The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-09
BHE A VILLO' THE WISP?!
1s5.
A Fruit1ess Chase After the
Elusive Tooth In
Spector.
1s5.
HE HADN'T BEEN THERE AT ALI
1ss
This Was the Story Which Was
Gathered Along the Untrodden
Path of His Duty.

took a stroll about through the town
this morning to see whether could not
find some small Indication Of shadowy
wish on the part of the Tooth Inspector
to have some excuse for being paid
salary by the overtaxed citizens of Jersey
City who want to build houses.
My search resulted in dismal failure.
could not find anyone who had seen
his shadow in the neighborhood of
building in process of erection.
l sat down in ambush across the street
from one half-finished house, and watched
all the approaches for an hour, but the
house had no attractions for Mr.. James
1s5 Clarke, and gave it up in despair.
AS l left, wild hope shot through my
breast, and l asked the workmen whether
he had ever been up there.
My hope was dashed to earth, and my
heart was left with only an ache of disap-
pointment.
Mr.. James 1856 Clarke had not been there
317 times, or any other number of times.
He hadn't been there at all.
One of the men, the foreman, said that
he lived across the street, and that he had
kept a careful eye out for the Building
Dentist for several weeks, and was begin
ming to forget what he looked like.
The builder himself just then drove up,
and said, as he stepped out of his buggy,
while q shadow of melancholy fitted
across his pale and careworn face:-
s.If this thing goes on much longer
shall lose my mind, what little there Is
1aft Of If -
What's that?'' said I, sympathetically,
for / had a dim notion that he had been
looking for the Mechanical Salary
Tooth Drawer.
CALLING HIM WILL o. THE WIsP.
"Why, they tell me there is an In
spector of Buildings named Clarke. I've
| been looking for him for | don't know
how many months and have never seen
| him. They say his name is James 1S5
| Clarke, but l can't find him anywhere.
| If you can tell me where to look for him
| I'll treat" and he looked at me appeal
ingly,
| turned away with deep sigh. ! told him
my own experience in looking for the
| salaried Inspector, and he stamped on the
ground and said, in tones OF anger and
disgust:
| believe he's Will-o' Wisp, just
| made to induce honest folk to chase him
| about
II tried to look sad, but ! was glad to
know there really was some one else VINO
| was wearing out his temper in trying TO
| find the evanescent mechanic
Just then a bright idea came hurrying
down the street, and | tripped 1t up and
fell on it. 1t was to try to prove whether
there was any such Pennsylvania as Mr.
| james 1S5 Clarke.
Then it occurred to me that this might
| be difficult.
1 had already sought him at his two
offices-his salary-drawing and his tooth
drawing offices and l couldn't think
| where to go.
At last I started out in q hack and
made a round of all the buildings could
find, and asked for him at every one.
| don't know whether there were 1856 OF
them or 317, but he hadn't been at any
one of them this morning, nor yesterday,
nor the day before.
He hadn't been there at all.
At last, in despair, / went to his office.
was quite dazed with what learned
there
| IN HIS OFFICE.