The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-20
THE TRAMP PRINTER.
TExchanRa1

[ had been " devil in the BagLev office, in a town in Iowa, about four months when the editor was one day called away. The man who was acting as c0mpositor, pressman, job printer, col lector, solicitor and 90 forth, seized the opportunity to go of on a spree, and was thus left in sole charge. Just after dinner, as was washing the roller and cleaning up generally, in walked the frs. old "printer bum"I had ever seen. The duds on his back weren't worth a silver quarter, his hair was long and un- kempt, his face covered with dirt and bristles, and his breath scented the room. He was ragged, dirty, homeless and pen niless, and had been let out of the county jail, eight miles away, that morning.
 Howdy, boy" he said as he came in and without second glance at me he took seat at the desk and attacked the remains of my lunch. When he had eaten the last crumb he picked his teeth with the editorial pen, peeled his coat, and commanded:
 Boy, hunt me up job stick" obeyed, and as he took it he walked over to the rack, slung in one or two lines of display type, and then stepped to the small pica case and set up the body of a circular reading:
 He has arrived. The world renowned Pro. l lesser Peters! Ventriloquistl Mesmerist Phrenologist! Professor Peters has engaged Snyder's. hall for the evening of September 22, 1868 (te morrow evening1 and will give the citizens of Garner City an exhibition of hls wonderful powers in ventriloquism, mesmer- ism and phrenology. Will initiate the notes of all birds. Will speak to you in sixteen languages. Will wager $Ioo to $ that he can inesmerize any person in the audience. Can read your character by feeling your head, Will forfeit $500 if he fails in single case. Medals from all the crowned heads of Europe. Flattering press notices from the leading newspapers of the world. Every. body turn out. Admission only as cents. Children free.
 He placed this matter on a galley, pulled proof and corrected it, and then cut lot of print paper to the right size, and said to me:
 Get up the roller and roll for me"
 l complied, and he worked eff 200 of the circulars. He was not only a good compositor, but he wrestled the old hand. press around like man who had never done anything else. When he had fin. ished, he said:
 "Take the tin pail and get me a quart of beer. Tell lem to charge it to the of- 6ce."
 Twas afraid of the man, and got the beer and paid for it out of my own money. He drank the whele quart with only one breath.
 "Now, then, take these circulars out and distribute 'em," he said, as he pu, away the pail Be good boy and i'll give you two tickets to this great enter tainment."
 That was inducement enough, and in two hours. with the help of another boy, had billed the town. When returned, the :" bum" had washed up, combed hls hair, and had on new suit of clothes. He had gone to clothier's and bought them, and had them charged to the office, claiming that he had been engaged as foreman. Further than that, he had been and engaged the hall. had been back only five minutes when the boozy com positor came in. He had scarcely en. tered the door, when the bum "rose up, waved him back, and tragically ex. claimed:
 "Go hence This is no place for the depraved. How dare you enter my office in Jour present condition2'
 The comp" backed down stairs drunker than ever, and after the stranger had questioned me as to when the editor would return, he went to the hotel and engaged the best room. l had heard that somebody had mortgage on the office, and it struck me that this must be the mans agent. was young and green, and had never seen display of tramp printers gall.
 Next morning he took possession of the office. When the now sobered compost. tor arrived the bum " selected copy for him, and bossed him around, and there was no rebellion. He wrote and set up several editorials himself, made up the outside pages of the paper in neat man. ner, and worked of two jobs for which $375 cash was paid in. During the day two subscribers paid in S4, and all the money went into the strangers pocket.
 The editor was to be gone two days, and the man took such complete posses sion that we believed in his right and did not kick. During the day he got hat and new pair of boots the same way he got the clothes, and he drank three quarts of beer ar our expense.
 Professor Peters circulars filled Sny- der's hall that evening to overflowing, and it was the old "bum" who stood at the door and took the money. When the last person had passed in the doer- keeper slid into the darkness and the people sat there for half an hour before they realized that they had been duped. Then a grand man hunt was organized, but it was too late. The "bum had stolen skiff and dropped down the river, just about SI5o ahead of our town.