St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-10
LONG-NOSED JERRY
Tells of Half Dollar that Made a
Journey Around the World.

IHere lNeu III 5000, Me-, many years
ago, man named Jerry Coldridge, who
had an unearthly long nose. This ex-
tended probOSciS troubled him so much
that he made VOW that when he met
man who had a longer one he would
present him with silver half-dOllar,
with the proviSo that the man who got
the halt-dollar was to do likewise when
he came across man who was superior
IN this line to himself, says the New
York Press.
When Jerry appeared in public he
was greeted with all kinds of compli-
mentS upon the size OF his nose, and it
got TO be a common thing for him to be
saluted with, Hello, Jerry; hOw's
your f0rehead?" or, "Well, pump
handle, how do you wag to-day?' and
kindred remarks.
from among the Maine lakes it took
particular delight in crossing the end
of Jerry's probosciS, painting it gar
net red and making it tingle like
carpenters thumb hit with a hammer.
,Ierry'S friends advised him to have a
fur muff made to carry his horn in, and
told him that he should take service
with the government as Il fog signal.
One day Jerry went to Portland, and
when he returned he was greeted with
"Old plow-share, what have you turned
up t0-day?"
Well" said Jerry, quivering with
excitement and joy, Il have seen man
in Portland who had a longer nose than
have"
'Impossible," saidhis friends; "there
isn't such another nose Oh the face of
the earth"
''All right" said Jerry. "If you don't
believe me will exhibit the document
to prove it," At this he produced re-
ceipt which read:
Received from jeremiah Coldridge so cents
III consideration of having a longer nose
than he has. JAHEs BALLARD.
That half-dollar." said Jerry, ''has
gone to Smyrna on merchantman, and
I'll tell you how it happened: | went
to hotel to get my dinner, and as | sat
down at the table saw man sitting
opposite me who gazed at me with what
L took to be an nSolent stare. When
got good look at him / forgot my de-
fOrmity, and Immediately reached my
hand across the table and said:
Shake, neighbor, | believe owe you
80 cents"
"'How's that?' says he.
We'll, " says l, Il made VOW that
if ever met a man who had longer
nose than l have would give him
half-dollar. provided he would sdo the
whose nose discounted his At
once the. whole dining room was
in an uproar Of laughter, and the
stranger said: It's a bargain Pull ing
out his note book he wrote the receipt
and gave him a half dollar. / after
ward learned he was captain of a
packet ship outward bound for Smyrna,
Syria"
After this Jerry had peace about his
long nose, and the silver half dollar was
taken by Capt. Ballard to Smyrna.
There it was turned over to an English
mate of an East Indiaman bound
through the SueZ canal to Madras. The
EngliShman carried it fol several years,
and finally landed in San Francisco,
where he, having hard streak of luck,
enlisted in the United States regular
army, and went up among the Black
feet Indians, near Fort Benton, where
he was made prisoner.
After being tortured i'll every con-
ceivable way by the Indians, they cut
Off his nose and set him at liberty. He
finally drifted to Boston, and as he was
walking one day on Washington
street who should he meet but Jerry.
Having heard from Capt. Ballard how
ne came III possession or the silver
piece, he recognized Jerry. "Hello!"
said he, 'iS your name Jerry Cold
ridge?"
That's my name," said Jerry.
81 am happy to meet you," said the
EngliShman, ALLOW me to return to
you the half-dollar you loaned Capt
James Ballard five years ago. l carried
it around the world with me, and never
found man with nose as long as
mine was, but have, as you see, lost
mine now. and l think the clinker be-
longs to YOU"
Jerry and the English mate became
fast friends and went into business to-
gether, and when you go into a little
store on Dock square in Boston YOU will
see the funny spectacle of one of the
partners with nose as long as your
hand and the otherpartner with no nose
at all.