The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-11
DROP OF INK FROM THE SKY
IT KNooKED DOWN NJ MAN ON
WHOSE COLLAR 1T FELL.

the Pen with which He Was Record
ing observation-disclosures Man's Cy-
clone Explanation OF the Ink Drop.
or course the storm OF the day before was
the leading topic Of conversation at the break
fast table on Thursday morning. The land
lady, with many q sigh and lamentation. told Of
the damage II had done to the awnings: tho
elderly maiden who goes in for cults described
the fearful drenching she had received while
returning umbrellaless from q lecture on the
infatuatlon Of the ancient Chaldnns for pepper
pickles, and the rich hay and feed dealer, rs
usual. grew reminiscent. He denied that a
sprinkle and a breeze. as he ~scornfully termed
It made up o real, bona nde storm, and told
again the story OF that atmospheric CONFUSION
which had blown wheat-straw into the bark Of
walnut trees on his uncle's farm in Hamilton
county. and dwelt at length upon that unfor-
tunate brood Of pullets which the Same mighty
blow had denuded OF feathers.
The travelling salesman said that whether a
storm was q storm or was not a storm depend
ed upon ones own judgment or previous
meteorological experience. The landlady might
look ut her damaged awnings and say to her.
self. This is q storm - the elderly maiden
might survey the dripping ruins OF her apparel
and say to herself. This is a storm" but the
rich hay aud feed dealer might look back on
those straw-stuck walnut trees and In
memory contemplate those naked pullets
and say to himself. This Ia not a storm"
Whosoeyer was right, it would require an
argument to prove 1t. and there was moth
WY. 50 be SsSiss' it A' could AID eGig~ Be- decided
In favor of one side. leaving the other side in
time OF both without profit to either. The rain
S g. 3 RC SGefp iatt. s sa9Y wwh hiisb had had S SssR e s0lG hi9
and substantiated in a. still more wonderful
bay and feed dealer and the humorous young
boarder gave audible expression 70 their mirth
IN for cutie game out alphabetically strong
for the travelling salesman and made several
middle classes" In refusing to admit OF forces
WHICH they failed ocularly to perceive.
Cling salesman. addressing the landiady. who.
as usual In all discussions or table discussions.
tRS5 e eoTsidO q of tEe papad nieStrSR otsi IN 4 6 3st Ia
three gentlemen. One was a ciyil engineer and
surveyor: ANOTHER was a well-known news
enlist. All were strangers to one another at
the time Of our meeting. and. in fact, hav-
t tRsem met to sRsR sinEi Xifte II was a I few who n SE3sshf
e0nversatiqn. while enjoying q pleasant
thirst, we discoyered that We were getting
cluded to foster our growing Intimacy by a
quiet little game of-of dominoes, maybe. only
and We're soon deep in the abso sishnEe int lGicn
oies Of q form OF amusement much in vogue
Nov. on the broad rolling collar which the
civil engineer wore was a huge black stain. I
was, surprised to see a man otherwise SO fault
portant accessory. and could not restrain the
INCLINATION OF my wondering eyes to rest upon
frequently my condemping glance ,strayed to
the, spot. for eventually he loosened his necktie
",.Gentlemen.' said he. before we 20 any
further. l want to tel! you OF one Of the most
unSanny. iHexplieable adventures that ever be
West, You have all. no doubt. remarked this
big black spot on my collar? q may say IN
fortableeJl Well. that spot is is the indeIib iS marx
clear sky-a sky as cloudless and blazing with
gun as ever an unfortunate mortal sheltered
beneath in Kansas. where | was at the time
this remarkable phenomenon occurred. Polite
ness, am aware. prevents you from laughing
surdity. OF which warrants your entire dis
belief; but after ! have related the circum;
Of my sincerity in believing the phenomenon
actually oeeq ,lSd ,s .,,a,nr >. .,o .o.
Greenwich and latitude So. no minutes. no
seconds; The time was ~ minutes 81 sec
section Of meridian and parallel. for at that
point is an engineers b%enchmark, from which
which maj strike you as trifing, or u~nneces:
sary. i remember. because / had just glanced
As far as the eye could reach not a cloud was
TO be seen. not a breath OF air was stirring.
@bitation was within Ave m les. Not a human
being was within the same d stance, for had
s ser ! the s msmesrs sS % my igf party st Pack a to t0Ta Tor or
AT this time and place. suddenly there came
flung me to the ground; Ash fell felt the
toll. Indeed. | imagined in the excitementot
the momentthat a small shot had struck me.
blow. It was all over in the tenth Of a second.
/ rose to T ny feet %,i instantly sta a Il g and d, Eb1 Eiad of the
drop as you sec It now--huge, mysterious and
irremovable. At FIRST 1 would not admit even
and attributed it to some human agency. But.
as l said, no one was within I'VE miles OF me to
descended from the skies. AS to its chemical
composition | know not. | have never had the
the interests OF science AMI METEOROLOGICAL re-
search l must do 50 shortly. Then 1 shall take
mo sooner had the civil engineer ceased to
epeak than the newspaper man jumped to his
can explain the mystery of your black
T noaf re&al H. S sTie Sapp ,Gfintleim IN tho th his,n is The n,
the West, That black mark on our friends
"iniT repeated the civil engineer, fairly
overwhelmed by establishment and incredulity.
How. could Ink possibly descend from the
skiesp'
the newspaper man. 'That drop OF ink which
struck your collar came directly from my PEN
but / thought at the time that newspaper man
could give. me cards and spades and little
casino and beat me out, He saw what position
hastened to set himself right.
AT the time you speak Of continued he to
sod on the open plain. Just i've miles from
where you stood. That pile OF sod had a stake
driven in It. evidently by one OF your party,
which discovered to me that l was directly on
the 31th parallel. five miles from longitude 100.
/ was writing q letter descriptive OF PopuIistic
emotions and their relation TO the rapid growth
OF whiskers, aud had Just raised my pen from
the ink bottle. ii invariably write from a bot
Tie, as fountain pens are 30 unsatisfactory As
! held the pen out to shake, a great drop of ink
IRON ls p44'hG;a ssbInenmGs fEe'U n sT TeI N an
and tossed me several feet away. | still re-
taiped possession Of the pen, and, mover losing