Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-05-20

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

Nod Meacham was born to singular
..reer As child he was called Dom
how from Paul Dombey. the little boy
tn one OF Charles Dickens novels. 1t
ras not that he was especially spirit
"a, like little Paul, but was queer.
No never took the same view of things
a. other children, never did things In
,he same way as other children. At
an early age he displayed fancy for
,nnressing his playmates with tricks
- s,eight of hand. At fifteen he
hrrnad his hand so severely with phos-
chorus. which he used for a ghostly
performance, as to leave an ugly scar.
he would go to the shows of prest-
d,ytators and repeat their tricks. BY
,ho fine he was eighteen he was quite
inefficient In the art.
His next fancy was the stage, not
ss an actor, but inventing devices in
the matter of stage properties. How
ever he became a personator Of minor
narts 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 sim
rular representations with ingenious
mechanical surprises. By one Of his
rontriyances he blew himself into frag-
ments before the audience. shortly
afterward appearing to have lighted in
a united live body In the branch of
tree.
One would suppose that Ned Mea-
cham would have turned his faculties
10 account. But genius Is liable to
tire OF what ne has accomplished, al
ways DESTROYS OF striking out into new
paths. AS soon as Ned had put him
self In a 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 part wherein she was
to stab the leading gentleman Of the
company. Her part was trying one
and brought on temporary insanity.
One evening Just before the opening OF
the performance Ned was in the prop
erty room tlnkering with 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 spout. Hearing a COM
motion. he went outside and saw Miss
Beach, 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 shoot
him-stab himr' She adopted the sug-
gestion stabbing the manager with the
spring dagger. Blood spurted over her
and her victim. the latter falling In
stage death.
This saving of the managers life laid
the latter under a great obligation to
Ned Meacham, and he would have
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
artificial leg that would step out Of its
own accord
But just as the young contriver was
about 10 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 ho reached It the allied
forces were advancing upon Picking to
hoerate The pentup embassies.
One day Ned went to the commander
In chief-a German general-and vol
unteered to bring him such informa-
uon Of the city as he might require,
out When Ned told him that he was
fourth rate actor from an American
theater the general spurned him, tell
ing MIN that when he wanted informa-
uon Of an enemy he would send SOL
der to get 1t.
Ned, by no means discouraged, went
70 the commander of the United States
FORCES and repeated his offer. The Of
neer told him there was no reason why
ne should not go out, get the informa-
NA bAAAb II III. ht 49,
lures to be observed We're such weak
points as might enable the allies to
gam entrance into the city.
Ned spent some time fixing up few
wntrlyances in the property line with
winch he had long been familiar. IN
ueea, Il was several days before he
was ready to go on his mission. When
Ut sailed forth he wore tight fitting
gary to represent the devil. with pair
VI horns, tail and such other append
sses as are presumed to belong to
satan. He was passed by the Ameri-
,an commanders order from the Yam
ace boys lines and walked briskly,
swinging cane, down the road. Slung
us belt was case containing such
@ucies as he needed, among others
pa,r OF glasses for examining distant
objects.
an meseham was seen sallying from the
S4"ed lines just before dark by an out
- VI Cinnamon. He had not gone