Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-04-28
THE LtMCkiLN CLUE.
Sad Death 81 . Brother Who Was
"Looklne for Llsht."

Looming for Light.
As the heading of miscellaneous"
was reached in the regular order Of
business, Brother Gardner arose and
said: my frens, hev letter yere
from q pusson in Kentucky who axes
what thinks Of the GUILD man who
owns thirteen dawgs an keeps
'em in luxury and lets his wife go
widout shoes de var round. At de
fust send of a pusson might call It q
brutal exhibition Of de sentiment
which prevailed in de dark Ages, but
de mo- yo' thinks Of It the less yo' feel
like pitchin into dat niger. Oar am
many things too be token into consid.
erashun. Mebbe dat man raises dawgs
to sell, an as de dawg market Is purity
fat list at present he am holdin on
fur raise. Dat would be only biz.
ness. Mebbe dar am thieves an rob-
bers around dar, an he finds 1t neces.
sary to keep thirteen dawgs to protect
his family.
"Dis letter dom say dat de wife
has made any complaints. Even II
she had we all know dat wimen are
mighty onsartin. Ize met up wild
some OF 'em who'd chop out cotton
In white kid shoes, an agin fze
found cases whar dey insisted on
gwine barefoot in Jinuary. Things
like this yere must be left to fam
lily. II a family prefers thirteen
dawgs to sealskin sacks, diamond
earrin's an silk dresses, dat's DER
bizness. I has visited at de cabin
Of Guild man whar dey had three
dowgs under cherry bed in de house,
and TO- cats howlin' at de back. doah,
an I has visited Mt cabin whar not
q cat or dowg could be found. Hap-
piness 'peared to reign In one place
us much as de odder. Dis Kentucky
woman may inioy gwine barfut. 1t
may be dat she got six pairs Of French
heel shoes In de house, but doan'
keer fur style. Until all dc facts In
de case am bcfo' me I should not
! like to glib decided answer.
ut am also my painful dooty at
dis time to announce de death Of
Brother Rainbow johnson on dc Staff
of Tennessee. Brudder johnson
war 'lected a member Of dis club ODER
five vars ago, an has orften met wild
us, an ailus took vivid interest In
our proceedin's. Many Of yo' will
remember him as de inventor OF de
johnson kerosene method as he
called 1t, an 1t was dat VERY method
which finally brung about his death.
His method, as he explained 1t to me
arter had lent him fifty cents an
won his confidence, was to rise from
his bed Mt midnight, take his trusty
kerosene can under his arm, an un.
der kiver OF darkness, an steppin'
very high an softly, purceed to dc
highest grocery. In many small
towns, as yo' perhaps know, dc
grocer leaves his bar'l OF kerosene
outdoahs. When Brudder johnson
reached the bar'l, he was purvided
wild a gimlet an funnel. II de
BARI had been tapped, 1t was al
right; II It hadn't been, he used d.
gimlet, and In dc co'se Of few min
It's transferred two gallons Of lie from
de bari to dc can. Den he plugged
up dc hole an walked softly home
an made NIL de dark corners OF hi,
ole cabin as light as day. Dc nay
burs used to wonder ut his extrav
agance, an dc grocers used to d.
some terrible kickin' agin short
measure to dc merchants Of Cincin
; natl.
"a few nights ago Brudder John
son riz up from his bed ut do usua
hour. His kerosene can was emit!
and must be filed. He left his wifi,
and children sound asleep an kisset
'em goodby. As he skated softl!
frew the darkness he invented tw,
other methods-one to get his vine
gar and de odder to git his 'lasses II
dc same way as he did his kerosene
He knowed' zactly whar he was gwin'
to, an In due time he got dar VIII
boat feet to once. A fresh bar'l o
kerosene sot by the back doah o
Misser Stebbins' grocery, an as d.
bells struck de solemn hour O. mid
night Brudder johnson might hev BIZ
seen fussin wild dat bar'l. In fact h
was seen. Misser Stebbins had 60
on to his method in some way, an,
hid hisself In nearby shed. Mise
Stebbins had a shotgun wild him ant
was wide awake. Bout the tim
Brudder Johnson began to bore vii
his glmlet Misser Stebbins begal
to shoot wild his shotgun, an 1t an
needless fur me to add dat de place
which once knowed our fellow mem
Der now knowed him no mo-. II
was shot with a handful O. birdshot
and when Misser Stebbins got to hin
his soul had winged its flight 10 odde
lands.
MY fren's, In de midst Of lif
we am in death. The torped
chicken an de shotgun warn us da
we know not what night may brln
: forth. We will set aside q page Il
memory OF de deceased, but we won
pass any perticklar resolushuns O.
dc subject. De widow OBJ our lat
brudder has written to ask US fur d
sum Of $25 with which to buy
gravestun. While We sympathiz
with her In her great bereavement
we can't forward the money. It.
agin our cOnstitushun. De secretar
will advise her to erect headbO''
and paint on 1t, He sleeps well
; and let matters stop right dar. Pei
haps Misser Stebbins hisself woul
be willin' to furnish de bod, bein
,, as he will save at least two bar'ls &
kerosene q year from now on. W
will now put out do fab In de stow
; and 60 home. IN. Quad, in Ne
| Work. RacOrdar