The tanner laughingly continued: "I expected to see Johnny McCan coming in with a murn hide. How many of Hurd"s pills const.i.tute a dose for a cow?"
c.o.o.ney Brashear added to the jollity by suggesting that Alfred "give Sammy"s mewel a dose the next time he kicks you." This reference to the "mewel" was only a reverberation of the town talk as Lin had predicted.
In fact, the reference to the "mewel" kicking Alfred became, and is still, a by-word in the old town.
Mr. Steele, to the surprise of Alfred, refused to count the dollars and dimes he poured from the old leather purse on the desk. Instead the man bid the boy "keep the money until the note was due, then bring it here, not a day before nor a day after. If you think you are going to die, leave directions to pay the debt. The man who pays beforehand shows himself a weakling, he is afraid of himself, he is afraid he cannot hold the money. He usually spends his money before he earns it."
It was a great day for Brownsville and the leading journal of the town, the _Brownsville Clipper_. Two circuses were headed for the town; Rosston, Springer & Henderson"s and Thayer & Noyse Great American Circus.
The agent of the first named show was first in, Andy Springer, "Old Rough Head." The agent was aware of the coming opposition although he never mentioned it. His contract for advertising s.p.a.ce in the _Clipper_ had a clause to the effect that no other circus advertising or reading matter should appear in the columns of the great family paper prior to the date of the exhibition of the R. S. & H. aggregation.
Harrison made this "slick contract" as he termed it. He charged the circus man double the usual advertising rates, working the agent for unlimited free tickets. The genteel word "complimentary" had not become a.s.sociated with show tickets as yet.
In making up the free list Harrison was as liberal to the families of the force as the school directors had been on the occasion of Alfred"s exhibition. The editor and owner"s family received sixteen free tickets; there were five in his family all told. The managing-editor, Harrison, and his family received fifteen free tickets. He distributed all of his tickets within two hours after they were counted out to him. (In those days the agent distributed the tickets, not by an order on the show as now.)
Harrison sought the circus agent at the hotel explaining that since he received the tickets he had consulted his family and they desired to go to the show twice, afternoon and night. The agent, knowing that there was opposition in sight, stood for the hold-up and Harrison celebrated most gloriously the next few days, with free tickets to the circus.
The foreman of the composing room was to have ten tickets. He was a poor man, Harrison advised, and had a lot of children. The circus wouldn"t lose anything as they would not pay to go nohow.
The pressman and his family were to receive ten free tickets. The devil, Alfred, was to receive six free tickets. He managed to get two that Harrison carelessly dropped while changing his clothes.
Scarcely had the first agent cleared the town before Charley Stowe, agent for Thayer & Noyse arrived, brisk, bright and beaming. Entering the _Clipper_ office he found Alfred the only person in. Mr. Stowe was very gracious. He won the boy to his side ere he had conversed with him five minutes.
The agent was in a great hurry, he desired to get to Pittsburgh at once--most agents are in a great hurry to get into a big city from a small town. Alfred informed the agent that he did not know where Harrison could be found. "Please sit down and look over our paper," said Alfred, and he left to seek Harrison, who was diligently distributing circus tickets and judging from his condition, getting value received.
Alfred was almost overcome with the thought of two circuses coming to town. He imparted the information to everyone whom he met who was interested enough to listen. Another circus coming, bigger and better than the first one, was Alfred"s guarantee. He was prompted to this through the fact that the newly arrived agent had been courteous to him.
Probably the twenty-five cents and two free tickets had something to do with Alfred"s leaning towards the second show.
Harrison was finally located at Bill Wyatt"s, a place he had not frequented in a long time as the slate bore figures that had been written on it about the date Harrison struck the town. Harrison had partially squared the score with circus tickets. Harrison was just able to walk with Alfred"s a.s.sistance. As they wobbled down wide Market Street Alfred imagined the man in a mood to be approached. He reminded Harrison of the half dollar long over due, and obligingly offered to take it out in circus tickets.
Harrison scorned the proposition. Straightening himself up he endeavored to push Alfred aside as he proudly exclaimed: "I don"t want you to take anything out in circus tickets. I"ll pay cash after the circus."
It required all of Alfred"s powers to make Harrison understand that there was another circus agent in town, another circus coming. Harrison persisted in the belief that it was the same agent with whom he had done business.
Stowe meanwhile, as all intelligent agents do, had gone to headquarters.
As Alfred, with his tow, entered the office, the owner of the paper turned on the managing editor, foreman of the composing room, etc., and let loose a tirade of abuse such as Alfred had never heard the like of before:
[Ill.u.s.tration: "Put Up Your Things and Git!"]
"You d.a.m.ned little shriveled up, whiskey soaked, tobacco smoked, copperhead. What in h.e.l.l do you mean by making a contract like this for my paper? I"ll cram it down your jaundiced jaws, you whelp of h.e.l.l, you!" And the rage of Hurd, who was a very large, fat man, caused his face to turn purple. "Pack up your things and git, or I"ll slap you into the bowels of the jail. I know enough about you and your record on that traitor sheet, (he referred to the opposition paper, the _Genius of Liberty_), to have you and all connected with it sent to Johnson"s Island. Git out of yere!" yelled Hurd.
Harrison pulled away from Alfred and in the effort fell partially over a settee as he sputtered out: "I"m a gemptman, what-smatter with Hanner."
He intended to use the cant phrase, "That"s what"s the matter with Hannah."
Hurd shook a purplish looking bit of paper in Harrison"s face: "What do you mean, you shrimp, by entering into a contract to the effect that no other circus can use my paper?"
