Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-04-04
"REDDY'S" REVENGE.

hEDD1 y III Y ENUE,
The scene was a small Missouri town on
the Mississippi river, triHe more than ono
hundred miles north of st. Louis; the time
well, not twenty years ago. was just
out Of my teens, and had tolerable knowl
edge Of the printing business. Il was pres
idential year, and heated campaign was
on. | was publishing a six column foll1
morning paper set in long primer The
use Of material and press | rented from
one Of the two weeklies Of the town. The
Star q withhold the true nance was issued
as morning sheet because was able to
procure the St, Louis evening paper by
express between II and II O'Clock p. m. on
the day Of their publication, and by ju-
dicious use Of the shears gave our little
public late telegraph news several hours
In advance OF the arrival Of the next morn
ing's city papers. This was my Grst--and
lasuyS-faking Service by wire was ont
of the question
was proprietor, editor. reportorial staff
and general hustler Of The Star. The
force consisted Of three young men, one
and makeup, and an apprentice. We
knew nothing Of unionism, and ia chapel
meeting" had been mentioned we would
have started a hymn or taken up collie
ton.
One September afternoon, as was pre-
pairing TO go forth in the capacity o. re
porter, the foreman poked his head into
the room which country editors delight 10
COLL fla ttgay,gtt,r,, .pI gofI,
tom just sent down word that he's got
a chill and can't work tonight. don't see
how we'll on her up unless you set con
siderable type yourself"
Don't believe can do much, Abe"
replied. 1--WE got to attend the Grassy
Creek meeting, and can't get back before
10 o'clock Do the best you can, and wen
III up with ads. from the weekly"
went to the meeting, which was big
blowout for The Starr candidates, When
It was over drove TO town as fast as due
regard for life and limb would permit. IL
lacked just ten minutes Of 10 as | rushed
into the Office, eXclaimug;
ABE, you and Hank work away on that
local news. and IN set the meeting from
my notes''-not an unusual proceedin-
with me in those days,
threw off my coat and turned to the
corner Of the room in which the weekly
frames stood, where | expected to find a
pair Of full casgs. ! was astounded, to state
it mildly, ut what | saw. perched upon
the only decent stool the Office afforded,
with my sweetbriar pipe in his mouth, was
stranger. lie was distributing long
primer at a high rate Of speed
can close my eyes and see him now
lie was the first Of bis kind ever saw, aud
he impressed me so that | shall never for.
get him. He was nearly six feet in height
AS learned when he got off the stool
with round shoulders; age, somewhere be-
tween thirty and dfty. His hair which
hadn't associated with PAIR Of shears for
at least six mouths, was Of that shade
which the boys always spoke Of as red, and
his face was nearly covered with a shaggy
beard and mustache of the saoe hue.
On one foot was a boot on the other
a shoe, both badly down az the leel and
as rusty as barudoOr hinge. His trou-
sers, which were inartistically fringed at
the bottom, were held up by one "gallus"
made Of bed ticking. WaistCoat he had
none. His coat, which hung at the end OF
the frame, was a double breasted frOc6
that had once--iive or six years before !
eow il been handsome garment but 10
had changed with years How it did
shiuel On one side there was an entire
absence of buttons On the other side
were two, one cloth covered and one of
black horn, nearly as large as a silver dol
lar discovered later hat when he want
ell TO button this wonderful coat and
"braCe up, - as he called it, he used two
little hI, Kury skewers as substitutes for
the absent buttons