Life — August 10, 1899 — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“TWENTY years ago Lafcadio Hearn wasa reporter on the stu of @ Cincinnati newspaper which I was directing. He came from—no man knew where. He was a tiny fellow physically, and as myopic asa bat. Te knew nothing about news, but he could write a ‘story’ that was as polished and as fall of color as if tt had come from the pen of Gautier himself. Despite his physique, he was as courageous as & lon, and there was no assignment of pert! that he would not bid for avidly. I remember that one day a famous steeplo climber was golng to scale the spire of the cathedral to re- pair the cross that topped the spire two hundred feet above the sidewalk. It was a feat that all other steeple climbers had balked at, but this fellow was the master of his trade and accepted the contract. The afternoon he first scaled the spire thousands of people watched him breathlessly as he slowly made his way up the outside of the steeple, fixing his ropes and footholds as he went. Of course he was in- terviewed, and ho sald boastingly that the task was so easy that he could just as well carry a man up on his back. That noon Hearn came to me and sald timidly that he had read of the steeple climber's offer, and would be giad to ascend the spire on-hls hack, I was amazed, and tried to point out to Hearn the peril of the thing. He would not listen. Finally, my desire to get €* good story’ overcame my scruples, and I told Hearn I'd arrange the matter with the steeple climber. I thought the latter was making a huge bluff for business and advertising ends, but I was mistaken, He was as zeal- ous as Hearn, Well, I brought the two together. They ar- ranged thelr end of the feat, and { washed my hands of fur- ‘ther responsibility for either the steeple climber's or Hearn's safety. “At the appointed time, Hearn mounted the steeple climbers shoulders, and the dizzy journey began. Tens of thousands of people watched the foolhardy pair. At last the cross was reached, and Hearn left his perch on the climber's shoulders, The steeple Jack swarmed up the cross and stood on his head on the apex of it. The mob in the streets below cheered the daring fellow, but he was so bigh up in the alr that the cheers were inaudible. The two men re- turned to the ground wufely. Hearn came back to the office, and sat down and wrote two columns of a story describing his sensations, and the glortes of the view he had obtained from the steeple top. It was literature, this story, and it ts regret- table that It has been lost in the obscurity of @ forgotten newspaper. Such a glowing description of # city seen from & great height I never read before or since. The most tnter- esting thing about it to me was the fact that Hearn couldn't see five feet beyond the tip of his nose, so myoptc was he."* —The Verdict, ‘A stony comes from Oklahoma which shows that a clergyman may have # pretty wit, and yet be a little lacking in tact. In the course of his sermon, the Reverend Mr. Newby, new pastor of the Christian Church at Guthrie, tnterjected the question, “How many of you have read the Bible?" Fifty hands went up. ‘Good! sald the preacher. “Now, how many of you have read the second chapter of Jude"? ‘Twenty-five hands weré raised. A wan smnile overspread the minister's face, “That's good; but when you go home read that chapter again, and you will doubtless learn something to your Interest."* Of course, they found that there 1s no second chapter of Jude, and, of course, no matter how they may attempt to laugh It off, the victims of the clerical pleas- antry are not likely to love thetr pastor any the more because of the “rise? he took out of them at that time. —Boston Transcript. “As I understand {t," said the heathen, “ you propose » clvilize me." “ Exactly 80.” “You mean to get me out of habits of {dleness and tes) me to work?” “That ts the tdea.” “And then lead me to simplify my methods ani toveg| things to make my work lighter?" “And next I will become ambitious to get rich, so tts won't have to work at all?” “ Naturally.” “Well, what's the use of taking such a roundaboat wy of getting Just where I started? I don’t have to work zor’ —Washington Star, Ir ts related that a well-known doctor was once prevs| ina public place when an accident occurred, and, setiog;| wounded man, weut about callin Somebody go and fetch’a doctor!” A friend who was by his side ventured to loge “Well, what about yourself “Oh, dear,” answered the doctor, suddenly recalling ty fact that he belonged to the medical profession, *I dit think of that!"—Z£zchange. Horet. Maxaone: I see you have given our finest sie rooms to a man named Bulking. Are you sure he can pay charges? Cuenk: Yes, he's rich enough. « How do you know?” + He ts old and ugly, and his wife ts young and pret Cincinnati Enquire, For London, E. C., England, AGENTS. lo by all Newsdealers in Great Britain, The Inte national News Company, Bream's Building, Chancery Lane, KUNOPRAN AGENTS—Messrs. Brentanc, Bt Avenue del'Ope1 Established 1823. WILSON WHISKEY. That’s All! THE WILSON DISTILLING CO., Baltimore Md. 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