The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-09-26
JOSEPH TIMBER.
An incident In the Life of a Man of Pune
tiIicus Habits.

Speaking of punctiliousness,
said Colonel Calliper you remem.
Der my telling you some time ago
about man who was SO particular
I about his dress that at a watering
place where he was staying, the tide
happening to serve after + o'clock,
he went claiming in evening dress?
That seemed like carrying things to
| extremes, but knew much moro
remarkable case than that-the case
of my friend, Joseph Timber of
Storkville Centre, VT.
Mr. Timber always wore even
ing dress wherever he might beat
home or abroad-after o'clock
There was indeed a period of d
| month or two in summer, after the
Fourth of July and until the latter
part of August, when, punctilious
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 Au-
gust waned and September drew
near, he put on evening dress again.
In the course of time Mr. Tim
bler'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 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
er, 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 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 provi-
stoned, had been kept ready, and
when at last longer delay was i'm
possible the captain gave the order
to leave the ship 1t was after 6
O'Clock, and Mr.. Timber stepped
over the rail into his place in the
longboat in evening dress.
For days they floated on the
ocean, and at last their provisions
gave out. Then for days they starv-
ed, 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 6 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
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 with
out a murmur, but he didn't like to
be killed in morning costume.
1.-The sailor carried his request
forward, and after brief converse
| ton it was decided to give Mr.. Tim
bier time. AS matter of fact, Mr..
Timber had been liked aboard the
ship both forward and aft. Not
withstanding his punctiliousness in
the matter of dress, he could look
a 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 alto
gether improbable that on this occa
sion he was pefhaps rather more de
liberate 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 shout
was heard from forward:
A sail! A sailr New York
! Sun
, Nail ~ Il