The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-03-20
A C SPEC

wicked will in the harbor of Alexander
the capital town of n of our colonies
as we steamed into It on board the One,
in June, 1874. Binding rain pouret
pitilessly down. The whole OF the mag
nifcent sheet of water which forms th,
landlocked harbor was a seething mas,
Of foam, and as we rounded the innel
heads the D of the surf ON the Fri
tonga beach, which faces the entrance
to the harbor, was ominously distinct
Under the skillful guidance of our skip
per, Jock Maclean, Familiarity knowr
on the coast as He'll Fire. Jock, we fell
a way to the pier. ! had been spend
ing a long holiday in sightseeing. What
between Rctomahana and the Hot lakes
Sydney, Melbourne and Hobart Town,
when | landed on the pier at Alexander
l possessed three portmanteaus and I
shillings. However, / chartered q bug,
gy and drove with all the confidence Ii
the world to the Empire hotel.
Having done justice 10 an excellent
dinner, ] determined to hunt up an old
press comrade, Frank Clifford, who, ]
had heard, was the editor OF ths Alex.
ander Daily Post. The rain was com,
ing down with tropical vengeance, and
from all the numerous hills upon which
the Empire City, as they call it, is sit.
mated, miniature torrents Of water
poured down and inundated the re Arc
flat, the business portion OF the town.
It was an uninviting night, but the
stimulus OF an empty pocket overcame
my repugnance to quit the cheerful
halls OF host Moeller. Luckily the of.
fees Of The Post were close handy, 30
was not quite drowned by the time
was shaking Clifford by the hand.
He welcomed my advent In reassur
ing manner, which eased my mind
somewhat as to the inevitable mauvais
quart d'heure. We had the usual shop
talk. Fisher Of the GuIg0ng Adver-
tiser had died In q ft of delirium ire
mems, Clarke OF The Argus had been dis
missed for sending In q glowing crit
cism OF Q theatrical p~erformance which
had not taken place, Holloway Of the
Waillato Times was editing the Tauran-
Ga Trumpet, Dillon had rated and now
swore by Boyle, the premier or the day
Jock Danderaon had abandoned journal
ism and was keeping b public house.
and 30 forth. Then Master Frank di-
lated upon his own prospects. He had
but two complaints 30 make-hrstly, his
PROPRIETOR was an old brute; secondly,
his subeditor was q young fool. My en-
u~arfawao ia that .nnak naw,n~-~n~ 49,
prietors are old brutes, and that most
s~ubeditors are-not 80 wise ais they
would be thought. "Subeditori'' said
Frank. Hes excellent at the sdeyour-
ing element, : admirable nd casting d
gloom over the entire community and
altogether unapproachable when he has
10 record the fact that our esteemed
and enterprising fellow townsmen,
Stains 81 Kircaldie, have added to their
emporium q new shop front, which is d
credit TO the town and quite an orna-
ment to TIE Arc street. but, as to subed-
iting, he knows MS much about it as
Mount Cook does of q policeman"
Sympathizing deeply with my friend,
for !, too, had had bitter experience or
paste and scissors men, ! suggested that
perhaps on the whole 1t wouldn't be-
amiss IL Mr.. Mosely were sent about his
business and / were installed lin his
chair. Frank jumped at the idea, but
explained that the 'sold brute" had an
absurd q~uixotic belief In Mosely because
that eminent paste pottist, though NOT
q genius, was always sober.
Adeep plot was then concocted where
by the old brute was 10 be got round
and MoseIy circumvented. AS a part Of
this plan 1t raj arranged that ! should
attend q performance to be given that
evening at the Odd Fellows hall by
Professor Beda, who described himself
% the premier equilibrist tight rope
walker Of the world and champion
prestidigitator of the universe. I was
TO return to the Office and write as en-
cellent al account as I could. You'll
have, in fact" said Frank, ito fake
IL. And I did.
The rain waa still pelting down Id i
struggled to the nall. The roads we've
In places two feet deep ia water. What
with the wind, the rain and the DARK
ness Of the -streets-there was no gas iii
Alexander in those days-I had consid-
cradle difficulty In getting to the place
at all, but at last I reached 10, present
ed my ticket to an attendant who glared
at me as savagely as q baked hox
keeper and entered the com. The place
was well lighted, warm and comforfa-
BILE, and vas q pleasing contrast to the
horrors Of the night outside. A detect
ed looking pianist was playing q lively
tune, and all things were ready for the
feast. All things but one-the audi
ence. There wasn't q soul in the
place but myself. and / was d deadhead.
Seeing that 10 was now half past 8. and
that the performance should have ON
menced at 8, this did not look prornis-
ing. However, my business was "a re-
port the show, 80 down I sat and raad
the programme through half a dozen
times, dimly conscious the while that
the piano was informing me thaf
There wab d good time coming. boys.
only wait = little longer What with