The Somerset reporter., 1896-02-27
LOOKED LIKE A LIAR.
BUT THIS WAS A CASE WHERE LOOKS
WERE MISLEADING.

A Little Irishmen Who Claimed Acquaint-
Employer. Who Was Used to the Gloves,
, Disputed the Claim.
Il was reading clever little sketch
the other day about man who told big
stories which were not believed by bis
acquaintances, and 1t reminded me of
an experience l lad once when | was
considerably younger, remarked Rob
ert ID. Wilson, the active Orleans county
politician, when III "a reminiscent mood
the other day.
1T was like this: About the first
contract ever took was one to build q
church i'll a small town III western New
York near Lake Ontario. My partner
and | employed good force of men,
and among others "a good natured, rather
dapper little Irishman, who applied for
work shortly after we got the walls
started.
lie was not skilled workman, hut
good, active helper. and he struck me
at the time as being one of the most en-
tertaining and cheerful liars it had ever
been my pleasure to meet. One Of his
favorite tales Was to the effect that he
was for three years trainer and boxing
partner of the famous pugilist Jem
Mace and had seconded the one time
champion i'll two of his most notable
battles He ratified off names, places,
dates and incidents in the most otfhand
manner imaginable, which, as we had
no means of verifying his statements,
he was perfectly safe i'll doing. OF
course we took what he said with "a
large grain Of salt and enjoyed drawing
him out.
Zone thing about the old fellow
struck me as peculiar-we could never
induce him under any consideration 10
join in any of the friendly little spar
ring contests which we Onally ILL
dulged in at the little country hotel,
after our days work was done. By no
subterfuge could we induce him to stick
his hands in the big mittens, although
he was always present at our exercises
and took delight III making sighting
comments upon our skill.
This got rather mOnOtOnous after
awhile, and we set about devlslng "a
plan for teaching the old fellow les
son. When he was sober, we knew there
was no chance of getting the gloves on
him, but he usually got moderately full
Oh Saturday evenings, and we cUneocted
scheme to give him an earlier start
one Saturday afternoon, so that by tho
time supper was over he was consider
ably exhilarated. [ was just out Of II
gymnasium at the time. and was coli
sidered pretty clever boxer. The boyt
all went to work at him, and Hter =
good many drinks and Il lot of coaXlna
and cajolipg they finally got him to put
on the gloves and spar bit with me.
Sail in, Larry, | said. Don t be
afraid TO hit me. And L winked at tho
boys and went at him He was easier
than expected His guard seemed very
poor, and several times | raped him
harder than [ should, but it seemed a
good plan to teach the old blowhard Il
good lesson. After awhile | got bi.
tired of the one sidedness of it. | regis
tered about every time / found an open
ing, while the Irishman $ punches were
all wild and of no account. Finally /
decided that we had had fun enough
and made up my mind to give him II
good chinchopper. lay him out and quit.
So | watched for an opening. and when
| saw ono minute later, AIMED II
heavy blow as | could strike and LET
80.
well, say, don't know even TO this
day what became Of that punch, for at
hot HING O. rnck N
the neck, and for the next 80 seconds
experienced all of the sensations Of bon
Quixote when he had the mix up with
the windmill, for that little lrlshman
was dancing around me and delivering
undercuts, overcuts, chin choppers, side.
winders. eaImuffs, straight drives and
long arm body blows faster than | could
feel them, while | paved the air i'll an
attempt at defense.
Il think the boys said 1t was AZ sec
onds before l was lying i'll the corner,
limp and entirely out, but 1t was three
days before | was out-at work again.
/ was sorry to find that the agile little
hishman had disappeared Immediately
after / dropped asleep. He evidently
feared trouble, but | never would have
made any. In fact, I'd have liked to
take few lessons from him, but I've
never had the mitts on from that day to
this.
81 don't know now whether that lit
tie Irishman was telling the truth or
not, but | have my suspicious about the
matter. Medina IN. " Cor New
York Press.
Easily Busted.
The business depression of the past
few years has been the evolution of IA
large crop Of employment seekers. One
of them last week accosted a gentleman
in this city. He was ragged, dirty, good
natured, evidently hungry enough to
eat COW if it were in his way. But his
soft slouchiness of gait rendered any
active exertion ON his part highly i'm
This u q Il