Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-05-18

sides, have paid $3.50 for now nan
dies to replace those that have been
torn off in IA frantic scuflle between the
porter and myself to see which would
get away with it.
Yesterday | was talking with re-
formed lecturer about this peculiarly
of the porters. He said he used to
lecture u great deal at moderate prices
throughc.tt the country, and after ten
years of earnest oil he was enabled to
retire with rich experience and nine
dollars in money. He lccturcd on
phrenology and took his meals with
the Chairman Of the lecture commit
tee. In Ouray. Col, the baggagemaD
allowed his trunk to fall from II great
height and so the i'll was knocked off
and the bust which the professor used
in his lecture was busted. He there
fore had to borrow a baldhcadcd man
to act as bust for him in the evening.
After the close of the lecture the pro
fcssor found that the bust had stolen
the gross receipts from his coat-taIl
pocket while he was lecturing The
only improbable feature about this
story is the implication that a bald
headed man would commit a crime.
But still ne did not become sourcd.
He pressed on and lecturcd to the gen
tie jauitors of the land in piercing
tones. He was ALWAYS kind to every
one. even when people criticised his
lecture and went away before he got
through He forgave them and paid
his bills Just the same as he did when
people liked him.
Once a newspaper man had done
him a great wrong and said that the
lecture was decayed and that the pro-
fcssor would cndcar himself to every
one if he would some night at his hotel,
instead of blowing out the gas and
turning off his brains as he usually did
Just turn off the gas and blow out his
brains BIT the professor did not go
to his Office and blow holes in his
viscera He spoke kindly to him
always, and once when the two met in
a barber shop, and it was doubtful
which was next as they came in
from opposite ends of the room, the
professor gently yielded the chair to
the man who had done him great
wrong, and while the barber was
shaving him eleven tons of ceiling
peeled off and fell on the editor who
had been so cruel and so rude, and
when they gathered up the debris IA
dav or two aftcrward it was almost i'm
possible to tell which was ceiling and
which was remains.
SO it is always best to deal gently
with the crring, especially if You think
it will be fatal to them.
The reformed lecturer also spoke of
a discovery he made, which | had
never heard of before. He Icgau, dur
ing the closing years cf his tour, to no
ticc mysterious marks ON his trunk,
made with chalk generally, and SO dur
ing his leisure hours he investigated
them and their cause and effect. Ho
found that they were the symbols OF
the Independent Order of Portcrs and
Baggage-Bursters. He discovered that
it was Il species of language by which
one porter informed the next, without
the expense of telcgraphing, what
style of man owned the trunk and the
prospects for touching him, as one
might say.
MYSTERIOUS SIGNS.
The Professor gave me ii few of these
signs from an old notebook, together
with his own Interpretation after years
of close study, ! reproduce them here
because | know they will interest the
reader as they did me.
This trunk, ii handled gently and
thon carefully unstrappcd in the own
cr's room, so as to open comfortably