Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-03-06
THE TYPOS BANKER.
A GOODNATUREO MAN ON WHOM
THE PRINTERS IMPOSED.


acy-The Uses lie Made OF Property
Best Shylock That Any Composing Room
Ever Iiad-"Touclod" in Novel Ways.
Give never told you about Wallace
Egbert, the printer millionaire, have
II" asked the gentleman from the
south after his pipe was going. WAL
lace was a good printer, but he fell
heir to $4,000. Had it willed to him
all in lump. He was holding case
on the Louisville Courier-Journal at
the time, but Of course, a printer with
a bank account Of $4,000 couldn't
work, so he put on a sub for two
years while he spent 1t. He went into
the 'shylock' business for the boys.
Loaned them small sums at low rates
Of interest. Suppose you should come
to town broke and get put on the sub
list. l would say:
Brown, have you any money! and
when you would say No. l would
tell you, then we must go to Wallace
You would ask who Wallace was, and
I would tell you he was our shylock,
and we would go out and hunt him up.
When we met him l would say:
"'Col. Wallace, allow me to intro
duce you to my friend, Col. Brown
How do you do. Col. Brown.
am delighted to make your acquaint-
ance.' Wallace would say: DO you
expect to tarry with us?' You would
tell him you did and he would say:
livery glad to hear it, Col. Brown,
very glad to hear it. Then he would
say: Col. Wallace, my friend here
tells me that, as I am broke. perhaps
can negotiate q loan with YOU
Certainly, Col. Brown, certainly.
How much shall 1t be-? ...
You will reply IS, and he will pull
the sum out Of his pocket Then If
you give him half dollar every Mon
day you can keep the principal as long
as you like. He will never ask you
for it.
"TO show you how we would borrow
money l will relate one little incident.
Wallace went in away up society, and
on a certain night was at the opera
| with a young lady from Cincinnati.
| And that very night another friend
| and l wanted some money! We wrote
| letter to him asking for IS apiece,
| and then began looking for someone to
deliver it. In front of the theater we
met one Of the smoothest printers that
ever lived. He was easy in his man
ner, grew long, graceful beard and
could talk as we'll as the best con
man in the world. We showed him
| the note, and said:
If you can get this to Wallace
| there Is a dollar in it for you
20, yes, he could do that But we
told him, there Is Speaker at the
door, and you know no man ever got
| past him without the money or pass
Never mind that he replied. I can
work it. Well, We watched him
| through the door. Up he went to
Speaker and We could see him stroking
his whiskers and putting up his con
talk. And. after few minutes, he
passed into the theater. The rest was
told us by Wallace next day.
'He went down the aisle to the very
/ front row, where Wallace and the
young lady were seated, and az luck
would have it, there was vacant seat
next to them. He slipped Into it, care
| fully put his hat on the rack under the
| seat bowed to Wallace and extended
his hand. He was such a fine-looking
man there was nothing for Wallace to
do but introduce him to the lady. This
introduction was gracefully acknowl-
edged with a compliment, and he sat
there easily talking about the play and
actors But while engaging the atten-
ton of the young lady he leaned across
Wallace and. as he did so, and while
stroking his moustGche, he whispered:
Five for Jack and five for Bill.
Then he went on talking Wallace
secretly felt in his pocket got two SIS
bills and slipped them into his hands.
AS soon as he got the money he started
as If he suddenly remembered some
thing and said:
All! l just remember something /
had forgotten and must withdraw. !
hope you will pardon me for this sud-
den departure and that you will con-
tinue to enjoy the play, and with a
bow he went out. Next day Wallace
said he would kill us if we ever sent
a man after him again
But when his money began to run
short Wallace had to hide from us. He
moved into house once occupied by
John D. Ward, and we couldn't find
him for several weeks And when we
| did we couldn't get near him. The
girl was put up to lie and say he
wasn't at home. But about this time
he was having trouble to find a man
to dig field Of potatoes for his aunt
and one of us took advantage Of it,
Nine Of us were In the crowd and eight
Of us hid behind tool house while
the ninth went to the door. He had
his coat over his arm and a spade in
one hand and a hoe In the other. When
the girl came to the door he didn't ask
If Wallace was at home, but said:
~ want to see Col. Wallace about
diggin' them potatoes
THE girl was all smiles, for she
knew how much Wallace wanted
them potatoes dug, and shs invited
l. T.