The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-04
He WAS PuNcTILIoua
And Eventually 1t Was the Means OF Saw
ing His Life.


And Eventually 1t Was the Means OF Saw
ing His Life.
Speaking of punctiliousness, said
Colonel Calliper, ''you remember 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 aft
er 6 O'Clock, he went claiming in even
ing dress? That seemed like carrying
things to extremes, but knew a much
more remarkable case than that-the
case of my friend, Joseph Timber Of
Storkvi11e Center, Vt.
''Mr. Timber always wore evening
dress wherever he might be, at home or
abroad, after O'Clock. There was in
deed period Of month or two in sum-
mer, after the Fourth Of July and until
the latter part of August, when, pune
tilious as he was, he considered it all
right to wear an informal costume at
home, but he never did this abroad at
any season, and at home, as August
waned and September drew near, he put
on evening dress again.
SIN the course of time Mr. Timbler's
health failed somewhat, and the doctors
prescribed for him 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 after 6 O'Clock.
There was no other passenger, but he
always appeared at the evening meal in
evening attire.
'tDown through the tropics, into the
low latitudes and round into the Pacific,
day after day and week after week, it
was always the same in all sorts of
weather, and after supper, if the wealth
OF permitted, Mr.. Timber sat on deck
in his swallowtail coat and broad ex-
panse Of shirt front and smoked his
evening cigar, an object Of great interest
to the silent sailor at the wheel.
''In the Pacific the ship that Mr..
Timber sailed on was wrecked. For
days she was waterlogged and unman-
ageable, but the captain chung to her till
the last with the hope that he might yet
save her, or that help would come. But
the time came when they had TO leave
her. The longboat, equipped and pro
visioned, had been kept ready, and when
at last longer delay was impossible tho
captain gave the order to leave the ship.
It was after O'Clock, and Mr.. Timber
stepped over the rail into his place III
the longboat in evening dress.
''For days they fioated on the ocean,
and at last their provisions gave out.
Then for days they starved, and then
they drew lots to see who should die.
The lot fell to Mr.. Timber. 1t was noon
when the lots were drawn; the killing
was set for O'Clock. Lots had 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 once Mr.. Timber was
not 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 without muir
muir, but he didn't like to be killed III
morning costume
s'The sailor carried his request for
ward, and after brief conversation it
was decided to give Mr. Timber time
As a matter of fact, Mr.. Timber had
been liked aboard the ship, both for
ward and aft. Notwithstanding his
puncti1iousness in the matter of dress, he
could look gale in the eye and he was
not afraid Of salt water. So it was felt
that this courtesy was due him, and the
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 seem altogether improbable that on
this occasion he was perhaps rather
more deliberate than usual He came to
the end at last, but while he was ar
ranging his tie and the man who was
waiting for him was sharpening his
knife on the gunwale, a shout was heard
from forward:
"'A sail A sail p New York Sun.