The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-06-18

20 AZ tuO WOcs ouu thO WOAA0 w ~
wAl join me in saying Kelley was a
real artist. He was the best all
around printer and newspaper man
/ ever worked with or knew. He
was in every way different from the
usual old time tramp printer-in
fact he was not real tramp, but the
boys used the word tramp, because
he was always on the move. He
did not drink, never used profane or
vulgar language. kept himself clean
both In body and mind, attended
church regularly in whatever place
he happened to be. was a great read
e. and in manners as courtly as q
Chesterfield.
Before Mr.. Mergenthaler brought
out the linotype. there was always an
army of tourists, and John Kelley
was among this number. and for
many years after. Kelley swung up
and down a path from the Gulf
states in winter to the Canadian bor-
der in the summer. working his way
cheerily along, always welcome
wherever he called. For years |
saw him twice a year, in the early
summer. as he followed the migra-
tory birds to the north, in the fall al
he preceded them toward the mildel
cline. In his earlier years on the
road he had travelled the east and
had made one or two tours through
Great Britain. France and Germany.
Had Lovely Whisksrs
Kelley wore luxuriant whiskers.
Like his abundant hair they were
snow white. when / first met him,
though in fact they should not have
been. He had an air of reserve
about him. but after hours he talked
most entertainingly about places he
had been if he was in company of
congenial souls. II he was working
with roistering crowd he always
managed to get away when work
was done.
One night he told me his story,
one / was afterward able to verify.
in nearly all particulars. Then l
knew why his hair was white. why
he turned from roistering compan-
ions and chose to walk alone or
spend the evening in park.
Kelley grew up in Cincinnati and
was printer, holding cases on the
old Commercial before the war.
Like many others, he fell in love.
1t so happened that the girl did not
suit the fancy of his relatives. They
objected strenuously to the marriage,
but it took place just the same.
None of his relatives attended the
ceremony. and they did not recog-
nize the girl wife.
A year after the wedding, during
an epidemic, the girl was a victim.
She was sick only few hours and
her case was hopeless from the start.
None of his relatives had ever called
on her, and not one came during her
illness. They were missing from
the crowd of mourners. Stunned by
the loss of his wife and hurt by
her being ignored by his relatives,
was more than he could stand. AT
ter the burial he vowed, standing
by the new-made grave. he would
never again speak to a blood relative
whose actions had caused her pain
and sorrow. Then he went out into
the world. From that date be was
tramp.
Visits Wife's Grave
Once a year, through more than
three decades. he had travelled over
to Cincinnati. journeyed out to the
cemetery and spent long hours be-
side her grave. He had provided
for the care of her grave. and there
was marble slab in place. Thirty
seven annual visits he had made to
that grave. he told me, and thirty
seven times renewed the oath of 10y
atty to her memory.
There was not note of bitterness
in the story he told me. not a word
of hatred against those whose ac-
tions-caused his troubles. He har-
bored NO grudge. He had turned
bis back on q name and all VINO we're
tied to him with ties of blood, to be
loyal to the girl wife of his boyhood
years. He was happy 10 that he had
been loyal, that be bad not forgotten
her or the vow. Those whose &C.
tiOps he held were the cause of sor-
row for her. be had forgotten; be
had been 10 long separated from
them; they were not a part of hts
life. He had never received from
one of them a letter or message in
all those years. And he had kept
his whereabouts concealed from
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