The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-05-10

j met 4 pleasant travelling acquaint-
ence on the way from Sinciairville to
Fredonia. He said he went to hear me
lecture last night; but he couldn't get
a seat, SO he only remained few min
utes. He said to me:
''I am comical man myself: used 10
be right in the business all the time un-
Ill ! lost my voice Tonsils give out, or
something. Oh. yes. Why, I'm on the
road now, travelling, and I'm known all
over the country as the c0mical man of
the road Everybody knows me.
stopped yesterday morning where there
were lot Of Iris!mcn at work, and be-
gan talking to them. Bro@ue business,
you know. Hope to die if they didn't t
all quit work to shake hands with me.
Thought | was just over, you know.
This is the way I paralyzed them, you
know"
And he gave me specimen of Irish
dialect:
''In faith and be iabbers, boys, an
sure an what are yez goin' to do NIT
all off dot mortar undt brickbats?
says to them"
''And that paralyzed the Irishman?' l
asked.
You bet it did," replied the comical
man of the road.
| said | should think it would. be-
]ieved it would paralyzc almost any live
man. In fact / felt little bit numb
myself.
"Oh, yes he went on. ''but dialect
singing used to be my strongest hold?''
He cleared his throat and the pas
sengers began to leave the ear. But
without perpetrating the threatened
outrage, the comical man of the road
went on:
''Now the trouble with Your comical
business is that it is too monotonous.
Now, see, you talk right along an houl
and half, don t you?
meekly admitted my guilt.
''Well, now," said the comical man
of the road, ''you ought to rest once il
a while and have some fellow come out
and sing little. or do some Of this Gia'
variety to your lecture. You can't dc
any dialect, can you"
| said after hearing him l would be
ashamed to try.
''Oh, WE'LL" the comical man of the
road said, with airy encouragement
"you could pick it up with little prac
tlce. DO you sing!
I said that | knew several songs by
sight, but that l sublimely and unset
tishly refrained from singing them il
public.
''Wen," he said, ''you ought to bring
song or two in your lecture, and
you could dance little twouldn't hurt
And right now I'll put you onto a rat
tling good piece of business-the tele
phone business. l saw a commercial
traveller do it down here at Dunkirk
He took hat and talked into it like
telephone-answered himself, you know
- telephone business - Ventriloquism
Are you q ventriloquist?"
| blushed and had TO admit with al
overw helming and mortifying sense o
my deficiencies, that [ was not even
ventriloquist.
s.Too bad" he said. 'Well you ough
to practice up on that, and bring in tha
hat business. That would bring dow
the house better than anything in you
lecture last night. | could do it myself
| used TO be one of the best tventriloquist
in the country until my tonsils collaps
ed. You know me, guess. Why, yo
must have heard of me! My name
Whitby I'm called the comicai man {
the road.
''Good Heaycnsn' I exclaimed, risin
to my feet and taking off my hat 81
this Whitby."
Yes" he said, I'm Whitby. Ill
known as the comical man of the roat
I thought you'd know me! What is you
names"
meckly covered down into my COZ
,,,. ,e Jo md {3oYt,1ll,- ,G7,ri+t,