The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-11-30
flow Paddy Shea Got Away.

One of the last of the old time
tramp printers "blew in, as he ex-
pressed it last night--onc Of a type
familiar in every newspaper Office in
the country, but now fast disappear
ing. This particular one is disappear
ing in sections. Two years ago he
lost leg by being run over by
freight train in a meritorious attempt
to get away from Hot Springs. Pad
dy Shea is his name. Chiely he
sojourns around Chicago, but he is
known to printers from Maine to Cali
fornia, and all way stations. In his
yariegated career Paddy has acquired
much experience and many adven-
lures, aud it is not surprising that
pretty much any newspaper story re-
minds him Of some personal expert
ence to match or surpass it.
The cutting Of Santos Dumont's
balloon and his consequent failure to
make al ascension, as advertised, was
under discussion when Paddy blew
in" "a balloon that didn't go up
took me out of town once, all right,
all right he chirped in. "Me and a
printer pail won't give his name,
because he's in this burg right now
was once in Duquoin, ILL.,, broke and
nothin' doin'. No way to get out Of
town: only by the blind door of YES
tibule, and grub painfully scarce.
Sauntering down toward the depot, we
struck an aeronaut, with whom VIC
snapped hard luck stories. He had
been making ascensions at county fairs,
but his balloon was plum busted, be-
yond repair. He was broke and had
his wife along with him, which made
matters worse.
II saw an opening, and he and my
pal were on in minute. l stood off
job printer for lot of circulars an
| nouncing an ascension that afternoon,
and we got them in circulation in q
hurry. We got the old balloon down
to vacant lo1, borrowed a gasoline
can from printing office and bought
a dimes worth of gasoline and made
great show of getting ready. We
hung the balloon to telegraph pole,
dug hole with mud chimney for
tho imitation, and my pal orawled in
side the balloon and played fireman.
We had fire of sticks, and he would
occasionally scatter little gasoline
in to send out blaze, like something
was doing.
In the meantime crowd of fully
5000 people had gathered. The aero
naut's wife had come down from the
hotel and was 's,.ated on q big dry
goods box. 4ne aeronaut oiroled
around and took up collection. He
got s48, all in small money, mostly
nickles, dimes and quarters. Then
he came and monkeyed around the bal
loon, and my pal, the fireman, came
out, and he and myself saeaked around
to the outer circle of the crowd, sta
toned ourselves at different places,
and a dozen boys were hired for the
purpose placed at proper intervals.
"Then the professor climbed onto
the box beside his wife and made his
spiel. He was awfully sorry, but his
balloon had just sprung leak, which
could not possibly be repaired, and he
could not go up. In all that crowd he
could not identify the people who had
contributed, and he wanted to know
what to do with the money. He had
not earned it, and SO could not keep it.
Give it to your wife," came a
voice from the outskirts. That was
my pal, posing as one Of the contribu-
| tors.
Eyes, give it to her." came from an
other place. That vas me.
"That's it, give itGlo your wife,"
came from dozen other places, That
was the kids.
III course no one objected, and
without giving them chance to kick
the aeionaut thanked his friends for
their generosity and said he would do
as they said.
"We three met quietly later and d.
vided the swag-$l6-and we ali got
out Of town. ."-Arkansas Gazette.
- Some men have such will power
thew nan 90 ualkiun NTH o.; Il x,;4h