The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-25
AN EFFECTIVE DRINK CURE.
The Victim of Practical joke, He
Now Retires at Seasonable Hours.

tNcH 1Ofh lElDuhe-l
There is in this Town a certain club
man who is more inclined to take his
liquor in allopathic than in homeo-
pathic doses Not only does he lean
toward generous drains. but those
drains he likes early and often. As a
natural and logical sequence. he has
usually been after p. m. under the
influence of the red. red wine, and for
years unable to tell at what hour he
retired the night before. All that is
changed now. He goes to bed at night
as sober as he wakes up in the morn
ing. and all because he was the victim
of practical joke.
A friend invited him to dine. and pre-
pared for his coming by attaching a
rubber tube to the bottom of his plate.
From the plate the tube ran under the
tableclOth to an air bulb in the hosts
hand slight pressure on this bulb
would lift the plate a half an inch
from the table This was all there was
of it, but it proved Il far more effec-
tive cure than a, dozen Keeleys rolled
into one.
The bibuIous one arrived on time.
and in his usual state of alcoholic good
nature. After he had ordered a dry
Martini and indicated the brand of
champagne he preferred, ne launched
into a good story he had heard that
day. The other man listened attentive
ly. said nothing, and finally pressed the
bulb.
He OF the jag" promptly lost the
thread of his tale, gulped twice and
then stared hard at his plate. The
plate remained immovable, and the
voice of his host broke in on his
chaotic thoughts You were saying
-"Oh. yes rejoined the other. as he
hastily drained the cocktail the waiter
brought and ordered the wine opened.
Yes, Brown said And the thread of
the narrative was picked up. Hardly,
however. was the story in swing be-
fore that wretched plate again lifted
and up in the air went the narrative.
1t took liberal applications of cham
payne to bring him down again, and
! the hand that reached for the SouI
spoon was visibly shaky.
Nothing occurred during the con-
sumption of the soup, and by the time
the waiter had removed his plate his
gayety and nerve had come back to
him The desultory conversation that
was filling the interval between soup
and fish was, however. rudely inter-
| rupted by the jag He stared wild
| ly at his plate. felt it with his hand
and then reached for his champagne.
As he set down the emptied glass. the
plate again focused his attention
| This time there was no doubt that II
/ moved. for three times it distinctly rose
and fell as he watched it. He turned
an agoniZed eye on his companion
| What" he gasped ''Wha's matter
with my plate2" Your plate? What's
wrong with ft?'' Look, Seei Git onto
it," gasped the sufferer, for the plate
| by this time was performing an alarm
ing species of Jig why. it's like any
other plate, isn't it," asked the host,
as he picked it up. At the same time
he separated it from the rubber tube,
unknown TO his guest. and then he
handed him the plate. This was too
much, and, hastily gasping something
about a forgotten engagement, the
bibulous one raced for the open air
Now he is reformed and a respectable
citizen, but the tale of the dancing
plate has never been told him. He
still is firmly convinced that on that
particular evening he had a touch of
Where am I at, Mr.. Speaker"