Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1892-01-21
OUR LIGHTNING JERRY.

| order to get something 10 eat Inc
country editor completed the sub-head.
IA Bucket Brigade Wanted. in pro.
found article on The Prosperity of
Our Town" and looked up at the indi-
vidual who had invaded his sanctum.
The visitor, who very much resembled
the venerable chap who posed for the
picture on the ST. Jacobs oil labels.
continued: II am not one of the COM
mon prints who wander up and down
the country, but have worked in every
state and territory in the Union during
my forty years experience and pill
grimage." He also volunteered the
information that he could be 'holding
cases" on one of the leading morning
papers of the country, were it not so
that electric lights went back on his
eyes" and added that he never
drank anything The editor seemed
to be little skeptical on the latter
point at least he said We'll, Light
ming we are a little rushed now (the
country editor always says WEI, and
can give you a job for month, or I'M
til you get drunk. Go to the restau-
rantaround the corner and get a square
meal and when you come back we
will give you something to do" Thus
was an engagement made that lasted
nearly six weeks.
Old Lightning was verily a jewel.
He couldn't put up as much type
perhaps, as he could have dOue thirty
years ago, but he set a clean proof
and spaced suporbly. He would quar-
rel with the copy of course, and that
frisky contributor Horny Handed
Granger, who advocated mangel-
wurzcs as food for stock was his pet
aversion. The idea" he said. of
! This old crank who doesn't know how
to plant potatoes, except in the
| columns of newspaper wanting to
make stock food Of roots, just because
| they have got a name that is on
! hinges, Mangel-wurZels indeed! They
don't contain any oil and wine and
would't put flesh on anything. Corn
wheat and other grain are the only
proper food for animals y He was
! also Il little severe on correspondents
who UNDERSIGNED every third or fourth
word, put "howling points at the end
of every line aud make break lines '
| in the middle of sentences. Why is
! it. he would petulantly inquire, that
folks who haven't sense enough to
ride in a covered wagon imagine that
they can write something worth read
ing for newspaper
He had rich fund of "Reminiscences
and spoke as Familiarity of Horace
Greeley James Gordon Bennett
mot the fellow" he always explained
'who owns the yacht and other
great newspaper men OF the old school,
as if they had been old chums of his
His admiration for Old Matte Van
Buren, was intense while he regard ed
John Van Buren, as "a chip off the
old block, although a little wild. "
His stock OF anecdOte in regard to
country newspapers was large and
varied and would have made him
wealthy if it had only been hay,
which could be sold at three dollars
per ton. lie said: The toughest lay.
out ! ever struck was down in Arkan-
sas in 81. The display type was
kept in smoking tobacco sacks which
were hung on nails around the room. ~
He pronounced the editor of that paper
the best short hand spcller and long
handled writer he ever met except
you, he added, in order to keep dOwr
any feeling of jealousy that might
arise in the bosom of the editor ad.
dressed. He also visited the Office
out West whore they used u billy-goat
for press and explained deliberately
how an impression was taken. Tn,
form was placed against the wall, {
sheet of paper was put on it and {
certain monKeying of fingers by the
devil the goat was induced to strik,
it with his head. This naturally Sc
the press" back on his launches anC
gave the pressmau a chance to remove
the printed copy and put on anothe
sheet They used an old goat 70
the paper and sale bills and kid TO
visiting cards, he explained IAN,
they were the cheapest presses | eve
saw, too. as it didn't cost anything T.
keep them, for they kept fat on oil
exchanges and empty ink cans.
Many tramp printers claim TO hav
seen this printing outfit and no doubt
it existed.
The old man was a sincere devote
of the art preventative, and Away
placed the business al the head. II
expressed great attempt for the ''blacl
smiths who got out some of the o.
changes, and spoke Of the good oil
days, when the cub put in two yea
- in washing and caring for rollers"
. young man. who was cashier of a banl
4 had Il natural fOndncss for the prin
!, er's trade, and possessed very exec
l. lent taste. He used TO come into Il
1t Office and set up jobs merely for pra
IS tice and amusement. Lightning
first resented this, but when be sa
- the class OF work he could do, |
formed quite liking for him Or
= day he broke the young man all u
BY remarking with great earnestnes
See here young fellow, you are sill
for fooling away your time in a banl
!. you would make good printer
But the time finally came when IL
- engagement llSuilOuCu III lnc DcBl
n ming OF this article. terminate
l. Lightning had often spoken of h
q stay in "A printing Office in Talequa
- and intimated that he had Learned
ds talk Indian equal to the greasie
d buck in the nation. " but had alwa
a been discouraged when he sought
give sample of this acquiremen
One morning he failed TO show up
the office but came in at II o'cloc
and TO use his own EXPIRE IS 20
fetched yawpn that would ha
done credit TO an unframed Comanct
redskin. He then commenced Ia
rangue in Choctaw. or some 9th
choice brand of Indian tongue. and
last said: MY time is out; let's sett
up. for ] want to go to st. Joe al
grow up with the country VIII,
does the next train go South?" |
had been talking OF buying some wi
ter clothing with | earnings, as co
weather was at hand and 4
editor suggested, as he paid him, tn
a