The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1878-03-28
The Jeurnal,. ..Pi.,,

1t was Monday in February. Apollo sat IN his car
ON high, and blinked Mt the world beneath. Balmy
breez-s fioated throush the air, unsuilied by onss
unburenedby capering eobwebs; frogs in the distant
pools eroaked low. gnrgng voices aud turned their
sluggish eyes toward the azure canopy birds were
eheery andy proud and they hopped and skipped for
very oy The printers Of the Journal were
in their highest element of happiness.
The little clock the foremans table tickes ON,
type that the devil, made as he piled in the metals
at 80 rate. All at once be seemed n0nplussed. He
scratched his head, looked at his copy picked space
out of the ''e" box, then summoned courage TO IN
quire: .How shall divide beginning r. -'On the
- but the answer lost in q series of rattIes,
bangs thumps and crashes. that the elevator made,
it dashed from the basement to the third story
but had it reached its destination than the
..fcrm.- which had taken such delightful ride con
cluded to exhibit some of is feats at acrobatic agility
1t leaped from the elevator, stood on one corner
second. then gracefully turned double hand spring
and descended to the press room with the rapidly OF
ball fired of krupp gun. The compositors look
ed mt each other, and smiled sadly.
-Ped,- said one.
.Of course said another. Lets 20 down and see
it,
No no. said third lit will he brought up soon
They were not keptlong in suspense. heavy tread
heard the stairs and the colored pressman en-
tered the rooIn carrying something of much weight
his shoulders He stepped up to a table, and laid
bucket thereon Mt the same time saying, with sort
Of chuckle, Hello. boys, here's your pi. He then
left the rOOm leaving the printers in state of ecsta
sy impossible to be impaired to the intelligent reader
by the mere agency Of words.
Right here. it may not be inappropriate to explain
the nature of .pi" When form is pied it is un-
done that is, the type column rules, etc, inter
mingled in n very promiscuOus mass. 1t 30 rarely
happens that form pies in printing Office. that
when there is such occurrence it is appreciated to
the fullest degree by every One more especially by
those who have the pleasure of getting it back into
the cases. This is why many boys long 10 learn
the printing business, because nice little pile o. o.
mixed type is served to them daily, and best of all
the proprietor does not charge them nekle fol
sorting it out. The devil of the journal probably
than any other devil in the .lower Missouri Valley;
in fact he almost cries for it, and while engaged
such task, he sings Pull for the Shore in a key
which is SO soothing that any very easily i'm
agine that the imposing stones the prOOfpress, ant
even the type, are moving toward him. He is a see
| ond Orpheus One day he sang sweeter than usual
so sweetiy that handful Of qnads came flying from
the hand of one Of the printers and when the print
| er told him that his voice entrancng that b'
was unable to set" type the devil ceased at once
and rubbed his ear where of the quads had kisset
him.
complex question it seemed at first, when one o
| the eompostOrs asked who should have the privileg
looked so tempting, it lay one type criss-cross tn
other, in rustic beauty, in the pail but it fnal
| decided that consultation should be had with tn
| boss They descended that stairs in Indian file
the devil following at a little distance behind.
First Typo-'we came to see about the ''p7 tha
| was made this morngr
Second Typo.-"And to know if we could have tn
Third Typo.-"To transfer it back to its appointe'
| place"
| Fourth Typo.-"WithOut extra charge
Devil.-"Also can have a share of the luscions-
'.Silencer r. said the .boss,r wiping his intellectual
and broad editorial forehead with highly perfume
the boys were not without hope. After fixing his eye
on an ink spot on the 'devirs" open cOuntenance fO
five minutes, he eloquently remarked: MY wori
men, had made up my mind to charge You a somt
what cyelopean sum for the unalloyed blssfulness
extrcating each little quadrangularly shaped piece
antmOne substance and dePositng it into its legit
mate semi-OctagOnal place of keeping; hut upon
second consideration and realizing that your aborin
hours approximate to the number of fifteen per day
have fully decided that You can make an equal d
vision of the said pieces of antimOnc substance,
monty known by the appellation of type, apportioI
ing judicious part to the faithful devil, for which
have the 10Y to announce l shall ask no remuner'
ink spot on the devils open cOuntenance again. the
told his workmen that they might go.
The compOsitOrs started on run for the third story
and SO excited was one, whom We have before d'
scribed as having semi-eatike voice, that he owe
turned a cOlered woman who was peaceably walkin
along with basket of clothes her head. .''Peai
ter me dat ar prntman is mos gone vile; blame hi
skin y But the excited compositor heard not thes
words; he did not remain long enough TO make a
apology.
The pail of wet ..pf' was measured ont by one O
the printers with pint cup. Everybody watche
him. to see that he placed an equal portion at eae
pile. Very soon the bucket was emptied, and fv
beautiful pyramids Of ''pi' deeked one of the impo
ing stones.
my pile amt as big as the rest complained til
| devil.
That's so- said one of the bows "ciye him anotl
er pint"
sufficient numberof type Omake pint were take
from each of the four pyramids and deposited on t
'devils pile but still lie not satisfied. and lk
Oliver Twist, he "he wanted more" The boys 500
quieted him. by threatening to throw him down til
elevator prssage, If he did not cease his gumbling
Such a clicking that followed! The hungry prin
ing Office mice did not dare out of their nests
the corner; the clock made efforts TO initiate ii
confused rattle of type, and the tramps sleeping
peacefully in the scot in the sample-room were SUI
denly aroused and they imagined they were ont
the woods, and heard freight train approachin,
One of the printers SO hungry for ''p that he
maned until he had thrown it all i'm his case, and di
not home to supper the second printer put half
his share in. and hid the other half in cigar box b.
ing very careful to mark it in such manner that
could tell whether any one purloined even sing
type; the third printer distributed one handful an
put the remainder in unused cabinet case remarl
ing that he would take his fun by piecemeal, an
hoped he could make it string out until the fourth
July.
The fourth printers heart was larger than all I'll
rest put together. He approached the devil an
| said:
.Say, what1l you take to let me have your pi r.
"Whatm you gimme 7" said the cunning devil.
Let me see III give you glass marble and
| piece of orange peel"
Cheese that, Gully. What kind of an origin
member do you take Inc for T.
"Oh, was joking Ill give You all my .pi" f
sweeping the floor clean, and keeping such n mic
polished chimney the head letter case
|, Tho "devilr was overjoyed that he threw h
attractive ink spot to his benefactors countenanc
The ''boss' came in just then, to how things
progressing, and, being informed that the ''pi- hs
been honestly and satisfactorily divided, whisted
of his original fantastic figs, and walked away.
CHARLES NOGGs.