The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-03-26
II. g G. S.

our citizens were considerably alarmed
on going out and finding the above
mysterious letters, encircled by a
rough drawing Of coffin, upon their
doors, and when it was learned that
the same signs were found in various
places through town, the excitement
and scare became quite general. The |
anxiety kept up during the day, and |
at night the people were on the look
out for something terrible TO occur,
thinking it was the work Of tramps,
who were about to burn the town.
The night passed quietly, however,
and Friday morning the citizens awoke
very much relieved to find that moth
ing strange or heinous had taken
place. There was still considerable
speculation as to what the signs meant,
but when the Forest National came out
the whole matter was explained, it
being very easy for any one with "half
an eye" to discover where the matter
originated. 1t contained full ac-
count Of the affair, illustrating the
article with a coffin gouged out on the
back Of an old stereotype, with the
letters arranged in about the same
order as those scrawled on the build
ings. The cut is good representation
Of the chalk marks; or rather, the
chalk marks were good representations
Of the cut, for it was made first, and
the marks were fashioned after the
cut, and not the cut after the marks.
You see the wayit all happened was
this The very fertile(O brain Of eye
editor" of the National conceived the
idea Of giving the people of Tionesta
a great scare, create a sensation, have
an item fOr his paper, and at the same
time advertise bis cough syrup. In
order to 10 this he makes a cut Of a
coffin; then he puts on the initials,
T. G. X G. S., which are Interpreted,
"Take Coburn's Cough Syrup (the
X is to represent the cross bones), the
coffin, of course means that you will
need one Immediately after taking the
syrup. After the cut hes been made
to suit him, he sends his "devl'' out
with piece of blue chalk to do the
marking on the buildings, giving him
a list Of those he wants marked. The
worthy Doctor" we understand, pat
the letters on himself, and they resem-
bic his hand. writing very closely.
No doubt the Doctor thiSks this an
excellent joke on the citizens of Tio.
nesta, and it may be, but just where
the particular brilliancy OF wit in
conceiving and carrying out such a
"joke" lies we are at great loss to
3 know. A man might go to his neigh
boris house after night and write on
his door, 81 will burn your house!
and call that coke" but he would
no uoubt have trouble in making the
neighbor believe it; besides be NIGH
get the penalty of the law meted ou
to him. But, we think the Doctor j:
excusable in this instance, as ht
) wanted merely to advertise his cough
syrup, and took this method of setting
t forth,the true effects which it would
I produce on the individual who was. 81
unfortunate as to get a dose of it
Curt" Shawkey's explanation, W.
think is the correct one: "Takc
a Coburn's Cough Syrup, and you vii
Y fill Consumptive's Coffin p'
= We are inclined to think, Doc.
= there are others in town who will saw
you the trouble Of "ferreting out thi
4 mystery" and when they do it vii
u probably amount to more than mer
"expose" in newspaper.
S The thinest thing in the whole bus
!. ness is the winding-up Of the National
article, which says; "Since going t.
: press, we think we have discovered
y clue to the above mysterious. affair."
Discovering a thing after going t
y press, and telling about the discover
. in the same issue is an accomplishment
few editors can boast of. Doe, W
h think you had better lay by the quill
d for while. You are making alto
e gether too rapid progress in the edito
y rial harness. In answer to you