Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-09-13
Stories OF Harlisr Days

SbVGAOY Va ooSAO8 ooJ0
The veteran Snowman. Price Weber.
was a visitor to The Telegraph Jour.
nal a day or two ago and his editorial
host was at once convinced that he
had something on his mind. No one
can accuse the gentleman who has
given so much amusement to the PEG.
pie of New Brunswick and elsewhere
Of anything but frankness and 1t did
not take much inquiry to discover that
Price felt he had been sighted. The
reason was not hard to find out. The
Telegraph-Journal newsboys together
with those of The Times-Star had q
picnic last Saturday and Weber
wasn't there. If there is anything
that Weber is proud Of it is the fact
that he once set type in many news
paper offices. He tells a good story Of
once having been an employee Of Mu-
lock. the former Postmaster General
1t was not when Mulock was Postmas-
ter General, however, that Price set
type for him, but some time before
when he ran little weekly paper in
some small place in Ontario. In later
years when Mulock was "Sir William
and Postmaster General. Weber had
the Boston Comedy Company, of which
he was proprietor and leading come
dian in Ottawa playing an engagement.
He used TO go 10 the Ottawa Post once
promptly every morning for his mail,
and II the Postmaster was in good hu-
NOR the letters and papers were
promptly forthcoming. but if, as some-
times happened. he did not feel like
bothermg himself, the modest request
of the Manager.of the Boston Comedy
Company was UNDECIDED and nothing
for va" was the reply. Price. however,
was not to be taken in by any such in
formation and he always applied to the
Assistant Postmaster or the clerk in
charge when the Postmaster had gone.
Then he got his mail. One morning
while in the lobby of the post office
who should walk in but Mike Adams
of Northumberland, N b. Senator
Adams" was his proper title. but
mike" was always what he got. Tho
meeting between him and Weber was
hearty. almost affectionate. and Sir
William Mulock. who accompanied
Adams, when he heard the names Of
"Webber" and Price turned to their
owner and said: Price Weber, Sure
~ l Nnow you, surely l have seen you
somewhere"
Yes. Sir William" said Weber. IL
set type in your newspaper composing
room for some MONTHS
Aha" said Sir William, II know
YOU now And then and there Adams
and the Postmaster General made up
their, minds to attend the show of the
Boston Comedy Company. Price has
never told whether or not he gave
them passes. but presumably he did.
The point of the meeting, however,
was that the Postmaster of the City
of Ottawa stood with his eyes and
mouth looking fbrp,tph
wicket at the sight of the Postmaster
General of all Canada meeting. greet
ing and taking such an interest in the
Manager of the Boston Comedy Com
pany whose mail he had been so neg
liScnt about He explained to Weber
later that his wife had been very sick
and he had lost great deal of sleep
and endeaVored to excuse himself in
that way. but Price had no more trou-
BILE about his mail and the homily in
good advice he gave that Ottawa Post
master would apply to most anybody
else who failed in his duty to the pub
lie.
The above story IS a DEPRESSION
Weber said that because he had once
been newspaper man, and a typeset-
ter in the city of st. John and a news
boy in the town of Torquay, England.
have been invited to the newsboys' pic
mic at Torryburn. He saw that his
old friend, Police Magistrate r. J.
Richie was there and felt that he had
as mucht right to participate In the
joys OF boyhood as he had, inasmuch
as he was nearly two years younger
The p. NJ. will be 80 in a month or so
and Price has passed the 18th mile
stone. Needless to say he has a
standing invitation to all newsboys'
2icnics in the future and it is uues-
tionable If the boys will have more fun
with him than he will have with them
r. A. Johnson. the veteran pressman,
who has passed his S0th year, called at
The Telegraph Journal office yesterday
and said that in spite of rumors to the
contrary he felt as fresh and active
as usual. He looked it. His eye is as
keen and his complexion as bright al
most as 1t was when he turned the
presses on the Sun newspaper 30 or 40
years ago. He has been printing from
type all his lifetime and has more
stories of old newspaper men and
printers than anybody else in the city
Somebody suggested that such vet
Grams as Judge Richie. Price Weber
and Johnston should get together with
one or two others whose joys of rem
iniscence are remarkable, and ex-
change stories with a capable stertg-
rapher in the background! What a
newspaper story it would make.-The
St. John, y. b. Telegraph journal.