Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1897-02-20
A NEWSPAPER MANS STORY.

TT seems but yesterday that old
Bill 1jams lurched into the once
= fell over a chair or two. sat MIN
Self down upon the edge Of my taDie'
and announced, with drunken gravity
that he was the best blank.dashed JoD'
printer that hit the pike.
"YesY" I said, briefly. glanc'ng up
from one Of the pungent paragraphs
that used to cause me 80 much amuse-
mcnt, vet were not appreciated ny tine
exchange editors Of the metropolitan
papers.
"Didn't I sny 30. young fellcrT he
asked, In an nggrleved tone. MS lie
reached for my box Of smoking toDnc'
co and slowed away handful OF 1t De.
hind his wealth Of bristling n'nstache
and whlskers. "Gimme n jObT' lie
added, closing one eye and viewing me
critically with the other. the while he
mastlcnted the tobacco.
We needed n man. SO ! called the
foreman.
"Give this man that bIll.hend Job OF
Dudiey's. Ed. and see what he can
do" said.
"Ill dcrn soon show ye what o Bill
en- do, young fcllcr." grumblcd Mr..
Ijnms. rs he rolled OF the table and
followed Ed. "Or Bill en- turn out
artistic work firm blacksmith shop
such e I take this Z be. sonny" with
n contcmptuous glance at the interior
Of the press and composing. room. Then
he hung up his coat. filed his old cob
pipc--with my tobacco--grabbed q
''stick," and went to work.
The proof Of that one-hOrsc bill.head
Job. when II was handed me, about
ce.quartcrs Of an hour later. filled
me with Joy. 1t vas a thing OF beauty
"A masterpiece.
do you want to stay here nwhile?'
I asked, having In mental Wow nu.
mcrous orders for jOb-w0rk on the
strength Of Mr.. ljam's unQucstionable
ability In TINT line. Bill was stanoing
with folded arms. lcering Mt me with
that one-cycd squirt Of his.
"Course--cf 20 en- stand my price,
"What Is III"
He named n figure about seven dol
lars a week higher tlnn felt We
could afford: but rs pOndcred over It,
he added, But I en- do more work
thin two ordinary men-ef git It Z
do"
"AM right" I said, finally. "wc'll try
II week." and I turned again to my
work.
Hold on" he said. II want Z make
n agreement with ye. Don't let me
have any money. can't stand pros.
pcrlty, &c see. So. q. yc'd jest's soon
stake me out mt some bOarlin' House.
an git me little eatin' and burnin' Z.
bacca. I'll be fixed"
This was agreed to. M wns also tho
request that I stake" him for another
drink. to STEADY his nerves." Thcn
Bill settled down to wOrk--and II ever
there was star Of tho first magnitude
In the jOb.printing line. he was that
same. took samples Of the first two
or three jobs he turned out, and with
these I sailed forth ana booked more
orders than we had received In mouths
past; but old Bill, slow In his move.
ments rs he was, proved equal to the
rush, and everything was done O,l
time, rs promised. Not only was ~
valuable In his working capacity, but
he kept us all amused with constant
How Of anecdotes, related In his Try
way In drn wiling voice. rendered hus
Ky by years Of dalliance with John
Barleycorn and tobacco.
He claimed to be. aud probably was
over GO years Of age. aud was walk
ing encyclopedia Of geographical infor
nation, having walked, he said. In cv
cry country ON the face Of the earth
where the English language Ii printed
or course no had worked on the New
York Tribune In Greeley's time. aud
was ono of the several thousand '0nly
men" who could readily decipher ''Old
HOrace's' copy. Cairo, Egypt, was Ont
Of the out-Of.the-way places he had
'held cases" In. and accordingly the
boys dubbed him "Africa," which 30
briquet he did not resent In tho least
He had been with us about a week
when. one morning, he slOuched into
the Office and dropped into chair neal
mo. For some time he puffed away
at his v!lo old pipe without speaking
but finally remarked. apropos Of moth
Ing:
"rell me 20 write some f'r maya
zines. nm SO on"
! admitted that ! possessed literary
aspirations.
"'F We want SIM rattlln' good plots.
said Bill. with some dlfiidence, II CT
I'LL ye full OF 'em. Make 'em up wher
I'm drunk r on tn road. Good ones
too"
"Yes?" said. wearlly-for ! had
spent many a dull hour with that VA
riety of bore with "A mttllng good
plot" to tell about. "Why don't yOu
write 'em yOurself?"
"Can't: amt sober long enough
said Bin. frankly. "Whcn ] am SO
Der, ! have T. work I tn trade, SOS I
git quick r'turns. But Ill tell you som.
OF 'em. Stay awhile, after they 20 (
press, some night. an Wen chaw til
rag"
With all due gratitude to Bin for bill
kindly interest In my affairs, aud thu
painstaking way In which he impaired
to me those plots of his upon which
such successful bits of fiction were t.
be builded, It must be said that his OF
forts to assist me We're frultless. Ethel
Bill sober forgot the principal features
OF the plots mapped out by Bill drunk
or his listener was singularly obtus'