Year: 1873

He came in with an interrogation point in one eye, and stick in one hand. One eye was covered with 8 handker- chief and one arm in sling. His bear ing was that of man with 8 settled purpose in view.

 "I want to see," said he, "the man that puts things into this paper"

 We intimated that several of us earned a frugal livelihood in that way.

 "Well, I want to see the man which cribs things out of the other papers. The 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 de- mands of an unsuitable public, in mo- ments of emotional insanity, plunged the glittering shears into our exchanges. He went off calmly, but in 8 voice tremulous with suppressed feeling and indistinct through the recent loss of half dozen or so of his front teeth:

 "Just so. I presume so. I don't know much about this business, but I want to see man, the man that printed that little piece about pouring cold water down drunken mans spine of his back, and making him instantly sober. If you please, I want to see that man. I would like to talk with him."

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

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

 "Just so. . presume so. They told me before I come that the man l wanted to see wouldn't be anywhere. I'll wait for him. live up north, and I've walked seven miles to converse with that man. I guess I'll sit down and wait.''

 He sat down by the door and refec- lively pounded the floor with his stick, but his feelings would not allow him to keep still.

 "I suppose none of you didn't ever pour much cold water down any drunk en mans back to make him Instantly sober, perhaps" "

 None of us in the office had ever tried the experiment..

 "Just so. I thought just as like as not you had not We'll, mister, I have. I tried it yesterday, and I have come seven miles on foot to see the man that printed that piece. It wasn't much of piece, I 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 at home, and he gets how-came-you-so every little period. Now, when he's so- Der 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 hardware around, and makes it inconvenient for his wife, and sometimes he gifts his man and goes out calling on his neighhors, and it ain't pleasant.

 Not that want to say anything about Smith but me and my wife don't think he ought to do so. He came home drunk lately, and broke all the kitchen windows out of his house, and followed his wife round with 8 carving knife, talking about her liver, and after while he lay down by my fence and went to sleep. I had been reading that little piece it wasn't much of piece, and I thought if I could pour some water down his spine, on his back, and make him sober, it would be more comforta- ble for his wife, and square thing to do all around. So poured 8 bucket of spring water down John Smith s spine of his back"

 "Weu," said we, as our visitor paused, "did it make him sober ?"- Our visitor took firmer hold of his stick and replied with increased emo tion:

 "Just so. Isuppose it did make him as sober as a judge in less time than you could say Jack Robinson but, mis- ter, it made him mad. It made him the maddest man ever saw, 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 so stout till yesterday, and he's handy with his fists, too. I should sup pose he's 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 Jno. Smith. I suppose he ain't good man to hold a grudge against, only want to see the man what printed that piece. want to see him bad. I feel as tho it would soothe me to see that man. I went to show him how drunken man acts when you pour water down the spine of his back. That's what come | for"

 Our visitor, who had poured water down the spine of drunden mans back, remained until about o'clock ia the evening, and then wentup street to find the man. The man he is looking for started for Alaska last evening for 8 summer vacation, and will not be back before September, 1878.- Utica Herald.