Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-01-21

ne look seat at the desk and attack
ed the remains of my lunch When
ne had eaten the last crumb he picked
his teeth with the editorial pen, peeled
off his old coat, and commanded:
Boy, hunt me up job stick.
/ obeye@, and as he took it he walk
ed over to the rack, slung in two or
three lines of display type, and then
stepped to the small plea case and set
up the body of q circular reading:
he HAS ARRIVED
THE WORLD RENOWNED PROF. PETERS!
Prof Peters has engaged Sydneys hall for the
evening of SEPT. % 1853 Tomorrow evening), and
will give the citizens of GARNER City an exhibi-
ton of his wonderful powers in ventriloquism,
mesmerism and PIN enology. Will initiate the
notes Of all birds. Will sp ak to you in sixteen
mesmerize any person in the audience. Can read
your character by feeling OF your beard Viii
forfeit $500 if he tails in single case Medals
from all the crowned heads of Europe. Flatter-
ing press notices from the leading newspapers of
the world Ever body turn out. Admission Is
cents. Children free.
He placed this matter on galley.
pulled a proof and corrected it, and
then cut lot Of print paper to the
right size and said to me:
''Get the roller and roll for me-"
I complied, and he worked off 200
of the circulars. He was not only a
good compositor, but be wrestled that
old hand press around like man who
had never done anything else. When
we had finished he said:
''Take the tin pail and get me a
quart of beer Tell 'em to charge it
10 the Office"
I was afraid of the man, and I got
the beer and paid for it out of my
own money. He drank the whole
quart with only one breath.
Nov, then, take these circulars out
and distribute 'en," he said, as he
put away the pail. ''Be a good boy
and I'll give you two tickets to this
great entertainment"
That was inducement enough, and
in two hours, with the help of another
hoy, had billed the town. When I
returned, the "bum" had washed up,
combed his hair, and had on a new
suit of clothes. He had gone to a
clothier's and bought them and had
them charged to the Office, claiming
that ne had been engaged as foreman.
Further than that, he had been and
engaged the hall. / had been back
only five minutes when the booty
compositor came in. He had scarcely
entered the door when the s'bum" rose
up. waved him back, and tragically
exclaimed:
Go hence! This is no place for the
depraved! How dare you enter my
Office IN your present conditionW
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. I had heard that somebody
held mortgage on the Office, and It
struck me that this must be the mans
agent. L 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
compositor arrived the "bum" select
ed copy for him, and bossed him
around, and there was no rebellion.
He wrote and set up several edi orials
himself, made up the outside pages of
the paper IN neat manner, and
worked off two jobs, for which 1875
cash was paid In. During the day
two subscribers paid in 81, and all the
money went into the strangers pocl-
eft
The editor was to be gone two DAYS,
and the man took such complete
possession that we believed In his
right, and did not kick. During the
day he got a hat and a new pair of
boots the same way he got the clothes
and he drank three quarts of beer ut
our expense.
Prof. Peters circulars filed Say
der's hall that evening to overfow,ng
and ii was the old bum who stood at
the door and took the money. When
the last person had passed IN, the
doorkeeper slid into darkness, and the
people sat there nalf an hour before
they realized that they had been dup
ed. Then grand man hunt was or
ganized, but it was too late. The bum
had stolen a skiff and dropped down
the river, just about $3.50 ahead of
our town.