Denver labor bulletin., 1915-12-04
BARNEY WAS
FASHION PLATE
Country Journalist Spills the Beans Re-
garding Well-Known Printer Who
Is Now an Editor


ID. p. tRed) Saunders. who does not
take wood or pumpkins in exchange for
his Brush Republican, gets off some good
ones under his Just Telling Thinys. :,
He knows what he talks about, for he
played the string in his day from top to
bottom; the writer helped him stage
some good ones in Denver, including the
running OF Democratic organ ON the lit
time plan, and it was d-n
| little at that. Here is one from him on
w. w. Barney Slack that is worthy of
reproduction:
Il read in an exchange the other day
that w. w. ('.Barney'') Slack is now ed
itor and manager OF the Daily State
Leader at Cheyenne, Wyo., and this
brings to mind one of the funniest incl
dents that ever happened in a newspa-
per office.
Several years ago Barney was fore
man OF the ad. room on the Denver
News and was noted for his careful and
artistic manner of dressing in fact, he
was the fashion sheet of the force. lie
was one of those fellows who came to
work with dress shirt and patent lea
ther shoes and when the night was over
he looked just as neat as when he start
ed to work. He was always ready to
attend reception at any stage OF the
game and always sporting flashing tie,
high linen collar and Wore n cane. No
matter how much the work mussed us
other fellows up Barney" always looked
just a. though he had got out of band
hoy f,~nn = L.
clothes or no one who knew him ever
saw his tie displaced or out of date.
One night Barney" laid off to go to
the theater with his wife. lie appeared
at the office. then located in the Mark
ham hotel building. about : 80 before we
went to work to give some instructions
to his hrclings and in some unaecount-
able manner got a little speck OF dirt
on one Of his hands. He started down
to the lavntury in the basement to wash
up. That day the delivery Of a couple
OF carloads OF paper had been made ana
the big rolls blocked the way. After
Sticking up Barney" discovered that by
jumping over an ink barrel he could
avoid climbing over the paper rolls. He
procured small box and jumped up On
top of the barrel with both feet. when.
thorrorsl, the lid gave way and down
the immaculate Barney went in print
cr's ink up to his hips.
"A few minutes later he appeared at
the top OF the stairs hollering for help
Every step he made left an imprint
about three feet square. All OF the boys
refused to go near him but the crowd
gathered around and hailed "Barney'-"
discomfort with peals OF hilarious
amusement. He started TO charge the
crowd. but in the brief interval he had
stood still his feet Ind stuck and every
time he lifted one of thgm il sounded
like an old fashioned farm pump sucking
water from well.
Finally he broke lose and asked John
Collett to get hack to take him home.
The hackman finally arrived ON the scene.
but seeing his condition refused to haul
him. Finally an eNprcssman was in.
dueed to take the fashion plate home,
but he had to stand up in the back end
of the wagon and hang on to the tail
board.
s. Barney did not show up for work
until a week had passed. having in the
meantime spent the intervening time in
going from one bath house 10 another
trying to get cleaned mp. and il was ru-
morcd that in the intervening time he
tween baths that his wife made him
sleep in the woodsbcd. He tried every
remedy from kerosene oil to sandpapcr
TO get himself back in form, but several
months elapsed before he succeeded in
erasing the last trace OF ink from his
immaculate person.
I'VE can imagine Barney as he is
now sitting in his sanctum sanctorium
immediately clad writing heavy editor.
iaIs, but in the distance looms up a
vision OF him standing, fresh from bis
barrel of ink, the crowd Of hilarious fell
lows chokcd with mcrriment and stand
ing around convulscd over tho prcdica-
ment of the News offices fashion plate"