The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-09
A Man Without Curiosity,

A stranger walked into the Office THU
morning, and, peering into the door o.
our sanctum, fixed his eyes on the bale
spot on our head, and said:
"Early piety, eh? It's an awful sad
sight to see q young man b~ald-headed."
Every sad" we replied, pushing oul
pencil vigorously, and without looking
up from the writing of a heavy leader on
"The Comparative Influence OF Rifle
Teams on Modern Civilization" on
which we were engaged at the time.
eyes," returned the visitor, Though
sad, it's no disgrace. A bald head. sir,
is a sign of brain-power ; you never see
a bald-headed fool. Why, just look at
my head"
He removed his hat, and his head was
as bare of hair as q steam-boiler.
GA bald-headed man was sent to the
insane asylum from this country last
month";" we said, dropping our eyes
again on the writing before us.
"Well, there's exceptions to every
rule" he replied.
Then he got up and went out into the
composing-room, and looked over a com
positor's shoulder at a piece of copy.
"Strangers not allowed to read copy y
sung out the foreman from the other end
of the room.
"Oh, I didn't want to read the copy
don't sven care for the original an
swered the persistent stranger. 81 was
only trying to compute how many of
these types it would take to manufacture
On account of o frst-class horse-race."
Then he went over to a stone and
picked up q stickful of type that the
devil had set down for a moment.
"Look out this amt a bakery"
cried the devil.
"Who said it was ?"
well, you we're trying to make
spi,'" answered the devil.
"Well, that's all right. don't be-
lieve in strangers going into a place and
making themselves perfectly at home.
If I was a carpenter, tor. instance, and
had q kit of tools, I wouldn't want PEG.
pie to be coming fooling around and
slicing off their fingers with my chisels,
or anything of that sort" .
While he was saying the above words
he had his hands On the cylinder of the
proof-press, and was pushing it back
ward and forward, making q noise which
was plunging 1.-THE Comparative Inau-
ence of Rifle Teams on Modern Civilza-
ton" into a hopeless middle. Writing
was out of the question while this fend
was present; 80 we abandoned the
heavy leader, and, Strengthening up in
our chair, looked him square in the eye,
and said
eyes, it's a bad idea for people to
fool with things they don't understand.
Why, only two days ago, a stranger
came in here and picked up one OF our
Gatling guns. OF course he didn't know
it was loaded !; and the county gave
decent burial to such fragments oil him
as the devil managed to pick up around
the office. Here, boy, show this gentle
man one of the Gatlings!"
The devil rolled forward o large iron
cylinder, used for n model for casting
rollers for the press, and u visitor
commenced backing toward the door,
saying as he went
"No, thank ye ; if there is one thing,
now, that I do pride myself on, it is
that there amt O particle Of curiosity IN
my composition. Besides, I know all
about Gatllng guns the second cousin
of the man that makes the Calling guns
had a mother who used to do my wash
ing"
He backed out Of the Office, anc
started off after the manner of a mar
who is in a hurry. But "The Compare
tive Influence of Rifle Teams on Modern
Civilization" looked at in the light of
literary effort, was q total wreck, ant
will never in living print gladden. thu
eyes of an admiring world. It's in thu
waste basket.-Austin (Nev.) ReueiUe