The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-31
RIlL GAVE HIM A PLOT.
r.,o1ITOrs OLD TRAMP PRINTER
PROVES TO BE A HERO.
-, uc sacrificed His Life to Red
Devils in order to save the ne
siercd Garrison.

siPEed NElEEAsohs
From the Argonaut.
-, Inns hut Yesterday that old Bill
,,r,bed into the office, fell over
- mr. TWO sat himself down upon the
,, If NV table, and announced, With
5-,rteu gravity, that he was the best
,.,r.,-sashed Job printer that hit the pike.
..,-oeo" said. briefly, slancing up from
oos Of the pungent paragraphs that used to
lan.s me 50 much amusement, yet were
III annrcciated by the exchange editors
Of the metropolitan papers.
.Didn't say so, young feller?' he ask
sl in an aggrieved tone, as he reached for
r,,. box of smoking tobacco and slowed
NOV handful of it behind his wealth of
t-f.,liro. nustache and whiskers. Gimme
,ob2o he added, closing one eye and view
;... me critically with the other, the while
H. masticated the tobacco.
We needed a man, SO l called the fore
man
ocye this man chat bill head job OF Dud-
lows 3D. and see what he can do l said.
Urn deru soon show We what OF Bill en-
do Young feuer," grumbled Mr. Ijams, as
he rolled off the table and followed Ed.
Dor hin en- turn out artistic work firm
blacksmith shop-such S 4take this t. be,
SAMMY" with cOntemptuous glance at the
interior of the press and composing room.
Then he hung up his coat, filled his old cob
pipe-With my tobacco-Sfappea sIicA'
and went to work
TIE nroof of that one-horse bill head JOB,
when il was handed to me, about three
olarters of an hour later, filed me with
iov II was a thing of beauty-a master
piece
90 YOU want to stay here awhile?" I
asked, having in mental view numerous
orders for job work on the strength of Mr..
Iams unques tiOnable ability in that
line. Bill was standing with folded arms,
leering at me with that one-eyed squint
Of his.
"'Course-ef We en- stan my price"
what is it?'
He named a figure about 81 week high
or than l felt we could afford; but as I
ponlered over it he added: But I en- do
more work thin two ordinary men-ef
git it t. do.
"Al right I said, finally; wen try it
week" aud 1 turned again to my work.
Hold on" he said, Il want t make n
agreement with We. Don't let me have
any money. I can't stand prosperity, ye
see So eff ye'd iest's soon stake me out
eadn' an burnin t'bacca I'll be fixed.
This was agreed to. as was also the re-
quest that / stake" him for another
drink to STEADY his nerves" Then Bill
8 settled down to work-and If ever there
was a star of the first magnitude in the
job printing line he was that same. l
took samples of the first two or three jobs
he turned out, and with these I sailed
forth and booked more orders than we
had received in months past; but old Bill,
SLOW in his movements as he was. proved
equal to the rush, and everything was
done on time, as promised. Not only was
he valuable in his working capacity, but
ne KEEP. Us all amused with a constant
flow of anecdotes, related in his dry way
IN drawing voice, rendered husky by
wears of dalIauce with John Barleycorn
ana tobacco.
Tie claimed to be, and probably vas.
over I'D years of age, and was a walking
encyclopedia OF geographical information,
having walked, lac said, in every country
90 The face OF the earth where the English
language is printed. Of course he mad
worked on the New York Tribune in Gree
4 ley time, and was one of the several
f thousand only men" who could readily
ee'lpher "old Horace's" copy. Cairo,
Egypt Was one OF the out-of-the-way
places he had held cases" in, and accord
4 nsly the boys dubbed him Africa"
"hlch soorIquet he did not resent in the
4 least
He had been with us about a week. when
one morning he slouched into the office
ana dropped into a chair near me. For
sVihe time he puffed away at his vile Old
ppe without speaking, but finally remark
ed, apropos Of nothing:
IeH me We writes some FIR magazines,
an soon on"
! admitted that possessed literary as
prauOns
ye want SIM rattIin good plots"
a'1 bHl with some diffidence, Il en- fill
~ luIl or en-. Make 'em up when I'm
"a , on tn road. Good ones, too
les' J. said, weariy-for l had spent
uaiE a dull hour with that variety of
g ~e "4la rafting good plot" TO tell
r5o. ny don't you write 'em your
an q amt never sober long enough"
1l' Blil, frankly. When l am sober
.ale work tn trade SOS t. git quick
lAS. But tn tell you some of 'em.
Fl FIX d"Alle a.ter they go to press some
Il dr5 "C am we II chaw tn rag" With al
@ gratitude to Bill for his kindly inter-
e 'u my dHairs, and the painstaklng way
4 "u'A ne impaired to me those plots Of
M 'loH Whch such successful bits Of fic-
I were TO be builded, it must be taid
ri H'5 efforts TO assist me were fruitless.
i'l on sober forgot the principal feat
4 Or tt. ,,Ha pots mapped out by BIZ drunk
4 rr3 listener was singularly obtuse end
,,' 70 see things as Bill himself did At
g,s '"'e' ! am not going to tel what be-
I tg ol the three or four manuscripts in
81 bo5tH some of old Bilrs ideas were en-
's saddened Bill and made him mo-
lAe last straw came in The shape of
r,'I rom an editorial friend who had
r,..u,N number of sketches of mine.
''".l ne frankly stated his private opin-
, , nav must have an awful nerve to ex-
4lh to read such rot. much less pub
n.s / handed the letter TO Bill He
md Oh silence, then. with some urid
1r,-i directed al editors in general.
ana LETT the Office.
clock Ia the afternoon he came
r,1 D trunk ana abusive, and wanted what
was due him. / tried 10 disgiade
vbdo ''NNs him to stay with the Office
~ with YOU an tn officer he roar
p Gimme my timer
WAN, .He banks closed Bill" I blended
81 ac'y lew dollars DO until tomorrow
y. '-iny-time-nowr
81 dfI,at,.. "uJ. cashed a check with some
non ''' ana came back and gave Bin his
n1rn.u,. He went out growing. Next
"a G bls'i1, le came In, showing the effects
81 N'NdlluH and coz 49,.