Puck — April 10, 1878 — page 7: what you’re looking at

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

PUCK. 7 TOM KING'S STRENGTH. HERE used to be an eccentric old fellow ‘on one of the East River docks known as old Tom King. ‘Tom had followed the sea from his boyhood, had heard and told numberless yarns, and was quite a respectable, if not an eminent, liar. One day when I met him, some person had just been alluding to the feats of strength which some well-known athlete had been performing. “ Pshaw!” said old Tom King derisively, “that ain't nothin’; why, when I was young and muscular I could beat that all holler; you may laugh if you want to, but I can tell you 1 was no slouch on lifting. I used to go out in the morning and pull up trees and telegraph- poles by the roots, just to amuse myself and get a good appetite for breakfast. “In the carly part of my life,” he continued, “T ran on a canal-boat, and that was just the place where my muscle was developed. Why, once when we were up in the country on the Erie canal, some thieves stole our hawser, and the captain didn’t know what to do. We were way inland, and our case was rather a mean one, for we were due at our destination at a certain day, and if we didn’t reach port at that. time, nobody would ship goods on our craft any more, “The captain walked up and down the deck howling like a madman, and finally he says, says he: “*Tl give any man ten dollars that will get me out of this box.’ “OT take ye!” sez I, waltzin’ up to him friendly. “ “AM right!’ sez he, smilin’ sort 0” compla- cent. “So I set to work, and for half a day we went skitin’ along pretty lively, and folks along the shore came out and cheered like all possessed. You see, we had no rope to hitch onto the mule, so I just anchored inyself at the bow and held on to the mule’s tail, and we made splen- did time uatil I pulled the mule’s tail out by the roots.” As I was complimenting him on his marve- lous strength, he interrupted me: “Oh, that wasn’t nothin’,”’ he commenced; “why, I have often thrown that ’way into the shade. ‘About ten years ago a wagon broke down up the street, and a piece of machinery which was on it was dumped in the mud. The schooner that was to take it was agoin’ to sail in an hour and a-half, and 1 was offered five dollars if I'd get it aboard in time. I accepted, h’isted the machinery onto my shoulder, and cantered down the street like a Honolulu musk- deer. Reaching the dock, I stepped up onto a stringpiece, and stood there for half an hour with the machinery on my shoulder, while the mate was findin’ a place to stow it away. “ After a while that was settled, and I walked aboard with the machinery. When I got my foot on the deck, I sorter felt somethin’ begin- nin’ to give, and, by gracious, do you know that machinery was so blamed heavy that it sunk the schooner, and we all went down to- gether. ‘‘T thought my time had come, for I couldn't swim a solitary stroke, but I came up natural, you know, with the machinery in my hand, You see, I'was kinderelacky in comin’ up near the dock. Well, then, I, just thought ‘that nothin’ but my strength would save me, S011) grasped the machinery with one hand: and my itstraps with the other, and lifted myself and the whole business up onto-the dockts= _ a y% Joun Fairrax. Lacer is three cents_a in Rochester, Walhalla. will have,to offer some ‘adequate counter-attraction if it wishes to- retain=the esteem of the German population. TAR STAGE. DIPLOMACY AT WALLACK’S. AN undoubted success has been achieved at Wallack’s Theatre by the production of the English adaptation of Sardou’s play of “Dora.” ‘This success is both artistic and financial—a not too frequent though delightful combination in this depraved theatrical age. Mr. Lester Wallack has exhibited his usual taste in the ex- cellent presentation of the play, and in addi- tion has suppressed himself in playing the part of Henri Beauclerc, with a boldness and dis- interestedness that is commendable to an almost startling degree. “Diplomacy,” which is a play of situation, excellently constructed, and—save for the early portion of the first act interest- ing throughout -glitters with the artistic em- bellishment of the French school. The Wallack company is well fitted to do full justice to this most delicate form of art. Mr. Montague’s performance of /ulign is a really able blending of heroism and sentiment, and does him great credit. Mr. Robinson's small part of Count Orloff was made conspicu- ous by dint of the actor’s finish anit intelligence. Miss Rose Coghlan, as the scheming Countess Zicka, manifested a surprising power; and Miss Maud Granger's: Dora was charming. It is indeed rarely that such general praise can be so justly bestowed.