Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-06-17

But a Genius In His
Own Way
By EVERETT r. CLARKE


hey, from Paul Dombey, the little boy
in one of Charles Dickens novels. 1t
was not that he was especially spirit
ual, like little Paul, but was queer
He never took the same view Of things
as other children, never did things in
the same way as other children. At
an early age he displayed a fancy for
impressing his playmates with tricks
of sleight Of hand. At fifteen he
burned his hand so severely with phos-
phoruS, which he used for a ghostly
performance, as to leave an ugly scar
He would go to the shows of presd-
dfgitatOrs and repeat their tricks. By
the time he was eighteen he was quite
proficient in the art.
His next fancy was the stage, not
as an actor, but inventing devices in
the matter of stage properties. How
ever, he became a persOnatOr Of minor
parts, and so odd was he in his methods
that he soon attracted attention. His
inventive powers coming into play, he
soon became a feature, mingling sin
gular representations with ingenious
mechanical surprises. By one of his
cOntrivances he blew himself into frag
ments before the audience, shortly
afterward appearing to have lighted in
a united live body in the branch of a
tree.
One would suppose that Ned Mea-
cham would have turned his faculties
to account. But a genius is liable to
tire of what he has accomplished, al
ways DESTROYS Of striking out into new
paths. AS soon as Ned had put him.
self in q position where he might have
commanded Of the manager almost
anything he desired he left the theater
for good and all. Miss Helen Beach
was playing a part wherein she was
to stab the leading gentleman Of the
company. Her part was a trying one
and brought on temporary insanity
One evening just before the opening Of
the performance Ned was in the prop
rty room tinkering with a dagger he
had invented wherein the blade, on
striking an object, went back into the
handle. Ned had made an addition by
which blood appeared to squirt out like
water from a spout. Hearing a COM
motion, he went outside and saw Miss
Reach, who had become demented, re
citing some lines of her part to the
manager, whom she was about to kill
with a pistol. Ned ran up to her.
handed her his patent dagger and took
away the pistol, crying. Don't shoo-
him-stab him. She adopted the sug-
gestion. stabbing the manager with the
spring dagger. Blood spurted over her
> and her victim. the latter falling in a
stage death.
= This saving Of the managers life laid
0 the latter under a great obligation to
Ned Meacham, and he would have
G done anything in his power for the
young man. But what could he do for
one who had been born unlike other
persons? Ned thanked him and said
: that he was engaged on contriving an
Z artificial leg that would step out of it's
own accord.
I But just as the young contriver was
about to perfect his invention the Box
, er movement in China broke out, and
, Ned, DESTROYS to go where no one else
would have wished to go, got aboard &
ship and sailed for the Flowery King
;, dom. When he reached it the allied
! forces were advancing upon Picking to
q liberate the pentup embassies.
One day Ned went to the commander
:, in chief-a German general-and vol
unteered to bring him such informa-
ton of the city as he might require
but when Ned told him that he was a
fourth rate actor from an American
, theater the general spurned him, tell
ing him that when he wanted informa-
ton of an enemy he would send sol
b der to get it.
l Ned, by no means discouraged, went
to the commander of the United States
forces and repeated his offer. The of.
l ficer told him there was no reason why
I he should not go out, get the informa-
q ton and bring it in. The main fea
:; lures to be observed We're such weak
a points as might enable the allies tC
e gain entrance into the city.
Ned spent some time fixing up a few
d contrivances in the property line with
e which he had long been familiar. III
l. deed. It was several days before he
q was ready to go On his mission. Wher
l. he sailed forth he wore a tight ittins
ID garb to represent the devil, with pai
q Of horns, a tail and such other append
e ages as are presumed to belong tt
Satan. He was passed by the Ameri
can commanders order from the Van
kee boys lines and walked briskly
d swinging cane. down the road. Stun!
II to his belt was a case containing sucl
IF articles as he needed, among others
o pair of glasses for examining distan
10 objects.
" Meacham was seen sallying from tn
v allied lines just before dark by an Out
~ post of Cinnamon. He had not gon
a Gar before he could see that they ha,
a their eyes on him, and as he drew sui
e ficiently near for them to distinguis
g lis peculiar appearance they shove
signs of trepidation.
e The superstition of the Chinese