The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-03-04
A Remarkable
50 Man g
By JdmesWhtp!mb;. Rl!!ey

from q rather lengthy s0jOurn in the
Buckeye state, where a Hoosier IL
scrutinized as critically as splinter
In the thumb Of a near-sighted man,
mentally resolved that just as soon as
the lazy engine dragging me toward
home had poked its smutty nose into
the selvage Of my native state,
would disembark, lift my voice and
shout for JOY for being safely deliv-
cred out Of land of perpetual strang-
ers. ".
This opportunity was afforded me at
Union Cty-a fussy old-hen-of-a town,
forever clucklng over It's little brood
of railroads. as though worried to see
them running over the line, and brist-
ling with the Importance of It's charge.
The place Is not an attractive one,
as one steps from the train in the early
dusk Of December evening; in fact,
the immediate view of the town is al
most entirely concealed by big
square-faced hotel, standing, as it
were, on the very platform, as though
Its runners" were behind time, and it
had come down to solicit its own Gus
tom. A walk of sixty steps, however,
gave me sweeping view of the main
business street Of the city; and here
1t was by one of those rare freaks of
circumstance, that I suddenly found
myself standing face to face with an
old friend. Smith !" said I. "Cor-
rect" said he, and all lacking to COM
plete tine tableau was the red light.
And now, as my story has more to do
with more remarkable man than
either Smith or myself, I shall hasten
to that notable-only introducing hum
bier personages as necessity demands.
That night was Dragging, buster
ing, bullying sort of a night. The wind
was mad-stark, staring mad; running
over and around the town, bowling and
whooping like a maniac. It whirled
and whizzed, and wheeled about and
whizzed again. 1t pelted the pedestri-
ans face with dust that stung like
sleet. 1t wrenched at the signs, and
ratified the doors and windows till the
lights inside shivered as with af-
fright The unfurled awnings fiuttered
and tapped over the deserted streets
like ,nonstrous bats or birds of prey;
and. gritting their iron teeth the shut
tiers lunged and snapped at their fas-
Jennings cOnvulsively. Such a night
as we like to hide away from, and with
q good cigar, good friend and good
fire. talk Of soothing things and dream.
My friend and were not so isolated,
however. upon this occasion; for the
suddenness of the storm had driven
us, for shelter, into Bowers Empori-
NM and, seated In the rear of .he
spacious and brightly Illuminated store,
we might almost dream we "dwelt in
marble halls" were 1t not for the rath.
er proflse display of merchandise and
q vol'.minous complement of show
cards. reading Bargains in Over
coats" "Best and Cheapest Under
wear" Buy Bowers Boots!" etc.
The clerks were all idle, and employ
Ing their leisure In listening to fine
art conversation, casually introduced
by my friends remarking the extraor-
binary development Of the bust and
limbs Of a danseuse on a paper collar
box: and after deploring the prostitu-
ton to which real talent was subject
ed, and satlrizing the general degen-
eracy Of modern art, he had drifted
back to the rare old days of Hans Hol-
bein, Albert Durer, and that guild. And
while dwelling enthusiastically upon
the genius Of Angelo, I became aware
that among the listeners was re.
markable man. 1t was not hts figure
that impressed me, for that was of the
ordinary mold. and rather stability at
tired III a tattered and ill-fitting coat
OF blue. sadly faded and buttonless; q
short-waisted vest of no particular pat
tern, fastened together by means Of a
loosened loop of binding pulled
Through buttonhole, and held to its
place by stumpy leadpencil with
preponderance of rubber at the end
the pantaloons very baggy and fraying
at the bottoms, as though in excessive
sympathy with a pair of coarse, un-
calmly army shoes that. wore the ap-
pearance Of having been through Sher-
mans march to the sea.
Not remarkable. say, in these par
ticulars, for since "tramping" has ar
rived at the dignity of a profession,
such characteristics are by no means
but when taken in con-
junction with head and face that
would have served as model for either
Abraham, Isaac or Jacob, in patriarch
al cast of feature and flow of beard, it
is no wonder that my fancy saw in the
figure before me remarkable man.
He stood uncovered, and in an eager
attitude, as though drinking
every syllable to the very dregs. His
eyes were large and lustreus, and
with that dreamy, far-off look peculiar
to that quality of mind that sees what
Is described, even though buried in
Pompeian ruins, or under the pyra-
mids of Egypt.