Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-05-13
SLACK AND HIS PARTNER.
A Story of the Printers Trade

| Slack published q weekly paper.
1t didn't pay. In fact, il seemed a
miracle that 1t managed 10 live with
Slack living off its slack earnings
Whether it ever paid expenses or
not, it's happy golncky proprietor
never knew nor never cared to know.
Slack was the proprietor, pressman.
and book-keeper. He never COM
! planned. When asked on one oc,
casion whether his business paid, be
cheerfully replied Mo- Thank God!'
As an explanation Of this unusual
cause for gratitude, bis reply was
1T it paid somebody would come
along and buy me out
Slack was not lazy. He would
work like dray horse-when the
fit was on him. He was not penu-
rious. When he was overtaken by
an advertising subscriber who vol.
unfairly. paid bis bill in cash, or
when some sudden burst of his talent
as a writer brought him batch of
new readers who goo1-naturedly
paid in advance, he deposited his
wealth in the little, good. natured
bank that managed the finances of
the little good.natured village,
checked against his account and
spent bis money right royalty, until
the little. ole, rusty cashier dropped
in to have chat, and inform Slack
good-natGredly that the thing
wouldn't do His financial victims
were as the leaves of the forest, but
it was not because he intended to
be victimizer. The people of the
community in which he lived were
so good. natured, and Slack was
such good fellow, that it couldn't
be helped. Under the pressure of
threatened bankruptcy he grew
thoughtful and worked the harder
to keep off the blues. Then the
village organ 50 improved in APP.
pearance, that its friends came
promptly to its relief, and the groggy
concern wagged joyfully on its hap.
hazard way.
A fair illustration of the want of
tact of this eccentric editor and pub.
Usher, and the good mature of his
fellow citizens may be epitomized
In the statement that be refused all
contributions in both prose and poe
try, even from rich paying subscri.
bers, and inserted all sorts OF items
of news and brief essays written by
people whom nobody cared about,
with no other apology or excuse than
that the rejected matter didn't suit
him, and the accepted articles did.
Still they took his paper.
A change came DER the spirit of
Stacks dreams from the most unex.
pected quarter you could have mag
Ined. He kept sacred for the benefit
OF that exasperating class of typo
graphic gypsies known as tromps, a
dusty old pair of sort-cases in one
corner of his ill-assorted composing.
room where he always set them at
work, and many were the peripatetic
philosophers who stood before those
cases, wrote their names upon the
wall, got drunk on Stacks ssorders."
slept on his imposing stone, imposed
upon his credulity. and moved on.
Upon the eve of crisis in Stacks
affairs, the tramp came in. He looked
so for all the world like any other
tramp that he scarcely excited the
curiosity of the sore-eyed young man
and the red headed boy who ssstuck
type for old Slack" He said his
name was Theodore Blight, that he
had come long ways and wanted a
Irregular Sit" After which he sat
on the corner of Slack's table, which
seemed very regular thing Tor him
to do, for they all did it. The tramp
behaved SO naturally that Slack did
mt wait to be asked for a chew of
tobacco, but voluntarily produced
the article and handed it over with
the remark, "Yc1 would like a sit.
would your"
eyes; stiddy, if you please" said
Blight, "Fve got tired of knocking
around, and you look as if you need
ed some help. How's business, Cap.?"
"Splendid !" answered s., whose
approaching troubles inclined him to
be sarcastic would you like to
purchase an interest ?"
Nothing daunted by the PROPOSE
ton, the intended victim of this pleas.
antry rolled the quid about in his
mouth in a deliberative manner. and
answered-"Well, don't know ex.
ac,ly as should care to invest right
at once, great deal of capital in the
business.--fuuds not available at
present, tied up, you know, and all
that sort o thing"
"Oh, moneys no object to me at
present." said the reckless Slack
"You might work into it, you know,
and come in when the drawback on
your salary Is. was getting bitterly
sarcastic) will pay for your half. 1t
wouldn't take smart looking young
man ike you long to save up four or
FIVE hundred dollars
"Hum-m, Cap. A thousand dol
lars would be little stiff, wouldn't il?
Say was to assume half the debts =
"Debts, man What are You talk
ing about? Think OF the assets r
eyes. / forgot them. How much
did You say you had on your books,
Cap.?"
"The Lord only knows !" said
Slack, betrayed by the startling ques.
ton into sudden burst of candor.
swell, | guess Wen trade, Cap. :"
said the hardened Blight, as he
pulled his buster and commenced
rolling Up as dirty pair of sleeves
as ever tramp wore.
"Wonld it make any difference to
you," said s., "whether you slept on
the imposing stone, or my writing
table for the next three or four weeks?
Only temporary arrangement, you
know
"Oh. I'm not p'tickler for the pres
ent. Which ever comes handiest. !"