The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-22
A WOMAN OF PROMINENCE.
The Claims of Dead Wife to the Attention
of Reporter.

of Reporter.
Brooklyn Eagle.
kin you send reporter around to my
house to do a send off" asked middle aged
man approaching the cashier with a visage
in which timidity and cheek were curiously
blended.
What kind of a send Off When is it?'
demanded the cashier.
Its plant, and it comes off tomorrow
afternoon" replied the stranger. "To-mor-
row at sharp we are going to plant my
wife, and l promised her that l would have a
reporter present and long article about the
way it was done. She was great stickler for
such things when she was alive, and ! want
her to have the right thing now she has gone
up the f1ume. Kin you send one around%'
WAS she a prominent womanP' inquired
the cashier. 1--WE don't often send reporters
to write up the funerals of private citizens
unless there is something particularly inter
esting about the person or the exercises. Did
l understand you that she was a very promi-
nent woman?'
well, Mister, there was times when she
was the most prominent woman in our end
of the town. There was times when she was
the only citizen that could stay anywhere
around where she was. There was times
when she would keep every reporter that
ever was born as busy as a tramp at free
lunch, and if that prominence isn't quite up
to your pitch there was times when if she'd
for her, you'd have done it, or it would have
taken all the rest of the employees around
this building to have found where you went
out. Is that prominence enough for a re-
porter to write something about the send-off
tomorrow
That's very we'll, as far as it goes" replied
the cashier, in a sympathetic voice. But
what part did she seem to take in public
affairs that would warrant us in believing
that the public is interested in her obsequies?'
part What part did she take? Was you
ever in the vicinity when there was any
public affairs going on that Sue felt an in
terest III? Was you ever located where you
could look on in safety when that interest
of hern began to take grip? l guess you
couldn't have been, partner by the questions
you ask about that woman"
But who was she? What did she do?
What was her particular line?'
Mister, it's hard to tell who she wasn't
when she got started Sometimes she was q
buzz-saw; sometimes l thought she was in
tended Tor steam triphammer; there was
other times when she was an an electric
light wire. That's who she was As to what
she did Pll refer you to the walls and build
ings around where she lived. The marks is
there You can see for yourself. Her line
lay right through the middle of whatever
was going on. She went into every thing
that visited the neighborhood and when she
came out of it she left hole that there was
no installing. Is that prominence enough
for a reporter to kim around tomorrow and.
say word for the way we give her the grand
launch?'
81 don't see yet that she was of enough i'm
portance for the public to take any interest
in her funeral" argued the cashier.
"P'raps not, sighed the bereaved, "P'raps
not. There Is them who never having
knowed her wouldn't think, to see her in her
twelve-dollar coffin, that she ever run our
section of the town right up a tree and stood
under it and threw bricks at it until it
dropped down again. 1 don't know how i'm
portant people has got to be to have a re-
porter at the wake, but l kin tell you that
it's id lucky for you that she pegged out
before me-"
81 don't see what I've got to with that"
smiled the cashier
''If she'd come around here for reporter
to be present at my plant, and you'd given
her the game you been giving me you might
never realize what you had to do with it,
but them as looked on in awe while you and
she was figuring it out would have had to
send reporter somewhere, that is if your
belonging around these premises is likely to
put you in the light of being in any way
prominent. Now, you hear me-"
"Well, Phi think it over" muttered the
cashier eff think it amounts to anything
in the way of an item, I'll see that the paper
is represented"
That's all right" growled the mourner,
turning reluctantly toward the door. If
you don't send reporter there tomorrow,
and you have one or two whose time is
heavy on their hands, you'd do well to send
them somewhere to render thanks that you
never knowed the deceased. L don't know"
he continued musingly, 'if she's where she
can hear this conversation, she's liable to
get right out of her coffin and come
down here and hold the funeral services
right on your shirt collar! If you see a
ghost hop in at any time between now and
dark and commence to slam the delights out
of the institution without offern' any reason
for the circus, you may know that the de-
parted knows what's going on in this world
and is still prepared to take hand in where
an odd hand appears to be wanted! Good-by,
Mister"
And with this direful suggestion the be-
| reaved took his line of march to the neigh
| boring saloon, bordering the elements in
I digenous to sufficient prominence to secure
the attendance of a reporter at a plant.