The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-05
M HOTEL C0RRID0Rs.


said an ex-newspaper man at the Cope
land, but I believe that some of the
greatest mirth provoking incidents IT
has been my pleasure to witness were
occasioned by men who We're more or
less intoxicated. When / was in the
newspaper business there was a theory
that every good man. no matter in what
department he was employed, was nee
essarily drinking man, and, unless the
man was an habitual drunkard, little or
no objection was made to his drinking.
That most of the bright men in the pro-
fesSiOn did drink is a matter of his
tory, but doubt very much If the habit
made them any better, and know that
a number of them failed because of too
great indulgence and others died from
its effects But to return to the amusing
incidents which spoke of. i was work.
ing on a paper down in a boom town
in 1887 and at that time experienced
newspaper men were in demand, for
new dailies were springing up all over
the country like mushrooms. The paper
on which was employed was short
handed and, after a lot of trouble, Sc
cured telegraph editor named Mont
gomery from somewhere in the east
With him came a reporter who had
worked in the same Office with the tele-
graph editor They became great
friends as neither knew a soul in the
town and they naturally sought each
others society. Montgomery was a very
dignified appearing man; straight, tall,
with a pointed mustache and goatee
tuckian and wore the traditional SLOUGH
hat of the men from that state. Mont
gomery also followed the traditions of
his native state in the matter of drink
ing, although he did not drink to ex-
cess, and it would be impossible to tell
from his demeanor that he ever took a
drink. One day Montgomery and his
friend, the reporter, took day on,
and that day marked his fall. He had
been well received by the people of the
town, and cut quite a figure socially,
but on the day he took the lay off he
queered himself forever. They got
sight to behold. They came up to the
Office in the evening, the reporter act
ing as most intoxicated men do, talk
ing loud and laughing, but Montgom-
cry retained his dignity through 1t ALL
He would OCCASIONALLY reprimand his
friend for his conduct, while it was inn
possible for him to sit on a table with
out swaying like a tree in gale. His
coat was buttoned tightly and in his
endeavor to keep his mustache in order
he had pulled one waxed end down
while the other pointed straight up HIS
clothes were dusty and showed traces OF
mud. When he finally decided to leave
the Office two of the boys followed, for
they feared he would fall down the
stairs and that is just what he did.
He seemed to let loose when he took the
first step and rolled down like ball,
sprawling on the sidewalk in a well
lighted street. The boys ran down and
hastened TO assist him to his feet As
soon as he regained an unsteady foot
ing he pushed them back, saying in his
most dignified manner: Stand back,
gentlemen; need no assistance. That
is the way I always come down stairs .
ct see by the papers that the coal sup
ply of England has been about exhaust
ed, and that they are now purchasing
their fuel in the United States" said
Californian at the National who was
here today on business. IF the Eng
lish mines do give entirely out we can
supply them for years to come from the
inexhaustible fields of the east and
south, but at present the English must
be having about the same experience
we of the Pacific coast have had The
one great drawback to the western coast
country is the lack of fuel OF course
there is plenty of timber, but that does
not take the place Of coal when 1T comes
to make steam for big engines The
expense of fuel has kept down all at
tempts at large manufacturers OF an
kinds The nearest coal fields are IN
New Mexico and the haul is long with
virtually no competition. vessels which
co4l on the coast have to pay an enor-
nous price for their fuel. This lack OF
coal has injured the growth of Califor-
MIA more than any one thing. When the
oil wells were first sunk in Los Angeles
and it was found that crude petroleum
could be had in unlimited quantities the
people were jubilant, for at that time it
was believed that crude petroleum could
be successfully used as fuel. The
Southern California and Southern Pa
cifc railroads had engines rebuilt so
that the crude oil could be used as
fuel under the boilers, but it was not a
complete success. The oil, which IS
black and thick, almost like tar, Is
forced in fine stream from a feed pipe
and mixed with a spray of superheated
steam. 1t makes a fierce heat, and mas
the advantage of making no ashes and
no cinders: but there are numerous OBJ
iectiOns which the engineers have been
unable to overcome. 1t may in time, by
improved inventions, take the place OF
coal as a fuel, but at present there are
no indications that point that way.
However if crude petroleum is ever
successfully used as fuel it will be
great thing both for California and Eng
land, but it will be decidedly hard on
the coal miners in Pennsylvanla ana
Alabama, for they are at present sup
plying the greatest part of the coal.
st was talking the other day with a
physician who has had a great deal OF
experience with men who drink to excess
and I took advantage of the opportunity
to ask him a question that has long been
puzzling me-" said a travelling man who
really and truly does not drink. have
heard SO often that when man has the
delirium tremens he sees snakes and rep
tiles, that wanted to know if such was
the case and, if so, why. When was a
boy the expression snakes in the boots
was connected in my mind with a drunk
ard: probably because I had been told
drunkards saw snakes. and probably be-
cause of the colored picture cards which
were given out at the Band of Hope
meetings, which represented a large and
varfegated assortment of snakes crawl
ing from a boot and sticking their fork
ed tongues towards a poor frightened
creature who was sitting up in bed look
ing at them with protruding eyes. The