
Fourth Of July Grafton. Now ho places
il thumb to hls nose, I'M with hls OK
tended fingers describes u circle III the
face Of the man in tho moon, while he
laps his forked tongue about tho Amer
lean flag an swallows it before loyal
people ean shoot him on the spot.