Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1878-11-10
THE FIRE.FIEND on = HIGH
HORSE.
grandfather Lickshi0Sie's Exposition
of a FIOrId- Newspaper Style.

Grandfather LicG<shinSie's Exposition
of FIOrid- Newspaper style.
Grandfather LickshiDgIe broke til
silence yesterday evening as follows:
Il tell you what it Is, children
there's no use of talkiH'. the Dews
paper men of to-day can't sling inE
with their grandfatbeTs. They are de
| generatin'. This country sees 10
| graphic writin like it did when YOU
| grandfather was rIdin' the editorial
tripod like witch astride the gale.
| know of no place that affords better
! field. for descriptive writin' than these
very oil regions. Why, the fires you
| have heard of can't be beat-exceptin'
of course, beyond the tomb. When
hear of one of these CONGREGATIONS Lust
ache to take my pen in hand and de-
scribe it In my own graphic style"
Grandfather closed his eyes, swayed
to and fro in his easy chair, while his
face glowed with enthusiasm, He
seemed to be in transport of Joy.
Bring forth my good gray quill, y
he said, land let me paint the burnin'
town.
One of the children said he thought
gradfather was going to have fl !;
father said he was only IN the news
paper business, in his Imagination, at a
salary Of q thousand dollars q week,
but would coon be all right.
otis night! Fire fire fire!" said
grandfather, rapidly tracing a sheet of
imaginary paper with a goose. Quill of
the mind. Fire fire! fire and the
affrightened winds took up the cry.
The fire. fiend, with his sword of flame,
was seen leapiDg from the back VIM
dow OF a bake-shOp, breathin' smoke
aud forked lightnin' from his nostrils.
In an Instant the sIeepin' city was out
on the floor bRrkin' its shines on chairs
aud things in mad hunt after its
pantalOons Hush! bark The fire.
fend rushes on and on like war
horse, leavin' destruction in his trail.
Look! he scales the side of yOn cor
ner grocery, even as kitchen maid
would scale a fish, an with his fiery,
furked tongue licks the paint often the
buildIn'. See! like the hungry ho!O-
cRusC that he is, he is lickiu' up the
sign, salt mackerel. bacon, fl Dur, feed
and provisions, "a if be hadn'j tasted
a bite for a month. See him leap
to the caves of my lady's bower
an gorge himself upOu the ginger
bread work of the COZ niceS. Nov he
hurls his body through the windows
of yO1der residence, ransacks the
premises, an escapes like a rocket
through the roof. He turns somer-
sauIts from housetop to housetop,
knucks over chimney pots, daLtes a
jig on the hot shingles, like the boy
Oh the burnin' deck, an without az
much as look out behind rains
shower of sparks upon the heads of the
panic-stricken populace. But see him
now! He splits upon his cailoused
hands an scOots up the liberty pole
like cat up an apple tree. Up.up!
up! Higher! higher! higher High
er and yet higher T.! Higher than the |
price of butter, until now with one |
tiery foot he tiptOes it upon the tOp- !
most tip, the while he filings his arms |
)f flame about him like a village law
yer making Fourth of July grafton.
Now he places a thumb to his nose, an
with his extended fingers describes a
circle in the face of the man in the
Hoon, while he laps his forked tongue
about the American flag an swallows
{ before loyal people can shoot him
On the spot. "-ON city (Pa.) Derrick.