The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-03
PRESENCE OF MIND.
Biu Nyess Unlimited stock of Cool
ness in Great Emergencies.
TOrf0fnaI1
NEW York,

Bill Nyess Unlimited Stock of Cool
ness in Great Emergencies.
[original]
Presence Of mind IS a very rare quality
indeed. How few of these we meet, though
apparently cool and perfectly self-possessed,
know just what to do in an emergency. It
is good thing to have an active mind well
stored with useful knowledge. but sometimes
&c Is better to have a less expansive style of
mind, and have it calm and unruf1ed at g.
Enoment when it is needed.
friend Of mine once put large red
poker chip in the church plate by mistake.
Few people would have known what to do;
but he just went to the pastor after the SER
vices were over and said he had the money
with which to redeem that chip. He told
the minister that the chip was worth S. up
town, and he would cash it at that price.
The preacher took the SIS, and said he ale
ways knew that these little red souvenirs
came high, but he didn't know they were so
expensive as that.
Another friend of mine who had no pres
ence of mind whatever, went to picnic and
by mistake sat down on baby that was
asleep under shawl in the shade of an um-
brageous tree, breaking its nose-the child's
nose, mean. He was candidate for the
Legislature and did not wish to offend the
mother or lose the vote of the father, SO he
tried to turn the thing off as joke by say
ing he didn't nose it was there.
He was terribly showed under at the polls,
and he deserved it too.
am rather cool in great emergency.
Some years ago there was shooting affray
in front of my office which terminated ia
tally, and no doubt it would have been still
more so if it had not been for my cool self
possession and undaunted courage.
The city editor, Mr.. Barrow, was just
reading me column puff in type of new
bank, and was carefully revising his
grammar, with a large mallet and chisel,
when we heard shot in front of the office
said, Barrow, that's a shot" He said
he guessed not, and went on reading the puff.
Pretty soon some one said ''Bangll" again.
In loud tone of voice and about 44-cali-
Der. Then everybody jumped for the stairs,
printers and all. I saw that could not get
down the stairs in time to get shot, so I
rushed out on the balcony and fonnd N.Y.
self directly over the shootists. Windy
Smith was underneath and had no weapon,
while gambler was on top, armed with
beautiful pearl-handed, self cooking Smith
and Wesson baritone soloist, worth about
$23, including freight
There was a crowd of perhaps a hundred
men standing around near by. Not too
near but just near enough, No one seemed
to know what it was best TO do. Every one
saw at once that it wasn't right for those
men to be shooting each other and perhaps
giving needless pain, but no one seemed to
have any presence of mind. That was the
state of things when L came proudly forth
upon the balcony. l saw what must be done.
Gentlemen" said l, in tones that rang
out like bugle-call, ''take that mans gun
away. Can't you see that if you don't dis.
arm the gambler he is going to kill some one"
Then there was a slight pause, during which
every body seemed to be perfectly willing
that the gambler should be disarmed. FL
nally seeing that each man seemed to be
waiting for the other, 1 called to tall, slim
man who stood right under me and told him
him to take away the gamblers revolver;
but he said ''No;" he was only stranger in
town, and the gambler was total stranger
to him. He wasn't acquainted with any
one, and he didn't want TO seem officious.
But didn't lose my self control I kept
calling on different ones to disarm the gam
bier until finally BaswelI, the sheriff, came
along, and ne did as suggested.
OF course Smith died of his wounds, but
remember the thousands of other lives in
the town that were saved by this cool. brave
act. And still 1 would do it right over
again if the circumstances were the same.
Some of my friends say that, though
brave, am a little rash. One dear friend
Who knows me best, and who is very closely
related to me, by marriage, says that am
8, rash that would crush in where angels
+ ar to tread" 1 wonder if she means any
,..ing personal by that. BILL NYE
hudson, Wis,