The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-09-04
VWm} A LA WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER4 1896 mo IS
JOSEPH riMsLER.
An Incident In tho Life Of . Man Of funts
i tllious Habits.

An Incident In tho Life of . Man Of funos
tilious Habits.
"speaking Of punctiliousness,"
said Colonel Calliper. "you remem.
Der my telling you some time ago
about a man who was so particular
about his dress that at a watering
place where he was staying, the tide
happening to serve aftor O'clock,
he went clamtning in evening dress!
That seemed like carrying things to
extremes, but / knew a much mora
remarkable case than that-the oass
of my friend, Joseph Timber Of
Storkville Centre, Vt.
"Mr. Timber always wore even-
ing dress wherever he might beat
home or abroad-after 6 o'clock.
There was indeed a period of a
month or two in summer, after the
Fourth of July and until the latter
part of August, when, punotilious
ms he was, he considered it all right
to wear all informal costume at
homo, but he never did this abroad
at any season, and at home, as Au-
gust wancd and September drew
near, he put on evening dress again.
"In tho course of time Mr.. TIM
bler's health failed somewhat, and
the doctors prescribed for him a
long sea voyage. He sailed from
New York for a trip around the
Horn to San Francisco. Aboard
ship, as everywhere else, he wore
evening dress afterse O'Clock. There
was no other passenger, but he al
ways appeared at the evening meal
in evening attire. Down through
the tropics, into the low ATTITUDES
and round into the Pacific day after
day and week after week it was al
ways the same in all sorts of wealth.
or, and after supper, if the weather
permitted. Mr.. Timber sat on deck
in his swallowtail coat and broad
expanse Of shirt front and smoked
his evening cigar. an object Of great
interest to the silent sailor at the
wheel.
I'm the Pacific the ship that Mr..
Timber sailed on was wrecked. For
days she was waterlogged and un-
manageable, but the captain clung
to her till the last with the hope
that he might yet save her Or that
help would come. But the time
camo when they had to leave her.
The longboat, equipped and provi-
stoned, had been kept ready, and
when at last longer delay was inn
possible the captain gave the order
to leave the ship. It was after 8
o'clock, and Mr.. Timber stepped
over the rail into his place in the
longboat in evening dress.
For days they hoated on the
ocean, and at last their provisions
gave out. Then for days they starv-
ed, and thcn they drew lots to seq
who should die. The lot foil to Mr..
Timber. 1t was noon when the lots
were drawn. The killing was set
for 6 o'clock. Lots bad been drawn
for this task, too, and at 6 o'clock
the sailor upon whom the lot had
fallen came aft, knife in hand, to
where Mr.. Timber sat. For onoe
!, Mr.. Timber was net in evening
dress at the hour, though when he
saw the sailor approach he knew
that the hour had come when he
! ought to be. He asked for time to
/ dress. He had accepted the lot with
out a murmur, but he didn't like to
be killed III morning costume.
"The sailor carried his request
forward, and after a brief converse
{ ton it was decided to give Mr.. Tim.
{ bier time. AS a matter of fact, MIR.
Timber had been liked aboard the
ship both forward and aft. Not
/. withstanding his punctiliousness III
: the matter of dress. he could look
+ q gale in tho eye, and he was not
afraid of salt water. So it was felt
that this courtesy was due him, and
4 tho sailor went back and told him
he would have time to dress. Mr..
Timber was as deliberate as he was
: precise, and it does not see alto
gether improbable that on this occa.
sion he was perhaps rather more de
liberate than usual. He came to the
end at last, but while he was ar
( ranging his tic and the man wbt
was waiting for him was sharpening
Is his knife on the gunwale . shou'
q was heard from forward:
'. "a sail! A sail! New Yorl
s. Sun.
Finger Nail Growth Of . Lifetime.
;. The statistical man who can tel
;, You how many pounds Of leathc
70 you wilt wear from your shoes in
lifetime and how many tons Of foo
you will eat, providing you live t
the Biblical limit of "threesoore an
ten" has just finished some odd sta
70 -L ~