Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1906-07-28
When the Editor
"Puffed'
BY DONALD ALLEN
Copyright, 1895, b, VI. VI. Cunningham


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There WAS lust one reason why thc
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oN''d ana ''iI''u 'i'" "f'oh I"r many
years. II" had never married because
hc had been too busy making ny and
working off his edition of GOO copies,
getting up and printing auction bills,
writing thrilling local notices of wood
wanted on subscription and other mat
tcrs connected with weekly journal
of twenty years ago. Some of his es-
tecmrd contemporaries snrcringly re
marked now and then that he stole his
editorials, but when ii came down to
writing out an auction bin they yielded
him the palm.
Auction. Auction, Auction" read
the average bill. "TaIic notice that on
the l4th of September George STYLES,
farmer, will sell ut public vcnduc all
the live stock and other personal prop
crty on his farm on the Red Bridge
road. Said stock consists of horses.
cows. sheep and hogs and about 100
hens and geese. Sale to begin nj 10
IL. m, and all will 20 to the highest
bidder"
There was no doubt about the sue
cess of the Clarion as II newspaper or
about the success of Editor Flint as an
editor When he finally made up his
mind to marry the Widow BidwcH,
there was no doubt that he would he a
success as Brncdict He struck n
snag however. The widow had been
obliged To turn to tr"SSmaliiny since
her husbands death. and She did not
rank with the Four Hundred of the
village, but she was II lover of poetry
and She had dreams of poets, While
this kept her grocery bin down II in
terfcrcd considerably with her getting
out orders on time, and she cllrulotrd
that one about offset the other.
The poetry loving widow had had
fifty different poetic pffuSionS pub
IiShed in the Clarion over the nom de
plume of Flosslc. but Mr.. Flint had
received the copy with Il grunt. and
the public had recovered from the
shock each time within twrntv-four
hours.
The poems" had been published TO
save carrying dead advcrtiSiu. Mrs
BidWcll was rather surprised when
the editor dropped in ON her one even
Ing and proceeded to say that he want
ed her for the mistress of his housr
but She soon rallied and answered that
there was an inSurmountablr barrier
between them. He didn't look like a
poet. She knew what he could do in
the way of an auction bill but the
man who we'd FloSSIc must look the
part. She would attend to the poctry
as heretofore, but he must mt least
have long hair, an aesthetic face and
dreamy eyes.
The editor SAW at once that he
couldn't fill the bill. He wore his hair
short, had a fat face, and his eyes
were on the lookout for delInuucut
subscribers instead of lookin., into thr
far away. He thrrcforr picked M his
hat and walked back to the office
However. the iron had entered Mr..
Flint'S soul. He had laid his forty
ycar-old heart at a womau'S feet. and
she had spurncd IT. He either wanted
to commit suicide or secure revenge.
and after figuring up that the Clarion
plant was worth about $1,000 he dccfd
ed to hang on to earth The first in
stalhnent of his revenge WAS shown In
his next issue, when he said.
I'VE take pleasure in informing orr
readers that n brother of thc Widow
Bidwrll, who writes beautiful verse
under the name of Flossie. has lust
died and left her fortune estimated
at 100000. She has our hcartiest con-
Cratulations."
OF course the public read the item.
and OF course the widow read if There
wasn't word of truth in il. but when
people came and showercd their CON
gratulations she couldn't bring her
self to deny thc story She was even
thankful TO thc Clarion for ruhlishing
the canard The issue of the follow
ing week pursued the matter further.
I'VE understand. II said chat the
fortune left to thc Widow Ridwcu Inv
her deceased brother in fine west will
90 $40 600 better than nj first rrnorted
There are rrports afIoat that she will
remove 70 Now York CITY rs soon os
she comes into possession and buv