The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1893-05-23
A PRINTERS GHOST.
A spOok in a Printing once.

but Slug 3 evidently believed what
he was talking about As he stood
putting stogie and narrated the
story which the Gail, of San Fran
cisco, prints in his own words.
cit was a job Office and had consid-
cradle work and a good force of men
on. A sprinkliDg of old timers were
there, prints I'd worked beside at
all points of the compass-Bill Allen
and scotchy and Bill Kirby. Kir-
by was little, wiry fellow, with a
mustache too big for his face. Hard
drinker, Kirby was. On that par
ticular day there was a rush, and
the foreman was wild and all the
men pulling away for dear life.
About 10 o'clock in came an old
chum of Kirby,s from Portland, and
nothing would do but they must go
and have a drink together. The
foreman said he shouldn't go, but
Kirby was bound that he would.
"You finish that brief first, said
the foreman. "There's only about
a galley more of it, and its got to be
off this afternoon. But, no; Kirby
said he'd come back after dinner
and finish the take. At that the
foreman got pretty mad; said he
knew what Kirby'd do. He'd go
off and get drunk or get run in or
something aud wouldn't show up
again for a week. Then Kirby, he
up and swore that his word was as
good as any mans, and that dead
or alive he'd be back after dinner
and finish that take, and he went.
When we went down to dinner,
there was a big crowd in front of
the o. X. saloon, and everybody
seemed excited, as if something had
happened. and sure enough some
thing had happened, for there had
been a general row, and Kirby had
his head smashed in with a beer
bottle and was having kind of one
sided interview with the coroner.
Dead as mackerel, Kirby was. 1t
kind of spoiled our appetites for
dinner. al guess Kirby won't finish
his take" said Matthews.
Well, o'clock came, and VIC were
all at our cases but Kirby. The
foreman went around with face
like thundercloud, but still things
went pretty smooth for about half
an hour, when Jimmy Maxwell,
who had the case next to Kirby's
back in the last alley, came up and
said he was sick and would have to
go home. The foreman just boiled
at that, said that was the way
some men did-they would carouse
around all night and then soldier
around next day and cheat the Office.
That was hard, for Jimmy was the
straightest man in the shop, but he
never said word. He just got his
hat and made for the stairs as if his
life depended on getting out of that.
He did look sick, too.
About 3 o'clock Matthews was
told to go over to Jimmy's case and
finish his story. So over into the
last alley he went, and in two min
utes back he came with his eyes as
big as saucers, "May 1 be cut into
bits" he said-you know how Mat
thews talks-"may 1 be cut into bits
if Kirby amt back there a. finishing
his takel"
The foreman stared as if he
thought he was crazy. you've
been drinking again." he said.
Parsons, you 60 over there and
finish Jimmy's take" ] kind of
hated to go over in that alley, and
I've got pretty good nerve, too, but
| knew the boys would laugh at me
if L didn't, SO went and picked up
the stick and never looked at Kir.
by's case. 1 put my eye on the
copy and stood turned a little side
ways, but all the time it seemed as
if 1 must look, and the more 1 made
up my mind i would not look the
more something seemed to pull me
that way. Then l thought what a
fool was, and turned around and
looked right at the case. Sure
enough, there was old Kirby, him
self, bobbing away with a funny
little motion of his shoulders that
was all his own.
To say that L was scared would
be drawing it mild, but L drew my
self together and went on with the
story. Presently the ghost turned
around and crossed the alley, and
asI am living man if there wasn't
a galley on the opposite case nearly
full. He dumped the stickful and
went back TO his case, and then 1