The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-06-03

family of the deceased INDUCED in the
luxury of wake, Johnny was certain
to be present, and constituted himself
a sort of general utility man, perform
ing such services as he saw were re-
quired. When the hour arrived, he
lowered near the coffin, and il any flor
al tributes were on exhibition requested
to be permitted to remove them to
the hearse-a privilege usually accord
ed by the undertaken. If the body was
removed to church, he was always
found standing at the door in readiness
to open the carriage doors, to take
the hats of the pall.bearers, and carry
in the flowers.
He was never known to accept ride,
although frequently offered seat be.
side the hack-drivers; and although the
last to leave the church doors, he was
the first to meet the funeral possession
on its arrival at the cemetery. He was
often known to run the whole distance
to Woodlawn, Flatbush, and other
equally remote cities of the dead, and
he prided himself on his pedestrian
powers. He seldom accepted ride even
on tho return journey, claiming that he
could outrun the swiftest hack-horse.
Whether he surreptitiously availed him.
self of ride on the horse-cars, or &C.
cepted the offer of some kindly dis
posed driver is not certain; but those
who know him state that he has never
been seen to do so. But whatever mis-
methods, he certainly covered the
ground, and has been known to be
present at three funerals in a day-one
in the morning, another at noon, and a
third one in the afternOon-in all three
cases being present at the interment.
He was generally looked upon as
poor, half-witted, harmless fellow,
whose mania took the form of an all
absorbing interest in wakes and funerals.
It is said that his mother and sister
were killed by fhe disaster at St. An
drew's Roman Catholic church during
the Lenten services, some years ago,
and that he himself was struck on the
head by a heavy beam, indicting in
juries which almost proved fatal, and
from which he recovered with shat
tered intellect and distored opticts.
Since then his friends say he has be.
came impressed with the idea that his
mission was to attend wakes and fun
erals, and few cared to interfere with
his whims. He became familiar with
and evinced peculiar de-
light in assisting them in their CHASTITY
duties. He was always on hand to aid
in laying out corpse or removing a
coffin, and in time 'Johnny Lookup"
began to be regarded as q necessity
by the undertakers' assistants on the
west side. He was most anxious to ap.
pear we'll dressed at funerals, and usual
ly his wishes in this respect were graft
fed, many q cast-of undertaker's suit
doing duty as the morning garments of
this strange individual. People woll-
dered how he'managed to exist. Had
they been present on certain occasions
after the funeral services wereover they
would have understood that matter.
They would have seen that this "poor,
half.witted fellow" was more knave
than fool, and that the peculiar and
decidedly novel line of business he had
marked out for himself yielded him an
income amply sufficient to satisfy his
wants. He had the satisfaction, too of
knowing that he had no rival in his
business, and that the greater the
amount of misery wrought by death
the better opportunity had he of reap.
ing harvest. At the conclusion of an
interment, and as the mourners we're
about to quit the grave, Johnny's Woe
BECOME face could be seen scanning those
who passed by. 1t was an easy matter
enough, on such an occasion, to enlist
human sympathy; and among the
throng was sure to be somebody who
knew the supposed monomaniac, and
who would set the sympathetic ball in
motion by dropping a quarter into his
palm. Had search been made in
Johnny's pocket, at the conclusion of
this performance, tt would be found to
contain quite number of silver offer
ings. If the donation movement at the
grave was unsuccessful. Johnny, moth
ing daunted, would be on hand at the
first stoppage-place for refreshments
outside the cemetery, where he repeat
ed the programme. In this way he
reaped quite harvest, few save the
hack-drivers and undertakers being
aware of the fact that the performance
was not an accidental one. Johnny al
ways refused to drink if there was q
chance of receiving the price of the
drink instead. 49,. .'ss
Two weeks ago Johnny fell from the
path of rectitude. He attended a num-
Der of funerals one day. and in the
evening returned to his lodging in the
apartments of some friends at No. z
Desbrosses street. Instead of retiring