The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-12
OVERWORKEO TOWELS.

OVERWORKEO TOWELS.
An Article of Printers Furniture Usually
Allowed to Wear Out of Its Own Accord.
The towels in Ohio printing offices
must be something different from those
used up here in Wisconsin. An Ohio
printer recently used the office towel to
hang himself with. If a Wisconsin
printer contemplated hanging himself.
the office towel is the last thing that
he would ever think of using. He
would get something that wouldD't
rip. They are all strong enough,
especially those that hayea'e
been washed for five or six months,
but it isn't the right kind of strength
A printing office towel is usually al
lowed to wear out of its own accord.
and if Il washerwOman were to depend
on a printing Office washing To get her
daily bread. She would be obliged 10 60
hungry. When one of these towels has
been used Il fOw years. it looks thin and
careworn, and at last when it can stand
the wear and tear no longer, the fore
man appoints Il committee of one to
take the remains and see that they are
decently buried in the alley. 1t Is safe
10 say that if printers only chance Of
CTing was by hanging himself with the
cflice towel. be would live to 6e a very
cid man. The odor arising from one
Of these towels has been known to put
people TO sleep, but no harm has ever
resulted from them. CompOsitOrs
o IN "a
that has already seen It's best days, get
used to its little peCuliarities and over
look them, but outsiders invariably
swear that there is dead dog some
where on the premises. A certain
Wisconsin editor, who was 4 tender
hearted sort of man, once took COM
usssiOn on his office towel that had
stood BY hip through thick and thin
since he first started in business and
nade up his ntind to have it washed.
He took it down gently, wrapped it up
in an exchange, and conscious that he
WAS doing an act of Kindness started
with a light heart in the direction of
his home. As he moved along. he
noticed people staring at him while a
look of pity would come into their
eyes. He stepped into drugstore on
his way home to purchase some chloride
of lime, that his wife had requested
him to get, and he wondered why the
druggist kept muttering Poor fellow.
TO himself. He began to grow nervous,
but couldn't tell why. On getting into
the street car, everybody looked him
over. and then edged away, as though
they were afraid of him. AT last, he
could stand it no longer, and went out
to the platform with the driver. Fora
moment there was silence, and then
the driver whirlcd around as though
he had been shot, held his nose between
his fingers, and in an injured tone ex-
claimed. '.Be the powers, mon. twhat
have YOU on your close? It smells as
if We had been dead for month, an
list been dug up. so it does. Then for
the first time the editor remembered
the office towel and explained to the
driver how long he had had 1t, and how
he was going to try and bring 1t back
TO life aoain. The driver looked ut
him for n moment. as though un-
decided how to act, and then as the
gentle breeze greeted his nOStrils from
the direction of the towel, he put on
the brakes and in dynamite accents ex-
claimed: Get off this car. sur: want
We to distinctly understand. sur, that
am gintleman, even if l do dhrive
mules. sur. Furthermore. sur. if We
ever get on my car again. I'll have YOU
arristed for a nuisance" The editor
went home with a sad heart, and with
the help of his wife buried the towel in
the back yard. The next day he pur-
chased new one, but the change was
so great in the climate OF the office. that
he was obliged to put a piece OF linz
burger in his desk till the new towel
began to show signs of decay.-Pec'es
Sun.