Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-15

day ~ annaarances count for anything
| Certain facial characteristics stamped
him as being of Irish descent, and in
addition TO this his hair was rusty
brown and his mustache fiery red. He
also had q fine assortment of freckles.
He sat down on the platform of the car
and rested his feet on the running
hoard. at the same time apologizing to
me in a voice so thick and manner
so excessively courteous that l dis
cerned his condition Immediately.
| You had better give the gentleman
a little more Ipooii1 said my wife to me.
| T can't. I said. You can't move
over. SO There isn't any more room.
Besides he's drunk. SO don't worry
about his comfort,
How do you know he is drunk?'
| asked nv wife with considerable sus-
picion in her eye. He hasn't shown
any signs of it that can see.'
Dead loads of 'em, I replied.
Didn't YOU see the way he acted?'
NO. 1 didn't she replied. And I
would feel a good deal more comforts
able if YOU didn't know so much about
such things.
can uncertain movement on the part
have been a domestic jar.
M frien',' he said, with a tongue
so thick that it refused to timber UP, I
hope amt crowdin' you.
i" Not at ALL said as pleasantly as
possible. I would like to give you
more room, but can't
"Zass all right he said, as he looked
at me with bleared unseeing eyes.
.Zass all right, m frien. / got money
(Just why the subject of money should
l have been catapulted in to the con-
versation did not understand.)
t 'sHe took from his pocket three 81
bills which ne rubbed with stiff, uncer-
tain fingers.
'Zass money. Got money an
frien's. Always got money an frien's,
have
+ after having thus proclaimed his
popularity and his aff!uence, he took a
1 brief nap. His head dropped forward
5 and / thought he would fall from the
rapidly moving carl touched him gent
Nv on the shoulder and he woke with
start and a troubled look on his face.
e " It's a awful thing to lose frien',
/ he said, with unutterable pathos in his
: voice. Did you ever lose frien'?
! did, an he was the bes' frien' l ever
had Here he rocked to and fro in an
agony of grief. AS felt that nothing
could say or do would assuage such
anguish, held my peace. But the man
had not yet concluded his lamentations
=" oh, wow he burst forth again.
can see him now. Look out there or
= the river
Il complied with the request and fol
4 lowed the direction he indicated with
Il his fingers. We were then passing the
Three Sisters, and the rocks stood ou1
boldly from the blue bosom of the
| Potomac.
See them spotso Zass where he
died. We was on a trip to Europe
, When the Spaniards come up we says
= we'll die game. 1t would been all righ1
/ if he hadn't been run over by train
= When he went down I seen his face
and he speaks up and says: "Good-by
, OIL man." An I says: "Good-by, oil
Y man." I never seen him again. He
n was the bes' frien' ever had
His head again nodded and I was
: forced to hold him by the coat to keeI
him from falling off the car. MY So
i, licitude fCr his welfare was not taker
q in the prop1r spirit.
Keep year hans often me- he said
arousing himself. I got money. Got
money an frien's. But he was the best
frien' 1 ever had. It's awful thing te
see a frien' die. He's out there now
Don't you hear him calm to me. Il
certainly was too bad when he fel
from the top of the Washington Monu
ment. While he was fallin' he says tt
me: "Good-by, OF man." 1 says
S "Good-by, OF mani" I never seen hin
Q again.
u Real tears came to his eyes, and his
voice sank away into an unintelligible
Y humble. turned to my wife, and she
:, saw smile on my face.
. L think you are downright mean t.
laugh at him. she said. The poor maj
!. evidently feels real sad
II knew it was useless to tell her thai
n it was merely case of a crying
drunk, for 1 was certain that she
would not understand what it all mean
:, so took my scolding in silence.
: "As the car neared Georgetown my
drunken friend forgot all about his
u dear Alphonse, who had suffered sc
!. many terrible deaths, and began tt
p quarrel with the conductor about 9
| transfer.
v Don't get transfer?' he asked
You already have one,' said the
conductor.
I got money! said the jag, pulling
at his pocket to extract the bills. I got
money an frien's. Don't need transfer
. got money.
But the car had reached George
town, and everybody got off. Just the
same I wish there was some instru-
ment to register the mental impress
, sions of a man when he is drunk. II
n would make an interesting study
n