Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-01-08
> aJsgB4
Snow enough to help out the wheel

Lewiston Sun: With his. $500 clock
retiring Governor Cleaves can always
be sure of good time.
Perhaps some of our readers know
Just what the Whitneyville correspon-
dent for one of our exchanges meant
when he wrote this: Ed Palmer is now
spending his evenings going from
house with a pillow case and balances
weighing cats. He is taking sort of
cat census and expects to leave
record of numbers and average weight
that future generations may determine
whether the cat race are advancing
toward the ape according to the Dar-
win theory, or whether they are likely
to degenerate into the tad pole. The
weight thus far is from 81. to IL
pounds.
Lewiston Sun: Lewiston's laws re-
tgarding the scattering of handbills and
other advertising matter in the public
streets should be enforced at once.
Lisbon street on Saturday resembled a
fair ground after the fair had closed its
business. The brisk winds gathered
the thousands of small dodgers, hand
bills and refuse and swirled them in
showers against pedestrians and build
ings, so that at times one had to pick
his way through dense cloud of flying
paper and refuse carelessly thrown into
the street. There is no reason why this
thing should be allowed to go on as in
the past and the authorities should see
that the indiscriminate distribution of
handbills about the city streets should
be promptly stopped. -
A story recently told of how Maine
detective recovered a lost overcoat, re-
minds the Eastern Argus of the eXpe-
rience of a former Paris man who was
holding a government position in a
Maine city some years ago. He was
much troubled. as many other people
are by losing umbrellas. Finally he
got one and had a section of the black
cloth covering between two ribs re-
moved and replaced by blue cloth. This
umbrella disappeared as others had
done. and thereafter our government
official on rainy days would spend
much time standing at the window and
looking down the street. One day he
got his eye on that umbrella several
blocks away. Without stopping for
hat, coat or rubbers he bolted out of
the door and down the street and over
taking the man who was carrying the
umbrella, seized him from behind, eX-
claiming, "D--n you. / want my UNI
brella." The man who made this per-
emptory demand was a big. broad
shouldered fellow. and the other. taken
by surprise, was so badly scared that
he didn't dare to open his mouth. but
gave up the umbrella in a hurry. and
our government official. without saying
another word. returned to his office
with his recovered property.
John A. Willard of Lisbon. though
veteran of the war who saw hard SER
vice is yet a very youthful appearing
man. When on an excursion TO some
of the Southern battlefields, he was at a
banquet in one of the Southern cities,
Mr.. Willard was approached by
Southern man. who drawled out that
he supposed that like as not ''you-un
will be claimin' to be a veteran. The
mans manner and speech plainly indi-
Gated that he wouldn't believe it If Mr..
Willard should claim it and, further
than this, it was rather netting to
Northern pride. Mr.. Willard said noth-
ing until the Southern gentleman had
fully delivered himself, and then he
finally said, Yes, sir. l was in the
army" What. you a veteran?' was
the reply. What did you do" Mr..
willard looked around the hall and out
on the street. and finally he said. Well,
sir III tell you one thing I did do 1
marched through this blarsted town OF
yours five times with a Northern mus
bet on NV shoulder" The man sub