The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-11-04
Adam Himself Speaking

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4 porter, ssthat If the ghost ever anneare1
IN my bedroom again, I would overcome
my fears and speak to it, instead Of bury
Ing my head under the covers, as / dit
| the first time. Well, sir. sure enough
the next night, exactly at eleven. I heart
faint noise by the bed, and looked
around. There sat the specter In chair
]. sat right up and said, with some firm
ness, although my voice trembled:
'Who are you?''
q am nobody in particular now sal,
the ghost, shut I was ADAM
ssAdam who?':
Had no family name. There was bn
I one family OF US, and they all knew me
l was the first man, you know. 70,
must have heard Of me.''
Eyes, indeed said the reporter.
I'm sorry I can't shake hands, sal,
the ghost, "but you might as we'll try {,
shake hands with a fog bank as with me
It's not sociable, I know, but 1 cant hell
"Never mind,'' said the reporter, SIN
q ad to see you just the same"
Your name is johnson, amt it2'
asked the specter.
No, my name is Jackson replied
the reporters
s'PshaW!" said the ghost. 81 was look.
ing for q man named johnson; but nv
eYesight is so bad that I couldn't read
yonr door-plate distinctly. The worst
i, too, can't wear spectacles; nothing
is substantial enough to hitch them to-
wish some of you people would invent
an eye-glass that can be worn by near
sighted ghosts. You would confer gen
ulne benetactlon upon the folks in the
other world.''
"What was your business with John
son2 Perhaps ! can
well, in the first place, understand
| that he IS one of a committee appointed
to get up statue of me for the CITY of
Elmlla. | have been in to see that stat
ue, and l want to ask johnson where he
got the idea that used to wear a straw
hat and side whiskels. want to know
also. what authority he has for givin
me a Roman nose2"
"HMn't you one of that kind9n
"Why, man, the Romans hadn't in
troduced that variety of nose in nv time.
And johnson has had me represented
with huge serpent lying at nv feet.
Now. what was the use OF bringing up
painful "reminiscences OF that kind9 WHY
not let the matter drop? Hanged il /
like itr' s.
SITS an outraged
Between ourselves" said the spectre.
locking his misty fingers over his knee.
II don't think much Of the state business
anyhow. Do you know what thew did,
Too stingy to make fresh piece Of sculp.
ture out OF piece ofmarble, they bought
up . second hand statue of BENJAMIN
Franklin at auction, and hired a man to
work It ever into me. Doesn't lsok a
particle like me. And, anyhow, Frank
lin was no kind Of a man to make me
out OF Greenbacker or something, was
not he?"
'sWe consider him quite respectable. J,
Another thing want with johnson
is to see if I can't make arrangements
with some reliable spiritulast1c medium.
I've beeu crowded out in the cold for
about q, 600 years, with 40 chance to par
ticipate in anything. Now, I'm the man
that started this world. gave it send
of, and it really does seem hard that I
can't even express my views in a news
paper, or defend myself from this cal.
jimmy, just because happen to be dead;
now, doesn't it?''
every hard, but we didn't think YOU
took any interest in such things.n
Certainly. I often feel as If I'd like
to express an opinion about the tariff. or
the elections, or the buzzard dollar. or
popular education, or something Of that
kind; and then, of course, Eve wants to
hear all about the fashions. 1w1sh there
was some way for ghost to save little
money, so that I'D subscribe to fashion
journal or two, just to quiet her. Do YOU
know OF anything / could get at2''
GLOW would it do to make an enpaoe-
ment at the theater to appear as the
ghost OF Hamlet's father or the ghost of
Banquo."
sit doesn't strike me very favorably. II
might be considered rather undigni6ed
in the father Of the race to be hanging
around among econe- shifters and fiddlers.
Besides, they have too much light on the
stage for me; can't get into shape I'M
less there IS absolute darkness. And
then, you know, I'd be exposed to insult.
When we hear cock crow we are oblip-
ed to fit. Now, suppose that right In
the middle of a performance some miser-
able boy should crow. Even if I knew
that it was a false alarm sh ould be 40
unnerved that could not go on; but
most likely I'd vanish as soon as / heard
it from force of habit. No, the PROPOSE
ton does not strike me. Seems unfair.
though, don it, that the man who owned
the earth can't call dollar his own2',
"1f small loan will be of any fserylce
to you, will gladly . said the repor-
ter.
You're mighty kind; but here, YOU
see, we encounter another difficulty.
Wherein going to put dollar when /
get it2 | haven't q pocket that'll hold q |
cent. Young man, ghost has no chance
at all. Keep out of the business as l55ng
as you CAM
The reporter said he should.
And now | really must be going. The
sun rises SO disgustingly early this time |
Of the year. / think I shall 90 around
to morrow night and haunt johnson. If I
can find him. If you should happen to I
see him wish you'd just mention It to [
him, 50 as to prepare his mind. People
are always scarey at first with US. Per