Year: 1873

He came in with an interrogation point
in one eye and with a stick in one hand.
One eve was covered with handkerchief
and one arm was in a sling. His bearing
was that Of man with q settled purpose
in view.


Il want TO see," said he. the man that
puts things into this paper"


We intimated that several OF US earned a
frugal livelihood that way.


"Well, l want TO see the man which cribs
things out Of other papers. Inc fellow who
writes mostly with shears, you understand
We explained TO him that there were
seasons when the most gifted among US,
driven to frenzy by the scarcity OF ideas
and events, and by the clamorous demands
Of an Unsuitable public, in moments of emo
tional insanity plunged the glittering shears
but with voice tremulous with suppressed
feeling, and indistinct through the recent
loss Of half dozen or SO of his front teeth.


Just SO. ! presume so. l don't know
much about this business, but ! want TO see
q man, the man that printed that little
piece about pouring cold water down a
drunken mans spine OF his back and max
ing him instantly sober. If you please, l
want to see that man. l should like TO talk
with him.


Then he leaned his stick against our desk
and spit on his serviceable hand, and re-
sumed his hold on the stick as though he
was weighing it. After studying the stick
a minute he added in a somewhat louder
tone:


"Mister, came here to see that ere man.
l want to see him bad


We told him that particular man was not
in.


just 80. I presume so. They told me
before come that the man wanted to see
wouldn't be anywhere. III wait for him.
l live up North, and I've walked several
miles to converse with that man. ! guess
I'll sit down and wait


He sat down by the door and refectively
pounded the floor with his stick, but his
feelings could not allow him to keep still.


Il suppose none of you didn't ever pour
much cold water down any drunken mans
back to make him instantly sober, per-
haps"


the experiment.


"Just co. l thought that just as like as
not YOU had not. Well, mister, have.
tried it yesterday, and have come seven
miles on foot to see the man that printed
that piece. 1t want much Of a piece, l
don't think; but want to see the man that
printed it, Just few minutes. You see,
John Smith, he lives next door to my house,
when I'm to home, and he gets how-cOme-
you-so every little period. Now, when he's
sober, he's all right, if you keep out of his
way; but when he's drunk, he goes home
and breaks dishes, and tips over the stove,
and throws the hardware around, and
makes it inconvenient for his wife, and
sometimes he gets his gun and goes out
calling on his neighbors. and it aiut
pleasant.


mot that want to say any thing about
Smith; but me and Hy wife don't think that
he ought to do so. He came home drunk
Yesterday and broke all the kitchen win
dows out of the house, and followed his
wife around with the carving knife talking
about her liver. and after while he lay
down by my fence and went to sleep. had


been reading that little piece; it want
much OF piece, and l thought if l could
pour some cold water down the spine Of his
more comfortable for his wife, and square
thing to do all around. So / poured a
| bucket of water down John Smiths spine
of his back


..Well," said we, as our visitor paused,
| '.did it make him sober!" Our visitor took
tirmer hold Of his stick and replied with
increased emotion:


Just SO. suppose it did make him as
sober as Judge in less time than you could
say Jack Robinson; but, mister, it made
him mad. 1t made him the maddest man
ever see, and, mister, John Smith is bigger
man than me and stouter. He is a good
deal stOuter. Bla-bless him, never knew
| he was half 80 stout till yesterday, and he's
| handy with his tists, too. should suppose


he is the handiest man with his fists ever
saw"


Then he went for you. did he!" we asked
| innocently.


Just SO. Exactly. I suppose he went
| for me about the best he knew, but don't
hold no grudge against John Smith. l sup
pose he amt good man to hold a grudge
against, only l want to see the man who
| printed that piece. l want to see him bad
feel as though it would sOothe me to see
that man. / would show you how drunken


man acts when you pour water down the
spine of his back. That's what come tor =
Our visitor. who had poured water down
the spine Of drunken mans back, re.
| NAMED until about 6 p NJ, and then went
up street 10 find the man that printed that
little piece. The man he is looking fol-
started for Alaska last evening for sum


mer vacation. and will not be back before
September 1873.