Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-08-21
HE MAs PuNcrlLIous.
And Eventually It Was the Means of Saw
 ing HIA Life.


 ing His Life.
 "Speaking of panctiliousness, said Colonel Calliper, "you remember my telling you some time ago about a man who was so particular about his dress that at q watering place where he was staying, the tide happening to serve aft CT o'clock, he went clamn;ng in yeIi- ing dress? That seemed like carrying things to extremes but 1 knew much more remarkable case than that-the case of my friend, Joseph Timber of StOrkville Center, Vt.
 "Mr. Timber always wore evening dress wherever he might be, at home or abroad, after 6 o'clock. There was in deed period of month or two ill 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.
 ''In the course of time MT. Timbler's health failed somewhat, and the doctors prescribed for him long sea voyage. He sailed from New York for trip around the Horn to San Francisco. Aboard ship, as everywhere else, he wore evening dress after o'clock. There was no other passenger, but he always 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 always the same ill all sorts of weather, and after supper, if the wealth CT permitted, MT. 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.
 'tIn the Pacific the ship that MT. Timber sailed on was wrecked. For days she was waterlogged and unman- ageable, 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 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 the captain gave the order to leave the ship. It was after o'clock, and MT. Timber stepped over the rail into his place in 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 MT. Timber. It was noon when the lots were drawn; the killing was set for o'clock. Lots had been drawn for this task too, and at o'clock the sailor upon whom the lot had fallen came aft, knife in hand, to where Mr. Timber sat. For once Mir. Timber was not ill 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 a mur- mur, but he didn't like to be killed i'll morning costume.
 "The sailor carried his request for ward, and after brief conversation it was decided to give MT. Timber time As matter of fact, MT. Timber had been liked aboard the ship, both for ward and aft. Notwithstanding his punrtiliuu>neSs in the matter of dress, he could look a gale ill 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. MT. Timbler Was as deliberate as he was precise, and it does not seem altogether Improbable that on this occasion he was pelhaps 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 eunwale, a shont was heard from forward:
 "'A sail! A sail '''-New York Sun.