The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-28
BILL NYE'S LETTER.
He Meets a Strangely Beautiful
Michigan College Student.
STORIES TOLD IN THE SMOKER.
How Bill and Eugene Field Got Ac-
quainted-Stories of the Immortal
Chicago Poet.
copyright, ise., by Edgar W. Nye.l


spondence. We visited Ann Arbor not
long ago. The town is like all college
towns. The citizens are solemn and re-
served, with an apprehensive air. as if
they were watching to see what the stu
dents would do next.
The college 1 believe to be one of the
most progressive and ready to seize upon
the pompadour topknot of time and be
the first on the ground of any in our
country The students are handsome
specimens of young American manhood,
and the law department has long stood
well up to the top in the Judgment of able
jurors, not counting myself.
We visited the d. h. E. headquarters
for couple of hours in the evening where
We were made welcome with college song
and salad and marmalade. l shall long
remember our evening there among the
future Judges and physicians and govern
ors of the Union; the young men in whose
hands Mr.. Blame and l will soon have
TO place the welfare OF our common
country.
On the train we saw a student with the
most phenomenal chrysanthemum bang
that l ever met. His hair elsewhere was
short, and ne wore the slightest little silk
skull cap that fitted him like bald head,
but over his brow this wild and storm
tossed bang boiled up in the most wonder
full profusion and swayed to and fro like a
bunch of straw-colored asparagus gone to
seed.
After looking him over I decided not
to put the welfare of our republic IN his
hands.
Several gentlemen in the smoker were
telling how they had sworn off from GER
tain things the other day. Il have sworn
Off ID the matter of wet pool said a
travelling man.
And what is wet pool?" the student
with the bang and chaperon was heard
to inquire.
at is pool at the end of each game of
which, said the bagman, as we call them
in England, 1.-The loser has to stand the
grog."
And what made you swear OFF, came
the birdlike voice OF the boy with the
noiseless bang.
well. last Thanksgiving | was sort of
practlcing with the pool balls when tail,
thin man strolled up 10 the table and asked
if I'd like to play. | said yes, and we
he drummed on the floor with mis- cue and
asked me what it would be. l told him,
and we had the order filled. Soft went on
till we had playad twenty-seven games OF
wet pool. / did not sell any more goods
that week, and when | got ready to 90 at
1t again | found out at the hotel office that
my tall, thin adversary had been three
days in his grave.
When play now it is for the natural
exhilaration of the game, and the most
arid pool there is is the pool | prefer"
Il have sworn off from drinking in
drug store any more" said large, power
tul man who handles millinery goods on the
kerosene circuit in Kansas. Il have to
make Kansas twice year, and you know
of course that there the prescription bust
ness runs largely to VIM galici, TONES and
the frumenti side of the pharmacopoeia
One evening We gathered IN the back room
of q drug store, three of us-Ellis. who
handles overalls; Bascom, selling grain
elevators and union depots by samples,
carrying three trunks with street numbers
on them instead OF names and myself.
We took port wine three times around |
skipped the last round because | had pro-
| missed my wife before had lett home that
| would not touch liquor of any kind-un-
| less | wanted TO very much indeed
ELLIS went home with me and Bascom
went to another hotel at the station. Ellis
snored so in his sleep that | tried TO wake
him up, but couldd't, so | got mad and
emDtied the ice water all over his head.
Then | poured the contents of the big
pitcher on him and got him on his feet.
gave him everything had in my valise.