The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-06-26
ONLY A TRAMP PRINTER.
How lie Gcvet. c Starving Family
by Roboing {. Grocery
He Served Faithfully In the Union Army
and Ended HIS Days us lie Had
Lived, "a Tramp Pr,nter-A
Queer Character.


Hon. S. p. Bartlett, of Quincy, ILL.,,
rclates the following story, which is
told by J. NJ. ID. Davidson in the Quincy
Whig:
Some years ago, when l was quite
lad. | worked at the printing trade In
Quincy, and held cases on the Wing. in
the same 'allcy" with a tall. stoutly-
built printer named Tim Cowan. lie
was vcritable tramp: not from neces-
sity, but from the reason that SO many
Of the guild area restless love of row
ing. His was q type OF character not
inlrccucntly met with, emDodylng
many points OF intellectually and vcr-
sat.lity of talents, and in his case these
we're developed to remarkable degree.
IIo was a philosopher. 4 poet and an
ora tor all in one, ana the beauty OF his
language when the poetic mood was on,
and the lofty character OF the senti-
ments he expressed, were perpetual
marvel to me.
Cowan took fatherly interest in me.
and used to give me sage and sensible
advice, occasionally enforcing it by
stories or incidents from his own ex-
perience. Ono day, in the course OF one
of these talks, he said:
BARTLETT, do you think 1t Is ever
right to do wrong?"
OF course said it wasn't, and he re-
piled that he thought there were oc-
casions in life when not only was 1t
allowable, but mans duty, to do what
was in itself wrong. or generally con-
4 1,y IN
''let me tell you an incident from my
own experience. and will leave you
to Judge If am correct in my assertion:
"One cold winter | strayed into a
little country town in Ohio. and got q
job of type-setting in the only printing
office in the place. One evening, soon
after arriving there, started out for a
stroll. 1t was cold night remember
that because had no overcoat. In the
the course of my walk passed tumble
down and apparently deserted shanty
in the outskirts of the town, and was
surprised to hear a sound, as Of groan,
proceeding from the interior. l stopped
and knocked at the door, but received
no response. My curiosity was aroused,
and went around the house an1 pushed
| open the rear door and stepped into the
house. found myself in room amidst
| q scene OF destitution and woe that Will
never fade from my memory. In the
corner of the room lay man in the last
stages of consumption. At the fireplace
with her hands clasping her knees,
which were drawn up to hor chin, was a
woman, surrounded by two or three
little children. They were lowering
over q few smouldering sticks in a bot
tomless iron kettle, trying to extract
from them little warmth,
"Thcy told me they were movers, who
had come there the summer before and
had found and taken possession OF this
shanty. The man was taken i'll here, ant
for time they had gotten along by sell
ing, one after another, their horses, thei
wagon and most of their furniture. Final
ly winter came on, and they had nothins
LETT to live on except the charity OF tn,
people OF the town. Considerable haS
been done for them, but the people had a
last got weary of the drain and had bo
gun to neglect them, so that they wer,
now destitute Of clothing, fuel or propo
food and they knew not where to appl,
for them.
| ~ made up my mind something mus
be done for these people, and promise,
them that would see that they had relic
1t latest by the followingevcning, whicl
was Saturday. went uptown and spoar
tos number OF people soout the case. bu
they oil said tho family was shiftless an,
undeserving; that the woman would NO
work when she had the opportunity.
wondered how the woman could worl
with those children and that sick maj
to take caro- of. Finally gave up th,
attempt TO get others TO do any thin
and determined to take my own wage
70 them the following evening. l4
~Ou Saturday night the proprietor o
the paper came into tho composing
room and said: Boys haven't sue
decided In raising any money TO pay yo'
Of tonight. expect some early nex
week. Meantime you'll have to stare
your board bills of o tow days. ,.,ie,
II told him Whist Aad promised 70
fer thh family, and aaksd u he couldn'