The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-24

Thought: What an odd man he isl
Not that there was anything extremely
or ridicUlously obtrusive in Mr.. CIark's
peculiarities, either of feature, dress OF
department, by which a graded esti-
mate of his really quaint character
might be aptly defined; but rather
perhaps, 1t was the curious combina-
ton of all these things that had gained
for Mr.. Clark the transient celebrity
Of being very eccentric man.
And Mr.. Clark, of all the odd inhab-
ftants OF the busy metropolis in which
he lived. seemed least conscious of the
fact of his local prominence. True il
was that when Familiarity addressed as
Clark, old boy" by sportive individu-
ais. he never recollected having seen
before, he would oftentimes stare
blankly in return, and with evident
EN- Embarrassment; but as these actions
may have been attributable to weak
eyes. or to the confusion consequent
upon being publicly recognized by the
Quondam associates of bacchaualian
hours, the suggestive facts only served
TO throw his eccentricities in new re-
lief.
And. in the minds of many, Mr..
Clark was somewhat given to dissipa-
ton, there was but little doubt; for,
although in no way. and at no time,
derelict in the rigid duties imposed
upon him as an accountant in a whole
sale liquor house on South John street
a grand majority of friends had long
ago conceded that certain puffiness
or flesh and a soiled-like pallor of COM
plexion were in no wise the legitimate
result OF over-applica ton simply in the
counting room of the establishment in
which he found employment: but as
10 the completely OF Mr.. Clark's direct
associates in this belief, it is only JUS
tlce 20 the gentleman to state that by
them he was exonerated beyond all
such suspicion. from the gray-haired
senior Of the firm down to the pink
nosed porter of the ware rooms, who,
upon ev ny available occasion, would
point out the eccentric Mr.. Clark as
the on'y man in the bizneZ at never
sunk thief er drunk a drop O. goods
o any kind, under no considerations"
And MIR. Clark himself, when play
1uHy approached upon the subject
would quickly assert that never, under
any circumstances, had the taste of
Intoxicating liquors passed his Iips.
though at such asseveratfons IL was
noticeable fact that Mr.. Clark's COM
plexion invariably grew more stIltr-y
than its wont and that his ewes for
ever moist, grew dewier, and that his
lips and tongue would seem covertIy
entering upon some lush conspiracy,
which. in its fncipiency, he would be
forced TO smother with his hastily
drawn handkerchief. Then the eccen-
tric Mr.. Clark would laugh nervousIy.
and, bouncing on some subject so viz
idly unlike the one just previous as to
daze the listener, he would ripple ahead
with a tide Of eloquence that positive
~ oyerhowed and washed away all re-
membrance of the opening tonic.
In point of age Mr.. Clark might
nave been 30, IS, or even 40 years. were
one 20 venture an opinion solely guild
ed by outward appearances and under !
certain circumstances and sr1rround-
ings- AS, for example, when. a dozen
years ago, the writer of this sketch
RODE twenty miles in a freight caboose
with Mr. Clark as the only other pas
senger, he seemed in age at first not
less than 90; but upon opening a con- |
Nersatlon with him, in which he Joined /
with wonderful vivacity, a nearer view.
ana a prolonged and studiOus one as /
wen, revealed the rather curious fact /
tnat, at the very limit of all allow
able superstition, his age could not |
POSSIBLY have exceeded %. What it
was In the man that struck me as &C.
centric at that time 1 have never been
wholly able to define, but recall ac-
curately the most trivial occurrences
or our meeting and the very subject
matter of our conversation. I even re-
member the very words in which he
oecIlned drink from my travelling
Hask-for It's raw day." I said. bv
way OF gratuitOus excuse for Offering
II. Yes" he said, smilingIy motioning
the temptation aside; sit is a raw day: !
put you're rather young in years to
De doctoring the Weather-at least |
you'd better change the treatment
theyH all be raw days for you after
Whiie! confess that I even felt an |
inward pity Tor the man as L laugh
lngIy drained his health and returned
the mask TO my valise. But when r.
asked MIN, ten minutes later, the nature
Oh the business in which he was en-
gagged, and he handed me, in response
and without comment, the card of a
wholesale liquor house. with his own
name In crimson letters struck diagon-
Any across the surface, I wfnked naive |
~ 10 myself and thought "Ah-ha!'
Ana, as If reading my very musings. |
ne sald; Why, certainly, carry a fun
me me Oh samples; but, my dear young
friend, don't imagine for a minute that |
l refuse YOUR brand on that account.
! on can rest assured that have moth
ing better in my cases. Whisky il
!" hlsky wherever it is found, and
here IS no best whisky-not in all
the worldI''
Truly, thought, this is an odd source
80 NAAoaAeetAOI VI temperance SenIl-
nents-then said aloud: And yet you {
engage In business you dislikeI Traf-
nc IN an article that you yourself con-
oemn! Do I understand you?"
Might there not be such a thing"
he said, quietly, las inheriting A bust
ness-the same as inheriting an appe-
nte! However, one advances by grad
latlons; l shall sell no more. This is !
my last trip on the road in that ca '
paclty; L am coming in now to take !
-narge OF the firms books Would be !
gao 10 nave you call on me any time I
you're IN the city. Goodbye" And. as
ne swung of the slowly moving train. q
now entering the city, and I stood ]
watching him from the open door of i
ne caDoose as he rapidly walked down =
1 suburban street, I was positive his
gait was anything but steady-that the I
itep-the fgure-the whole air of the / a
nan was that of one then laborinp nm S
Ter the effects of partial intoxication. i
L have always liked peculiar peoDIe. /
10 matter where I met them. no mat
er who they were; If once impressed | a
With an eccentricity of character which a
have reason TO believe purely unaf- {
ected, [ never quite forget the per Y
on, name or place of our first meet G
ms, or where the interesting party I
nay be found again. And so if was d
Il the customary order of things that | Y
turing hasty visits to the city. v
often called on the eccen-
ric 8Ir. Clark. and as he had &
romIsed upon our first acuualnt- i,
nee, he seemed always glad to see and | o
'elcome me in his Office. The more / C
new of him the moro 7 liked hin, t,,+ ] q,