Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-07-03


From Texas siftings.
Patrick Nelson lives near Perry,
Mo. He is an old bachelor who
spent the early part of bis life hurt
ing whales among the icebergs of the
Arctic ocean. His memory is we'll
stored with many exciting tales Of
naval battles and wonders Of the sea.
A few days ago he invited Chicago
drummer to come into his little cabin
and help him brush the cobwehs of
of q half dozen bottles of native
wine, that had been lying in his cell
lar for several years.
They brushed off the cohwebs and
broke off the necks of the bottles,
while the modest commercial tourist,
with deep and abiding interest,
listened to the thrilling biography of
''the female sailor,' as related by
his host. He had an appointment up
at Perry at eleven o'clock, and think
ing it was ABOUT that time Of day,
asked Uncle Paddy if he had a ehro-
nometer about the castle.
swell, yis; I have a clock; and
be jabbers it is as good one as ever
regulated the rising Of the morning
SUM-" Look there" said he, point
ing stick towards a corner OF the
room.
The experienced hotel critic fol-
lowed with his eyes the direction in
which the stick pointed, and with a
perplexed look remarked:
"There is somthing wrong with
your clock it is not right
eyes. but it is. / took il to
pieces to doctor it, and be accident
l put the face on upside down"
"Ah, see, but still 1T is not
right, for your hour hand points to
six, and it must be near twelve"
"You are wrong, it is jist fifteen
minutes to eleven. You don't un-
derstand that clock. Let me ex-
plain"
"Please be as clear and concise as
possible, for the thing has begun to
puzzle me-"
swell, now, pay attention; the
face is upside down, and when /
went to put the hands on, / made
mistake. put the short hand on
the pivot that belongs to the min
ute hand, and viee versa. Do you
see %
"Hold on, Paddy,go over it again."
"Well, l wanted to set her at q
quarter past five, SO I put the short
hand at a quarter past, but you see
the face being upside down it point
ed to nine, then 1 made the minute
hand point to eleven. You see /
made a mistake %
paddy, that wine must have
been very, very DID,"
"She's pretty stout, but you
ought to be able TO tell the time Of
day be me clock. Let me explain
again."
"No Paddy, don't do it. With
the face upside down, and the short
hand where the long hand ought to
be, fear for my head, IL l UNDER
take to solve the problem.
Take another glass Of wine and
brace up. I'll give it to you aisy,
and if ye feel your mind going, tell
me, and I'll drop an anchor"
"Weli, 60 ahead. but 1 have a
presentment that yon are going to
, set me crazy"
Snow, the hour hand is at six, and
, the minute hand is five minutes after
, three. Well, sir, that means that il
il jiss ten minutes to eleven. Dc
, you understand it p
: ''Paddy, never did you any
! harm, and cannot see why YOU are
trying to destroy my mind"
''Aisy lad. When it is a quarter
before nine by this clock it is siz
| O'Clock in the evening, and when by
: this clock it is nine O'Clock in ths
, day, then it is five O'Clock at night
D You see the long hand is where th,
n short one ought to be, and the shor
q hand is where the long one should
d be, and the face is upside down.
a With howl of desperation th'
It poor drummer spraDg out at tht
q door, and ran towards q doctor
office. His friends found him dow
in the Mississippi swamps, wadin,
through the marshes, and in answe
4 to the melodious believing of tn
i bull frogs, he was repeating in Low
y and solemn tones: 'sThe face is up
| side down, and the long hand Il
!. where the short one ought to be-
d He spent short season in apriyat'
asylum, and after that hal TO com
,e mence with the multiplication tabl'
N and the first reader.
ie Cart Do Without IL.
d VERONA, No., June "a. '3I.-Ms