Harrison attempted to look indignant but he was a bad actor, he could only look drunk. On this occasion he could not dissemble. His effort to do so only made him appear more drunken.
"I"m--a--man--of--h-honor--I"ll stan"--by--anythin" I do." Here Harrison fell down, full length on the settee, muttering and shaking his fist at Hurd.
"Get him out of this house!" was Hurd"s order to Alfred.
Alfred pulled and pushed Harrison to the bottom of the stairs leading up to his room. Harrison fell on all fours and began a slow ascent of the stairs, Alfred pushing him as he had seen deck hands shove refractory cattle when loading them on a boat.
He returned to the room. Hurd was very crusty. He hinted that Alfred should not have permitted the first circus agent to induce Harrison to sign the shut-out contract.
Stowe, the circus agent, further endeared himself to Alfred when he informed Mr. Hurd that Alfred should not be blamed.
Alfred, in the brief interview between the second agent and himself, had informed him as to the contract made by the first agent, the price charged for advertising, the free tickets extorted and other information that was valuable.
The agent was very diplomatic. He began by calming Hurd: "Now, Mr. Hurd, I know the value of your paper to us, I know you to be a man of honor, and I would not offend you by even insinuating that you could find a way to carry our advertising and reading matter as I know you would not violate the contract made with the other concern, although it is evident that contract was obtained by fraud. There is only one way around this;"
here the circus agent placed his hand on the shoulder of the big editor, "we will have to get out an extra edition, their advertising and reading matter to go in the regular edition, mine in the extra."
The editor beamed on the agent, the beam expressing more strongly than any words: "You"re a daisy--but, but," stammered Hurd, "we haven"t got matter enough for our regular edition. I"ve been working all morning; Harrison"s been drunk all week an"--"
"Never mind," interrupted the agent, "don"t you worry, let me do the work and the worrying also. Where can we get a little something to clear the cobwebs out of our tonsils?" And they left the office arm in arm, but not until the circus agent had asked Alfred if he knew where all the office force could be found. Alfred answered "No, sir." And he was truthful; as he was not certain whether he was on the stairs, on the landing, at the top of the stairs or had rolled back to the bottom.
When the agent ordered Alfred to get the office force together and inform them that they would have to work all night but would be paid double time, Alfred ran upstairs, as was his custom, four steps at each bound. Harrison was not on the stairs nor at the top landing. Running into the press room, Alfred found Harrison sitting in the coal box, sleeping soundly.
After vain efforts to arouse him, Alfred hastened to the residence of Bill Smith who had once worked on the paper. Cal Wyatt had also served some time setting type, and Baggy Allison was notified to repair to the office instanter.
All were on hand when the circus man returned. Cal Wyatt, advised Alfred to fill Harrison"s mouth with salt, that it was a never failing remedy.
It did bring Harrison partly around, just enough to make him a pest, in the way of all with both person and talk. He s...o...b..red over copy and case, hiccoughed, cursed Alfred for trying to doctor him; informing Alfred that he wanted no "dam cow doctor to fool with him."
Stowe, the circus agent, laughed until his sides ached. He was informed by the others that Alfred was a great minstrel and he volunteered to find him a place with some first cla.s.s minstrel organization the coming winter. Stowe played the banjo and carried the instrument with him. All the local minstrel band were introduced to him. He played and sang with them and within twenty-four hours he owned the town, including the printing office.
The type-setters did not have to wait for copy; Stowe had quant.i.ties.
The printers were not compelled to decipher the peculiarities of anyone"s handwriting; Stowe"s copy was printed and punctuated.
Such copy had never been worked from in the office before. Of course all the agent"s copy treated of Thayer & Noyse Great Circus.
Harrison got to himself finally. He could make himself very agreeable when he so desired.
Hurd insisted that there should be other matter written up. In this Stowe acquiesced. He scribbled off political, local and other matter at a rapid rate, nor did he stop there. He gave the contract to Isaac Vance of the Marshall House to feed all people and stock with the circus.
There were no stable tents in those days nor did anyone stop on the lot.
Canva.s.smen, hostlers and actors--all in the hotels. Vance got a big contract; Stowe secured a half column advertis.e.m.e.nt for the paper, as he did from several others.
The extra appeared, at first glance, as fat as the regular edition. When Baggy Allison tired, Stowe worked the press. He rolled, folded and fed until the extra edition was off the press and ready for distribution.
Among his printed matter was a quarter sheet, with the portraits of Thayer and Noyse, and a small amount of reading matter printed on one side only. He dug up a can of red ink from some unexplored recess where it had lain since the presidential campaign of 1860. He had three or four funny mule cuts. He wrote a funny line or two, made a rude cut resembling Hurd, informing the public that Hurd would ride the trick mule circus day. This bill was printed without the knowledge of Hurd. It was folded in the extra and thus distributed.
This fact makes valid Alfred"s claim of another honor for Brownsville, namely: that the _Brownsville Clipper_ was the first paper in this country to issue a colored supplement. Of course the word "supplement"
was not in a newspaper"s vocabulary at that time.
Another merit this supplement possessed, it was really humorous, and the humor was apparent, even to the people of that day, and that is more than the colored supplements of today can lay claim to.
Charley Stowe was not only the prime mover in all that pertained to the issuance of the extra but he hired a horse and buggy and a boy to a.s.sist Alfred in its distribution.
Brownsville was advertised as it had never been before. Charley Stowe following a precedent established by the first agent that ever traveled ahead of a show, promised many persons to return to Brownsville the day of the show. And, unlike the first agent and almost all agents in all times since, he kept his promise and came back.