St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1890-09-27
AN UNFORTUNATE MAN.


0lsesably 'Ralnoa ~ Coaoe. .Uolo6nsas oo6
49, CAieago WhleAy.
1t was In Chicago He WAS standing
on . corner Of Clark and Madison stceetA
leaning against . lamp-post'and looking
st the passers-by with the air Of .
friendless man. His appearance wss
decidedly seedy. His face was hlosted.
his nose red and his eyes watery. He
caught sight Of me. I turned my lace
away, but It was too late. He saw that
he had aroused my curiosity and he
made in my direction.
''You look like . man with heart
he said. softly; you look like . philan-
thropist Sir, behold IN object for yous
charity"
"Ay. say not co." he gufgled; I'VE
must always hnd time for good deeds in
this world. Behold your opportunity
hesitated. His breath was vile With
liquor but his smooth tongue made me
undecided. He caught me BY button
and suffered myself to b drawn into .
near hallway.
''Honorcd sir" he said. with . plaint-
i've snuffle, II am . wreck, mentally and
physically. But was wealthy, once.
Not many years ago It was my wont to
ride along these streets in my own
carriage with . goodman and . tiger.
but wheat deal ON the board lost mo
my riches From Michigan avenue ]
turned to the euvirons Of South
Clark street with the remnant Of
my fortune-some twenty dollars-in
my pocket The friends Of my palmy
days passed without recognising me,
and spent one week in familiaFising
myself with the worlds ineratitude.
Then, impressed with the fact that
must do something or starve. looked
about me for An honest occupation
The proprietor Of restaurant observ-
ing my qualifications to b shove my
condition. made mo his eashiee. I
worked for him ono day. and that day
completely wrecked me. I WAS driven
to drink and you now eco mo sot-s
man without character.
It was impossible to leave him With.
out parting with . button. - I -
mained while he recounted the come
what peculiar story Of his downfall
"You are unwilling to accept my
statement" he ventured, noting my
oaustic smile. LET me tell you. sif;
that fortunes have been made in IN
hour and lost by three strokes Of the
ticker; had . whole day In which TO
be ruined.
"You zee. whom I went 10 work In The
restaurant the proprietor handed me .
paper. Our meal checks are printed in
different colors.' said he. and do not
contain the price Of the meal Study
the paper and you will understand it.
II looked at the memorandum and
found that white check meant i've
cents. . blue check ton. . red check
fifteen. and 20 On up to green check.
which stood for d. posted myself
thoroughly ON these colors and their
relative prices and began taking in
checks and giving out change with the
sang froid Of an old cashier and . conf
dence in myself that WAS sublime We
had IN unusually heavy day, and at
nine o'clock the proprietor came around
to congratulate mo on my success - .
cashier, and. while he was talking, .
gentleman presented . red check and Q
81 bill Igave him 81 IS and showed the
pasteboard into the basket 4
"'Hold up said the proprietor.
haven't you made installer
"Guess not said !, showing my
memorandum under his nose; red. NJ
teen. He gave me g and gave him
el.65.' ~
"'Man alive! that wasn't . red check.
II was grfeH one
".I beg your PARDON said ]. pulling
1t out Of the basket; II that amt red I'll
eat it.
"'You'd better eat it thsn.' said he;
Il say It's green
"'You must b color-blind.' I re-
marked
''You're the ono that's color-blind.'
he replied, and he called in . third psr-
son who positively swore the check was
green.
: ''AnA 20 Il WAS! ! had never before
known that was color-blind, but IL ives
. fact; and thcre l had been eivinx
change on red checks when I should
have taken cash for grecn oneA That
days work put me in debt 10 the rec
tsurant keeper for . tribe over oloa
He discharged mo on the spot and took
all my clothes and personal property he
could get at to balance accountA Even
then l owed him something. but hs
could do nothing moro and won't
straight to saloon and bought my first
drink with my last dime. From that
time ON every cent I could beg o. Dor.
row has gone for liquor until loi I an
become . wreck. O. kind sir! you have
never been color-bliD4 you know not
what it Il 70 struggle swith this great
ocular defect Have pity, have COM
passion, cast your pearls before mel"
He released my button and raised
both hands imploringly. a
Igave him quarter. not % much foe
himself as for the pleasure his fabFica-
ton had afforded me. and passed med
itatively on my way. Detroit Free
Press
Why sAs Tllss Wess LAsg-.
The houses Of ancient Rome. previous
TO the war OF Pyrrhus. were covered
with boards but sfterward with eles;
and. according to vitruviu4 and from
what remains Of ancient monumeats,
these must have been Of lasgs sisa nos
less than two feet broad. Seneca spesks
Of . garret covered with one single tile.
In the war against Marc Antoay, The
Senators were taxed ct, the rate Of tea
asses (sbout twenty-five cents) for every
tile ON tho root; hence IL wss. OF course,
to have tiles Of - large dimen-
sions - possible. thus reducing the
amount Of the taxes.-N. Y. Ledgee.