The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1882-04-06

WHO Is tlat sad-lool,ing man whom
I saw sitting in the next room, as Icame
through" said Mr, Jones to the man
aging editor
''Ehat? that is Lawson, our substitute
editor
F.iNa hat is c-{That are the functions
OF that kind Of au editor?''
ny, you know, we employ Lawson
to shoulder G;sagreeable consequences
Of a}i 3.inds. When we go for anybody
until outraged nature can no longer
stand it, the injured man calls and we
show him in and let him kick Lawson"
''But / don't exactly understand
how
Why, you sec, the man comes hero
and asks to see the managing editor.
The boy at The door knows, from the
FIRE in his eye, what he wants, ard he
t;il11s him into L:sNson's room. There
is :, brief scrimma-e and about quar-
ter Of an i.ojsr later Lawson saunters in
here with lis handkerchief to his nose to
say tila. his salary really must be raised.
he ! very useful man. BY concen-
tIa'jn al tha storms on him, the regu-
lar sl;tit IS allowed to have perfect peace
aft security. lie is cowfided once or
twice 4 week. ;la,. knocked down even
oI5aner. iie have the iioor in there
p1si5io'! Oh purpose to make it as COM
Portable rs possible. He don't mind IN
ordinary logging SO much, but the man
has a strange disinclination to be shot
at; possibly because he has three bullets
IN his legs and y two-ounce slug encysted
somewhere in his interior department.
<I5at Lawson don't mind his ordinary
duties rs much rs you would think We
turn in all the bores upon him. Hec COM
mands large salary because he is deaf
AS d post, and i bore who would setm
crazy leaves him in a condition of un-
ruifled caimness. All the poets who
come here are sent to his Eoom. One of
theln'll sit there and read to Lawson a
poem in forty-two stanzas, and Lawson'n
sit there smiling blandly, just as if he
heard it all, and then he'll compliment
the writer and bow him and his manu-
script out with charming grace and ease.
lie makes mistakes sometimes, to be
sure. The other day a man read him q
speech which the man wanted to pay for
inserting in the paper, Lawson thought
it WAS poem, and he told the man, in
the usual formula, that he was sorry our
advertising was pressing us SO just now
that we couldn't obige him, and the
man went up the street and published it
IL the HcTUiG. A dead loss to us of
about forty dollars; but Lawson is too
valuable to be discharged for single
blunder like that.
'EWheneyer there's an excursion on g.
dangerous part Of a new railroad, or
trial trip Of q steamboat that we are
doubtful about, we always send Lawson
to represent the staff. He has been
blown up twice on the river and has
been dropped eight times through de-
fectiye trestie-bridge, besides participant
ing il a couple of boilerexplcsions. We
could hardly run this office safely if we
didn't have Lawson
''lIe struck me as looking rather lew
spirited y
$50 he IS. He has naturally strong
constitution; but he is gradually break
ing down under the strain, | am afraid,
and is going to die early. Il weighs on
his mind. lie had q terrific fight with
an indignant politician last summer Just
after he mad tested basket of rather
unripe cantaleupes, and have noticed
that he has been gloomy ever since"
just then the subdued noise Of an al
tercation WAS heard in the adjoining
room; there was I; pistol shot and bull
let came Whizzing through the partition,
passing close TO Mr.. Jones's head.
whats that?n asked Jones'
''Lawsor's having q tussel with Nell
vaine, the Democratic candidate for
Common Council. We cut Mcllvaine
up in to-day'S Issue. l thought he'd
call. Boy!' exclaimed the editor, ''run
for policemaur'
Then the sounds died away and ten
minutes later: when Mr.. Jones went out,
he saw the policeman and two other
men carrying Lawson to the hospital on
stretcher, whereupon the managing
editor said:
"We'li have to let up on McIlvaine
for 4 day or two till Lawson has time to
recupcrate''