The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-19
BLUNDERERS' BULLS
Some Bad Mistakes Perpetrated
in all Innocence.
SOME AMUSING INSTANCES
nov words OF similar Sound Form aa
EGeesive Trap for the Unwary
and Uneducafed.
Chicago Herald.


confusion OF words Of somewhat similar
sound, weakness Of uneducatesl people
al which writers. from Shakespeare 10
sailsAbar, have made eopsous use. the
former especially in his Dogberry, who
directs ths watch 10 comprehend all
vagToua men, and declares that ssceEnparf-
sons are odo7ous. and the later in his
creation of the character Of Mrs. Parting
tor, whose lapsus IiRgnae have Afforded
entertainment TO hundreds Of thousands.
Closely related TO this phase OF comedy is
that which Is afforded by intellects in the
formative state in tslesr groupings after
knowledge. Misapplied synonyms also cut
large figure in the analysis. The rules OF
correct writing and speaking, for example
pronounce against the interchangeahility
Of the terms handsome and pretty, but
that degree of discrimination had not been
reached by q youth of sixteen or seventeen
years from the interior who recently visited
the city in company with his father. In
their walks about town the youngster's
attention was attracted By a hanson cab.
with the driver perchei upon the box.
His father told him the name Of the We
hieie and the pair passed on. A few min
uies later The lad exclaimed, "0h, pa, there
gues another Of those pretties.
Perhaps a well-infoTmed, travelled and
wealthy lady of today. living in neighhor-
ing city, viii not remember that as sun
dzy-School scholar early ssin the sixties"
she gave her teacher occasion 10 exercise
all the self control at her command in order
to refrain from what would have been a
most unseemly explosion OF mirth. con
sideTing the time and place. The lesson for
the day had to do with Christ eating vita
pnbiicans and sinners. and the teacher
asked this little girl 'sWho were the puls
HeanssF' The answer came quick, as
though there was 40 doubt Of its accuracy:
Them as votes for Lincoln
Mrs Maiaprops are everywhere. but no.
where Go they shine with SO much retul-
gence as in the homes ef the newly rich.
One Of this class. describing the heating ar
engagements for a new house which she was
soon TO occupy. said every room would
have in a hot air refrigerator, and the
grounds would contain eighteen or twenty
statues of meteorological characters. An
other woman of this class was In the habit
Of sending TO her grocer for desecrated
eocoanut.
But not oil the malaprops are women.
Printers and teiegraphers' blunders have
furnished many column OF amusing mar
ration-iEdeed, the carelessness of the one
class increases the opportunities OF the
other for the preparation of bulls, as when
a teiegraphers's abhreviation of govern
nent into gov't gave a c0mpositor the OPP
portunity 70 make the types say, in dis
patch regarding Commodore Wilkes seiz-
IRE OF the rebel commissioners, Slideli and
Mason, on board the English ship Trent,
that .sthe British goat would insist upon
the release OF the Confederate representa-
tses;" and it has been told that upon one
occasion crates fraters' tpraying brothersl
appeared in PRINT 20 rats, father Print
ers' errors are not always amusings rather
they indicate an obtuseness that is agra
waiting alike TO authors and 20 readers,
when careless proOfreaders have permitted
the blnnders 10 go uncorrected. Such was
the case when. in q Chicago daily some
years back. the name of George Augustus
Sala, the well-known London journalist
and correspondent, was printed George
Agnalsus Lala.
Sloyenly composition by newspaper
writer's not infrequently leads 70 ridicu-
ious peryersioRs OF what was intended 20
be said. rs when a paragraph detailing a
fatality resulting from u premature ex-
plosion of charge OF blasting powder iD a
quarry closed with the statement that the
victim, who was torn limb from limb. had
suffered similarly on two previous Occas-
iofs. Only a few days ago a news para
graph in Chicago paper stated that a
passenger on transatlantic steamer had
become temporarily insane and committed
suicide by drowniug-as though, the man
being dead, II we're possible for him 20 re-
cover his reason.
The inquiry columns OF the daily news
papers and OF the eastern story papers give
some giimpses OF character that are highly
entertaining and occasionally instructive.
For example. recently a correspondent
asked where he might find q copy OF
Johnny. Get Your Gun or some equally
nonsensical song and followed up the
attack with an inquiry as to the name Of
- female astronomer and college presi-
dent who died recently" having refer.
snep. Of course, 10 Prof Maria Mite bell.
The vide gulf SPAWNED ia the
two questions suggest that there
are possibilities even for the
singers Of comic songs No one will doubt
the necessity Of entering upon search Cor
wisdom on the part of the other contFihu-
tor 10 the inqusfy column who asked:
"WhA& IL the right al discovery and has
IL any conaectinn with the labor question -
Perhaps il vas an ehalliti0u Of humoF that
prompted another inquirer 70 ask III the
tariff question had ever been settled !" The
person ia charge at this useful and popgi-
lar department 81 journalism might eel
he omniseisnt. bat il Is occasionally the
case that he maps. stuuiblss or suffers q
mental ecsspse. Such a misbap bsfeil
distinguished scholar Who had charee q
fer wears age. 81 the Inquiry colnsaa * a
Sew York story paper To q correspond
snt WIKI said he had seventeenth century
coin hearing tbs legend s.Jacohas II.
Rex. ard asked who }aeohns II. Wa. Ire
learned YaAn ffor sneh be rea!iy was}. or
sofae gre temporarily IN charge of the e0s-
unln for hisa. gyavely replied tAat we
knsa % 80 ruler ef The sewentaenlh cen
snrw. ar of any other time. who bore the
mansa * JAcohus forgetting that Il hnt
sne T.atinsxes gaFfa 81 Jsraas. and that.
therefore 1aechaS IL Vas. In plain En-
zlh James IL, 2fur a Great Eriiasa ard
sfe.1nd.
Taers Is with 81 uneiucaied people a
bind sisy0ssaa 70 forms, AZ Illustration 81
whseh was g5vsn ~ an Oh Irsshmam Nho
vent TO 4 assghbDr 10 have letter wxisger.
The volunteer secretary. having ret shs
FaHeea psssAass into proper tossn. rssad the
iefser over ioF bis easlsrs approval A lev
editions WeFs masss In ahs gay Of nsee-
ssras e assetiaa "a This uaa ard that oas
Nox i thai al shall sign year name
K.kest tie sgrs6e Ess. that's az bnt
housa On bis exclaimed tsse Naa nsaa. a.
- reaches harvard saa pUf 3 gysmsy nnnsF