Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-02
Rlno Men.

Nature has mode white, black, yellow, |
red, and brown men, but she has reserved
the rest Of her palette for objects other
than men. She uses enormous quantities
Of green in painting her grass and her
trees, but she has never given us a green |
man. One Of her most popular and sue
cessful birds is the bluebird, but she has !
never tried the experiment Of making a
blue woman. Such blue persons as we
may meet from time to time are the work |
Of art, not Of nature, and they are univer-
sally regarded as uncalled-for and inexeu-
sable. m 30. .. 4nl.tn.
Occasionally a man of a deep-blue COM
plexion makes his appearance in public
and attracts general and unfavorable com
ment Old New Workers win remember
the blue man who, twenty-five years ago,
was contemporary with those now vanish.
cd institutions, the Lime-kiln Man, and
'Fourcent MAN. People said that the
blueness Of the Blue Man was due to his
excessive use Of nitrate Of silver, and there
were few who took the trouble to question
this explanation. But who, on reflection,
ever is addicted to nitrate Of silver, either
as beverage or an article Of diet? Used
in either way il would be hotter than the
soup at railway restaurant--far too hot,
in fact, to be assimilated by any one but a
salamander. Still, it is possible, that in
some obscure scientific way, nitrate Of sill
yer can be introduced into the.human sto-
mach, with the blue consequences popular
ly attributed 10 it. There is, however
blue man now living in the suberbs Of st,
Louis, who never looked upon nitrate OF
silver, and the origin OF whose blueness is
perfectly well known to wide circle Of
his townsmen. The story Of this unfortu-
nate man suggests possible explanation
Of all other casual blue men who have
from time to time appeared in different
parts Of the country.
Everybody in east st. Louis knows, by
reputation, Mr.. Kellner-of Kelner &
Schwartz-the eminent dyer. He is a
worthy but obstinate man, and is Of poor,
but German origin. When he once re-
ceives prejudice against a man, he can
never be induced to overcome it. Long
ago he conceived a most violent prejudice
against Mr.. Walker, who is, according to
| the testimony Of his friends, a really unob-
| iectionable young man. The facts seem to
be that Mr.. Walker some years ago was
overheard by Mr.. Kellner, in the act of
speaking in disrespectful terms Of the from
bone, an instrument to which Mr.. Kelner
has been for years unhappily and habitual-
ly addicted. Greatly outraged by what he
considered an indirect attack on his repu.
tation, Mr.. Kellner Indignantly told Mr..
| Walker that he was seOundrel, and tor
bade him ever to cross bis threshold.
This prohibition was an extremely pain
full thing to Mr.. Walker. He had been
for some months warm admirer OF Miss
Kellner, and had been accustomed to
spend three evenings In week in her So
ciety Knowing the inexorable character
Of the indignant dyer, he foresaw that he
must either abandon the young lady alto
gether or resort to strategy and deception.
Being naturally astraightforward and hon
est man, he greatly disliked TO deceive
even an unreasonable father, but he Welded
70 necessity and the imporious nature of
his passion. ",. ,-
In accordance with system OF clandes.
tine interviews under cover of darkness, IN
the back yard, Mr. Walker met the dyer's
daughter three weeks ago, at about nine
o'clock in the evening. The latter had So
eretly issued from the back door, and her
lover was awaiting her under the shadow
OF the projecting caves Of the wash-house.
A large tub and long plank happened to
be conveniently at hand, and, placing the
plank across the tub, the youthful pair sat
down to sweet converse. The plank was a
half-inch one, and seemed to be sufficient
ly strong to bear the weight of two persons,
with large margin OF safety. When,
however, the weight Of Mr.. Walker and
Miss Kellner was concentrated on the pre-.
else center Of the plank--that Is to say, i'm
medlately over the middle Of the tuba
contingency which the maker Of the plank
did not have IN view, occurred The
plank first bent and then broke, and Mr..
Walker falling backward, was plunged,
head and shoulders, in the contents Of the
tub. With great presence of mind he kept
the young lady's head out Of danger, but
he could not prevent her from assuming a
sitting position with her lap partly sub
merged.
The moment the unfortunate lovers az.
fected their release, the lady fed into the
house and Mr.. Walker climbed the fence,
the charge from old Mr.. Kellner's shotgun
happily failing to hlt him. He went home
and as soon as he had lit the gas, he was
Mortified TO find that his face, hair, neck,
and hands were dyed deep and brilliant
blue. When he realized the fact that he
had fallen into cub full OF Mr.. Kelner's
understandable Ultramarine Blue" he fell
back upon chair, feeling that he was a
ruined man.
OF course, he tried every means to wash
away the stain, but soap and hot water
were in vain, He remembered Mr.. Kell.
ner's boast, that hisdyes could not be wash.
ed out, and he gave up the attempt. He
sought out a faithful friend who was ia
miliar with water-oolors, and implored his
aid The friend could give Kim no hope.
He did, indeed, offer to cover Mr. Walkers
face with a film Of transparent yellow,
which would have the effect OF changing
his tint from blue to a deep and beautiful
green, but this handsome offer was do.
elined, So, too, Mr.. Walker refused to
call on Mr., Kellner and ask him for some
chemical which would remove the blue. 70
do this would have been to implieate Miss
kellner 10 IN indisereet though innocent
act. Mr.. Walker preferred 10 70 to blue
aud lonely grave rather than to incur the
slightest risk OF injuring the reputation Of
his adored one.
Physicians are divided in opinion as to
whether Mr.. Walker will fade In course Of
years. 50 far his color IS pre-eminently
fast, and neither water sunlight, nor
sulphurQus acid has the slightest effect up
on II, Fortunately Mr.. kellner has never
learned the truth, and imagines that Mk
Walker has left town, driven away by re-
morse for having blasphemed the from
bone. The story IS, Of course, very mel