Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-05-31

tina. little room has elastic walls and
upon it, there comes time when for
every addition of knowledge you for
get something that you knew before.
1t is of the highest Importance, there
!. fore, not to have useless facts elbowing
out the useful ones"
"But the solar svstem.' ! protested.
"What the deuce is it to me2" he in
terrupted impatiently; you say that
we go round the sun. If we went
round the moon it would not make a
pennyworth of difference to me or to
my work"
was on the point of asking him
what that work might be, but some
thing in his manner showed me that
the question would be an unwe1come
one. 1 pondered over our short con-
versation, however, and endeavored to
draw my deductions from it. He said
| that he would acquire no knowledge
which did not bear upon his object.
| Therefore all the knowledge which he
possessed was such as would be useful
| to him. / enumerated in my own mind
all the various points upon which he
| had shown me that he was exception
| ally well informed. 1 even took a
pencil and jotted them down. could
not help smiling at the document when
| had completed it. Itran in this way:
SHERLOCK HoLMEs-his limits
| l. knowledge of Literature-NI
| = knowledge of PHILOSOPHICAL
| g. knowledge of Astronomy.-NiL
| L. knowledge of Politics.-Feeble.
| s. knowledge OF Botany.-Variable Well up
| in belladonna, opium and poisons generally.
| Knows nothing OF practical gardening.
| & knowledge Of Geology - Practical. but
| limited. Tells at glance different soils from
| each other After walks has shown me splasheS
| upon his trousers, and told me by their color
| and consistence in what par: OF London he had
| received them
T. knowledge of Neutrality-suspicious..
| g. knowledge of Anatomy.-Accurate,b but un-
| systematic.
q knowledge Of Sensational Literature -
| Immense. He appears to know every detail OF
every horror perpetrated In the century.
10 Plays the violin well
H. Is an expert single-stick player, boxer and
! swordsman.
| IL Has a good practical knowledge of British
| law.
When 1 had got so far in my list I
| threw it into the fire in despair. eff
can only find what the fellow is driv-
| ing at by reconcilipg all these accom-
plishments, and discovering a calling
| which needs them ALL" said to my
| self. Il may as well give up the at
| tempt at once"
see that have alluded above to his
powers on the violin. These were very
| remarkable, but as eccentric as all
| his other accomplishments. That he
| could play pieces, and difficult pieces.
| l knew we'll, because at my request he
has played me some of Mendelssohn's
| Lieder and other favorites. When left
| to himself, however, he would seldom
produce any music or attempt any rec
ognized air. Leaning back in his arm
chair of an evening he would close his
eyes and scrape carelessly at the fiddle
which was thrown across his knee.
| Sometimes the chords were sonor-
| Gus and melancholy. Occasionally they
| were fantastic and cheerful. Clearly
| they reflected the thoughts which
possessed him, but whether the music
| aided those thoughts, or whether the
playing was simply the result of a
whim or fancy was more than could
determine. 1 might have rebeiled
against these exasperating solos had it
not been that he usually terminated
them by playing in quick succession a
whole series of my favorite airs as a
slight compensation for the trial upon
my patience.
During the first week or so we had no
callers, and had begun to think that
my companion was as friendless man
as was myself. Presently, however,
I found that he had many acquaint
ances, and those in most different
classes of society. There was one lit
| tie, sallow, rat-faced, dark-eyed fellow
who was introduced to me as Mr.. Les
| trade, and who came three or four
| times in single week. One morning
a young girl called, fashionably
dressed. and stayed for half an hour or
more. The same afternoon brought a
gray-headed, seedy visitor, looking like
| a Jew pediler, who appeared to me to be
much excited, and who was closely fol-
lowed by slip-shod elderly woman.
| On another occasion an old white
haired gentleman had an interview
with my companion; and on another a
railway porter in his velveteen uni
form. When any of these nondescript
| individuals put in an appearance, Sher-
! lock Holmes used to beg for the use of
the sitting-room, and I would retire to
my bedroom. He always apologized
| to me for putting me to this inconven-
| fence. 81 have to use this room as q
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