The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-07-05
A Tramp Printer.

While we were busy getting the press
ready to work off the outside, and wish
ing that, like other people, we could go
to the picnic to morrow without the har-
RAISING consciousness of work neglected,
he walked silently in. We knew him the
moment we raised our eyes and saw him
standing there. In fact, we had been ex
pecting him, he nearly always, God bless
him, comes when we are in Just such a
strait and needing him. He always wears
kind and pant; of anotber-he hasn't any
vest; his shoes are worn and run down
at the heels, and his hat is battered and
dusty. There are spots Of ink about his
shirt, which hangs over his waistband,
and his new paper collar is the only
fresh, white thing about him, and it
looks as though he had just put it on
with soiled fingers. He is pale, weak
eyed and prematurely gray haired; he
looks as though he had never known reg
ular hours, either for sleeping or eating,
and he must have come thousands of
miles, and been coming ever since he
was boy. His starting point was so
far away and SO long az that he has al
most forgotten where or when it was;
but we have an idea it mus. have been
when his mother buttoned his little blue
shirt band around his white, boyish
throat, put on his little straw hat, and
sent him, barefooted, to ask for place
to work in printing Office. How proud
he was when he went homo that first night
and showed his new brass rule, and tells
mother he has Learned all the boxes"
and that he has "free ticket to the cir
Gus next week" and the editor gave him
q big piece OF wedding cake, part of
which he has brought home for the baby,
and if he sets up column IN one day
next week he can 60 fishing on Satu day.
Yes, somewhere about there was the
commencement of this long journey, and
here he is now, perhaps two-thirds on the
way. He asks us whats the show for
sit?" W. give him q case, and by and
by he says he feels faint and asks US il
We can't lend him a quarter--he habit
had any breakfast yet. We know his
weakness" and AZ We need his work we
60 down with him and order some break
fast for him ut the nearest restaurant.
When he comes back he looks happier
and better able to work. In the evening
when he goes to distributing his case, he
recounts the history of his late places of
employment. He knows the circulation
and amount OF business of everv paper
in the state. and just why the Dispatch
suspended, and why the Advance sold
out to the Courier. He is we'll acquainted
with the unknown editor of the Thun.
derer, and has friends on the editorial
force of all the leading journals OF the
country. By and by he whistles low an air
from the Italian opera, and in reply TO .
question answers with Latin quotation.
He stays with us . week. and we grow to
like him more and more every day; he
has read everything, from Shakespeare
and Ruskin to Marx Twain ID Bill Arp;
he knows more about our laws, national
and state, than the best lawyer in the
city; he is we'll acquainted with the life
OF every eminent person OF the age, and
is perfect encyclopedias of current events;
but we cannot afford to keep him any
longer, SO We pay him OF and he again
starts ON his long road that leads-not
to home, for he has has none; not to the
society of intelligent people like him
self, for outside Of the printing Office he
is unknown; maybe back 70 night work
ON some city daily, or il too old and
worn for that, q rapid descent from one
country newspaper 10 another, with
whisky and laudanum ~ companions, to
An unmarked grave by some lonely way
sido.
We expect 10 meet him again when We,
too, have finished our journey here and
stand on the other side Of the cold river.
We wonder sometimes If hs will remem-
Der Ill his long and sorrowful wander