The Red Cloud chief., 1879-09-04
THE MAN WITH 4 HOBBY.
ny HENRY y

IA HENRI hl>G.
The editorial head lay in suggestive near
ness To- a phenomenal cabbage which some
elated country subscriber had "left upon
our table," aud the editorial brain was doz-
irg over an unfinished struggle with the
prices OF grain a. affected by the charges for
transportation, when the Man with a Hob
10y stepped IN at the open ofiice-door. He
wz> n little old man in a long linen coat
turned back AT the wrists, with blu ewes
and a broad, besming face, fringed by thin
gray whiskers-a frosty sunrise sort of face
and ne carried over his shoulder an un-
bleachei cotton bag. His tread Was soft,
but steady, and A. he lowered his burden TO
the floor beside him, he said in 3 pleasant
though slightly Impetuous tone:
"MV name j. Joshua Craybill: / live in
Burr Oak Bottom, where John Brown stay
! ed the last night he WAS in Kansas"
The editor had frequently heard OF Mr..
(rayhill, he said with a vawn: had once
made mention OF him. he believed, in the
Nelr Era; and was very glad, indeed, 10
meet him. He WAS also familiar with the
fact that old oSawsttomie had tarried over
eight in Burr Oak Bottom on his way In
Harper Ferry. A age ago. that seems
added the editor, musing.
"Yes-thank you-yes," said the little old
man. slipping into q chair, and pushing the
hair from a forehead sphered like that OF
Horace Greeley. "l'd like 10 show Won nv
SlaNNthNAkaph - ANAA ~ ny W u Otu
tion OF the great financial probiem-and ex-
plain il IL YOU, briefly" After a short
.suse, "If you'll l~isten:v he queried, with
plush snd a touch Of urging sadness.
Then he drew forth from his cotton bag
/" my pillow-case," he called it-s large roll
of yellow oil-cloth, which being spread out,
Gisn.ayed upon its creased and glaring sur
IL a series of diagrams, a. Joshua GRAY
bill WAS pleased TO term them, painted in
aggressive colors and emphasized by sundry
notices, quotations and caricatures. This
was his Classification of Credit, fgurstively
represented-a bewildering invention at
first glance, but yet having a latent method
in liz tangled lines and its gaudy, grotesQue
emblems, that Crsyhill pointed out with con.
fideut fondnesS, and in the rather hurried
manner OF one impatient 10 bestow a favor.
There were three separate, but cognste,
splaas" in the Classification. The first he
named 'the a>h-hopper" plsu, or banking
upon A specie basis, shown by an inverted
pyramid (~py-ramid. the little old man pro-
nounced id, having at the bottom q bright
r7NNd red spot labeled, "deyil's nest-egg.r
The next was 1.-THE store-boX" plan, oil
banking upon bonds. shown BY a square,
with various queer inscriptions about sscen.
fraliZsiion," monopoly" "sepulchers,'
and so on. The last was the "corn-crib" plan,
Joshua CrIybil's hobby, shown also by q
pyramid The insistsd upon p~ronouncing il
pv-ramidl. but a pyramid standing upon is
natural and nXed base, and denoting, as the
little old man earnestly put il "the honest
dollar a. opposed TO the rsscally dollar"-s
currency issued directly to the people upor
real estate mortgages, drawing q nominal
rate OF interest, renewable at pleasure, anC
10 be redeemed "only when the base cease.
- cover the ISSUE" he eXplained-"whict
will be never" he called out in a raised
and peremptory voice, while \ big exultan,
smile o~yerspread his face: and then hs
stood gazing al the diagrams in rspt, oblivi.
Gus silence
The editor bad given careful heed, bu
somehow he did not altogether comprehend
the corn-crib doctrine. People seldom diC
at frsf-the little old man i%nnocentfy re
marked. And Vet there was evident thought
and perhaps logic, in Mr.. CraybilPs gidd,
diagrams, the editor was free to confess
Most persons, no doubt, would have dis
missed such contriyances with the pityin,
idea that the fashioner thereof was Slight,
out of gear about the head. But hi did no
SO strike the editor. On the contrary. tina
estimable person was sure he had in his tim
heard far more incOherent financial theorie
advanced by men OF conceded and spplsude,
leyelpesso of brain. whose talk evinced mucl
less reading than Joshua Cravbill,s, and VIII,
mid mot on the forfeit of Their lives bay
- 4anaible profert Of their WITNESSES wit
ne sue -ess achieved by this little oil
ian with his chart and his piilow-case.
Really Crsybiii interested the editor.....
He wanted no office, be was prosecuting 70
no party. The most that he desired was q
audience, and anew set Of diagrams ''painf