The Iola register., 1891-05-08

COOpcu up III us utu oil Udy lOuS huu
can't get out to see the grass grow
and hear the birds sing or even to see
whether the fish will bite, finds out
that spring has come, is by the num-
Der of tramp printers that drift into
the Office. He can always tell them
at q glance from any other class of
callers, and he is never surprised to
hear as their first salutation the in
variable question 'How's work?"
That is the "hailing sign" in this
free-masonry of print-craft, and it al
ways meets with recognition. Mostly
these tramps are young men, but the
other day, about 11o'clock, one slouch-
ed into the office who must have been
forty years old or more. He wore an
old white hat, relic of the Cleveland
campaign evidently, and his clothes
looked as if he had put them on once
for all "a long time ago. He slut
tered good deal and it took him
some time to say that he wanted to
"s-s-stribute little b-brevier to g-g-
get some breakfast" He took off
fairly good coat, thereby uncovering
shirt that had been white very
long time ago. at m-m-might be
d-d-dirtier," he responded quietly
to the inquiring stare of the Devil.
His fingers did not stutter, if his
tongue did, and they went steadily
through their swift motions while he
kept on talking in his slow way.
"Been ON the road nearly ever since
1 can remember. Started out to see
the country and have been seeing it
ever since. Worked OH everything
from the New York Herald to the
Plainfield Prairie Dog. Went across
the pond once, and then I did have it
tough. I'd go to the door of a print
shop and the foreman would come
and ask me what wanted. The idea
of asking a tramp print what he
wanted! And when I'd tell him he
would ask, "How much was We gettin'
i'm Hameriky?" I'd tell him "About a
pound day of your money" Then
he'd throw up his hands and say My
Gawd, man! Why didn't We stay
there?' And then like as not he
slammed the door in my face. /
mighty soon found out that the 'ould
sod was no place for Christian how
ever it might suit the bloody British
er." The old man sighed and leaned
on his case awhile thinking it all over.
"Where have 1 been all winter?" he
repeated after the Devil who wanted
to start him talking again. "Texas.
Followed the wild geese there and
am drifting back with them. Wild
geese have got q heap of sense, SOD.
They don't believe in shivering all
winter and baking all summer, and l
aud children?n This in response to a
fha 10 ri hxy
bless your heart, little one, I'm a
tramp. Do you know what that
means? 1t means to follow the wild
geese. To ride III freight cars along
with the cattle, when you are not
kicked out, and to count ties when
you are. TO sleep in hay lofts or
goods boxes, or in a Jail once in a
while for luxury. To eat when God
pleases. To be ragged and dirty. To
die at last like a rat in some hole.
Ne, wife and children! Why, child,
you make me taught" But he didn't
laugh, and for long time nothing
came from his alley but the steady
click of the type into the boxes. He
didn't talk any more either, and at
the end of his hour he put on his
coat and his old white hat and took
his quarter and went out to get his
breakfast" He didn't come back
any more. Probably he heard the
wild geese calling him.
The balloon man did not go up Sat
urday as advertised on account of the
high wind that prevailed all day. But
Wednesday was calm and the ascen-
sion was made Oh schedule time. The
balloon was filled between the Brosier
and Patterson buildings, on the north
side, and just as it was cut loose sud-
den gust of wind struck it blowing it
to the west and slamming the aeronaut
against the stone wall with frightful
force. He had his nerve with him
though and hung ON to his little hoop.
At heighth of about 800 feet he cut
loose from his balloon. The parachute
filled all right and landed him very
gently Just east of the cemetery. One
of his knees had been severely cut and
bruised by his collision with the wall,
but he was otherwise unhurt. The
balloon came down near J. l.. Wood
in,s, west of the river. This is the
same man who was here with the
"whale show" last fall, and made an
ascension. Since that time he has
had three ribs and a leg broken by acci-
dents Of one kind and another in fol-
lowing his perilous calling. He gets
from S35 to $50 for each ascension, made
up by contributors-and he earns about
million. 1t is queer trade for man
to follow. p. S. The Professor was not
so badly hurt but that he was able to
Jump his board bill of two weeks at
the Union hotel, which he did by
quietly taking his departure Wednes-
day night. He left his balloon be-
hind him, and anybody who wants a
piece Of furniture of that kind may
get it at a bargain byapplying to John
Harris. 1t is queer trade to follow
and they are queer men who follow it.
The REGISTER is in receipt of an
address to the people of Kansas"
from the Bureau Of Promotion who
have i'm charge the matter of raising
a fund of $780, 900 with which to make
a Kansas exhibit the Worlds Fair.
AS stated last week, the scheme is to
have each county raise by private
subscription such a portion of SlOO,OOO
as the assessed value of the property
of the county bears to the total assess
ed value of the State. Under this
plan Allen county is asked to contrib
ute S7s4. Will it be done? We have
grave doubts about it, for two reasons:
One is a general indisposition to con-
tribute, based On n feeling that the
fund for such purpose should come
out of the State treasury and not out
of individual pockets. Another Is that
no one will take interest enough to
devote the time and labor necessary
to taking up the collection. We be-
lieve that some good man, in whom
every body has confidence, by making
a house to house canvass and taking
small donations as well as large,