Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-03-08
NUMBER 10.
HOW UNCLE IRA TRIP. OF scRAs-
TON, STOPPED SMOKING.

TON, STOPPED SMOKING.
His rhysisi.s Ordered Hin "a Give ~
Csa.a.siss r-ss,y-n,s Cigars . D.y.
so the Old Mas Hired . smoker Ia Biev
the Odss ef the Weed Isis Me Fsss.
"Uncis Ira Tripp, OF Scranton" ;" said
Ioriner resident u Scranton. now Of this
nty. was for years . familiar figure
down town In New York. when the old
Merchants hotel was In eristenoe In
Corilandt street His tall. erect form,
his immense flowing beard. white ~
snow. and. more than all. the peculiar
manner In which be enjoyed his cigar.
attracted attention 10 him At once.
"when Bill Schenck gave up the
Merchants and took the Westminster.
up town. Uncle Ira became Just ~ strik.
Ing figure In ths, part of the city. on
his yi.it. 10 New York lie was one %
the Oldest and richest individual coal
operators In the Lsckawsnna valley. his
father bring one Of the pioneers ot tho
region. and settled on land that. when
coal ~ss discovered. proved 30 be In tho
richest part of the anthracite belt
Thirty years ago Ira rhpp. from one
of the ruggeiest % men. had gradually
fallen into poor health. Ills physician
told him that he wAs slowly dying from
nicotine poisoning. and that unless hs
gave up smoking his end was not far on.
For year. he had smoked daily from
twenty % twenty-five q the strongest
imported cigars he could buy. and IL was
supposed that he was ~ welded 30 the
habit that IL would 10 an impos<bllity
Tor him 90 break IL.
But be did break IL, and broke 10
square OF. too. - far a. smoking cigars
himself was concerneii bat he continued
10 enjoy hi. smoke night along. after .
novel plan Of his own. lie bought the
same kind Of cigars hs had always
smoked. and then hired man 10 accom-
pany him wherever he went. smoke tho
cigars AMI blow every pud Of the fra
grant vapor into his face. - that hs could
inhale It.
SECONDHAND SMOKE
II, wasn't long before Ira declared that
he got Just q. much enjoyment out %
his smoke az secondhand A. he ever did
when he wa. pulling away at his Per.
fecto- himself lie hal hard work.
though. 90 get smokers who wer. willing
OF able 90 consume q couple % dozen
strong cigars. one quickly following tho
other. In the cour-. % day and even
ing. and at the same time be companions
agreeable 90 him. Two resigned after .
few months trial. one was discharged on
the spot for inhaling the smoke before
pufiing 10 into the fac. u the gentleman
Tor whose benefit and not bis own pleas
urs he was smoking. and two died In the
service.
ut was not until about hfteeu yean
ago that Uncle lra got man that suited
him exactly. and that ws his colored
man. John. who hll~i the bill In every
respect. and beam. the old mans con.
slant a,tsndan, and smoker. For AL I
know John was smoking 70. him up 10
tho day be died.
"some years ago. when Bill schenck
was still running the old Merchants,
Uncle Ira was Q guest tber. and of
course had John along. Al that time
Karl KAse. . well known nswspapsr
man ot that day. since dead. Wa an
habi,us Of the Merchants. aud be and
Uncle Ira got well acquainted. Karl
suited Ira 80 well that be wa, oontsntto 10
lee him r-st John for hours at . stretch
In doing the proIy smoking. . task
which was most agreeable to ths tour
nalist. a. he Wa lover q ths wed.
"Ons day Uncle Ira hAi business MP
town and he asked Karl 10 accompany
him and 10 the smoking. and % cour~s
Karl went with him. They got on tho
front platform Of slrth avenue car st
Broadway and vesey street, aud Karl lt
Q cigar. As ths car trundled along he
KEEP, putting the smoke into lras face and
Ira stood with his back against the end
Of the car enjoying the cigar with silent
satisfsctiOn.
An NpioSASr woxAS.
The delit-ratiOn and persistence with
which the young man blew the smoke
into the old mans face finally attracted
the attention Of an old Lady In the car.
She watched the prOc"stins for soms
time. her indignation steadily rising
until .hs could no longer endure what
.he regarded q. an outrage on the part of
the young man against the gray whis-
kercd old gentleman. She whipped out
OF her s-at, threw the door % the car
open. and grabbing Karl KAss by the
shoulder, jerked him half way around,
and then with one blow Of her hand .snt
the cigar nying from his mouth far into
the street.
"'Thsre, you impudent young puppyr
she exclaimed. Amt you AshAmed OF
yourself. blowing your nasty smoke into
that poor old mans faoer
The poor old man and Karl were
dumiouniei Tor . moment. and then
the situation struck Ira, and he threw
his head back and laughed - loud that
he could have been heard block. Karl
joined In the laugh, aud the old lady.
who had whipped back 30 her .eat again,
,a, bolt uprigh, aud stared a, the tvoin
amszement The other passengers In
the car AMI the conductor and driver,
although they hal no idea o. the peculiar
telation there was between Uncle irs
And Karl Kas.. were forcei 10 laugh also.
and the well meaning old lady stoppsd
the car and founced 20 the street In .
high state of confusion and Indignation.
"An she was going 20 One Hundred
and fifty.ff,h street, aid the conduc.
tor. which made Uncle Ira roar asain.
A. be handed Karl fresh Perfecto.
That incident ever after was the old
mans favorits anecdote. New York
Sun.
Oesapstisss Ia Heaven.
A little Vermont friend aged four
-. A. ~ ..g..l... -. A.. s.,.tl.s ,.hv.