The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-04
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. Brewers Romance :
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When BrOWer IiSl came " 10 hV
said he was twenty-one, but looked sew
entcen. Brewer had weak eyes ana
pulled the front of HE gray crush hat
down to protect them. lie also had
a weak larynX, aud pulled his brown
collar up to protect that. FurtherInore
he looked 50 green that the funny par
agrapher chuckled as he remarked that
one would expect 10 see Il COW follow
ing MIN.
The title of Brewers position on the
great western daily which allowed us
to live by earning living was first
assistant apprentice in the art depart
ment. His salary wns small, but Brow
rr said it paid his board, and that was
pretty good Brewer never grew en-
,husiastic. He seldom spoke unless
spoken to. His answers were then us
ually the shortest of sentences.
The first information he was known
to volunteer was one day when Shad-
rach. Meshach and Abednego would
gladly have remained in the fiery fur
mace through mere matter of COM
venience Then Brewer remarked that
it was pretty warm
Coming from the far northwest, the
warmer climate benefited his weak
larynx and his voice grew stronger.
A rise in salary spurred him into get
ting a hard brimmed straw hat
AS his voice waXed less feeble he
grew less dinident. Underneath that
quiet eXterior was concealed some thing
which, if properly sounded, revealed
the true ring of manhood. with an echo
ing smack of Bohemianism.
Now, an artist was no exception to
the general rule on our paper, but he
Quit at IL y. M, as did most of the
desk men. So one night the man who
worked at the next table and myself
asked Brewer to come and Join us.
Although We had never seen Brewer
imbibe-in fact, we had never seen him
do anything outside of the art depart
ment-we We're not surprised to see him
drink a beer. But later in the evening,
after we had hied ourselves to a var
iety theater for the purpose of showing
Brower some of the town, We We're sur
prsed.
1t was sort of beer garden and con-
cert hall combined, where the voice of
the waiter could be heard persuasively
and continually crying out: Somebody
tell me something. What is it? Two
beers; yes, sir, right away! Make it
three! Who else wants beer"
The Golding sisters i'm Cstage) news
boy costume, clean gingham shirts,
black knee breeches and bright green
stockings, in song besOught the weary
capitalist standing in the wings to pur-
chase Police Gazettes and Clippers A
lightning change brought them out
again in characters of bold Irish lads
Just from DER the sea" Miss Mamie
Gray Norton warbled Miss Mamie Les
lie furnished "a little harmony and
Ward and Van Rensselaer, rendered
negro songs.
During the whole time Brewer spoke
not.
We'll, how do You like it, Brower?"
asked Mac.
"Oh, pretty well. Which one do you
think sings worst" replied he.
After that nothing Brewer did or said
surprised us.
DO you ever keep any sketch books ?''
] asked him one day.
Yes, | have one" he replied,
Bring it down and let me see it,
said J.
Next day he brought the book. II
contained twenty seven sketches, exc,
with envy. The sketches were of one
dog in as many different positions.
| pored over the book with the inter.
est of a naturalist discovering a new
animal or an astronomer a new star
We could draw a dog in several posi-
tiOns. but how any man could see
dog in twenty seven positions and draw
It was beyond us.
We had ceased to wonder at Brewer
He was an enigma not to be solved, 81
we gave up guessing. But we traced
those dogs and put them in our refer
ence book marked animals"
There was at that time certain res
taurant not unknown to most Of II
where meal could be had for fifteel
cents. Brewer was a steady custome
and regularly bought commutatiol
ticket, which called for seven meals 70
dollar. Perhaps the forty cents h
thereby saved a month was not so mucl
an inducsment as the pretty blond
waitress.
She said Brewer was an awfully mic
customer to wait on. He never kicked
lie was the quietest and politest youn
man she had ever seen.
And them's the kind of customers
like TO serve"
He was polite enough to pardon he