—But lest this announce- ment should cause any over-elation of spirits, our next issue will contain a “Condensed Drama” based on “Diplomacy,” written with malice prepense and aforethought. DRAMATIC NOTES. “Our ALDERMEN” at the Park to-night. Mopjeska has been playing in Cincinnati. The theatre is going to be torn down, “LittLe Bareroor” is the attraction at the Standard this week. Maggie Mitchell plays Marie. Two Circuses are now in full blast, and the rustic visitor and local small-boy are fraterniz- ing anent the circumstance. ACTRESSES are not admitted into the Stewart woman-home, from which we infer that. Mr. Stewart had an exalted opinion of the pro- fession. “Uncie Tom's Canin’s” which, during the past week did not constitute the bill at two or three of the local theatres, is rather off color as a play. Georce C. Boniface plays Corporal Antoine in the “Soldier's Trust” at the Olympic this week. Oofty Gooft, the manager, is the sol- dier's trust just at present. Tue crowd of men generally in front of the National Theatre are not patrons of the house, as has been popularly supposed, but capitalists desirous of hiring it for brief seasons. Tue Aquarium Chimpanzee has survived al hostile attacks, but they have left him in a very enfeebled. condition, _ Av reinforcement of three other Chims drew its way thither from Europe. ,/£M. Ernest Patrizio De CastiGLione gave Va very enjoyable Magical Science Exhibition Theatre last “Thursday. at the Union i like this ere is 2 ic about a name dictewonh Sometiing to a magi =the past week by a French company, ic we the origit of “Baby,” “Rose Michel” and other plays in good style. M. gui Hirschy prevailed in charge curing the week, Miss Lrtusan Cieves Crarx, who brin; hither laurels won in the legitimate drama in the Provinces, has been specially engaged to personate Mafor-li-ca,in a ‘drama of the same name, at Niblo’s, next week, which was not se- lected for pronunciation, but to adorn the bill- boards. On Monday week a burlesque will be pre- sented at Niblo’s Garden, which will cogage the services of Miss Lillian Cleves Clark, Miss Belle Hewitt and other notabilities. The name of the burlesque is ‘‘ Nia-for-li-ca.” It was not selected for pronunciation, but to adorn the bill-boards, There is a picture exhibited in the shop- windows of the metropolis which is said to represent Miss Maggie Mitchell. Perhaps it may, at a thousand yards range. But the passer- by, if within a hundred feet of it, fails to note its resemblance to anything human, It should have been withdrawn from active circulation, together with Mr, Runnion's ‘‘ Mignon.” “Lean THE Forsaken” has possession of the boards at Niblo's Garden this week, and the callow youth, who} coming late, fails to get a programme, and mistakes it for the ‘‘Craiga Dhoul,” is thus put at a disadvantage with his female companion, and wishes bill-board tickets were never created, One swallow does not make a bummer. Poeticat justice may be one of the eternal verities, and the mills of God may grind with the deliberate certitude of an elephant march- ing on a periwinkle, but where are the red-hot pitch and the boiling oil for the seven times damnable villain who invented the word ‘fca- blegram”? Does Nemesis slumber ? ‘Tue April heavens with cloudlets fill, The little birds-are-hushed and still: - We raise our gingham umberill. From cloud to cloud the thunders ring; We get beneath an awnuing, And meditate on beauteous Spring. Hoseg far he Anvious. S$. S.—T. T. Musx.—Exhale, Haseutine,—Give her another rest. 1. P. H.— Don't we think this isa queer specimen to appear in Arkansas?” If you allude to your sketch, we reply: We do, We think it mach too queer a speci- men too appear in Puck. We are a virtuous paper, and and no syren blandishments from Little Rock shall in- duce us to immortalize an evil example to the youth of our beloved country. A. D,—Young man, we did not want 2 second copy of your letter. It was doubtless gratifying to you to think that we did; and it may have seemed very probable to you that when we referred to another man, we meant you. Bat we didn't, We have received your letter, and we have not:lost it, we regret to say. We have submit. ted it to several well-known actors and dramatic critics, and their verdict will be given next week, SALAMENES.—We wish to acknowledge receipt of a large invoice of acrostics, rebuses, enigmas, etc. We may add that we don’t care about ‘them. It is a matter of complete indifference to us whether your first is a dis- tinguished general of the Revolationary war, or whether it isn't, We don't’care if-your 1, 2,4, 6nd 8 area beautiful spring flower, but we'll be ‘eviscerated if we believe it, And as to your reckléss assertion that your finals are a well known and poplar actor, we can only say that we have far too much respect for ‘the thes” tre to. pat the slightest faith in such a calumny. Gone to meet. the man who wanted to start puzzle depart- : comicbooks.com