Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 January 1918 — TELLS OF THE CATASTROPHE [ARTICLE]

TELLS OF THE CATASTROPHE

Reformed Druggist Explains How Customers Head Was Blown Off When Gun Cotton Exploded. The Reformed Druggist was talking to the Man With the Cracked Lip. “Now, collodion,” he said, relates a writer, “collodion is just the thing to put on that lip of yours. It is a great thing to promote the growth of .new skin. Just brush that lip with collodion, and it will be well in no time. But,” he continued warningly, “you ■ want to be very careful. One of the worst accidents I ever saw was the direct result of collodion,” The Man With the Cracked Lip shivered apprehensively. “How was that?” he asked. The Reformed Druggist lighted a fresh cigar and stuck his feet upon the radiator. “Yes,” he continued, reflectively, "that was a bad accident, and the worst of the whole thing was that I was responsible for It in a way.” “But what was It?” Insisted the Man With the Cracked Lip. , “It was just like this: One day before I reformed and while I was keeping a drug store, a wan came Into the store with the worst pair of lips I ever saw. Why, that fissure In that lip of yours wasn’t a mark to the gully that was in his lower lip. I saw in a minute that be must be suffering a good deal. He was a great, big man, and his teeth were rather protuberant. I asked him if he wanted something for those lips, and he told me that I had guessed right. Then I told him just what I have been telling you. I explained to him the action of collodion, and he told me to put some on his Ups. I got the bottle and picked out a cam-

el’s hair brush. Then I painted those lips in a way that no man’s lips were ever painted before. I Just dabbed the collodion on by the spoonful.. Pretty son I had them all fixed out, and then the accident occurred. Holy Moresi what an accident that was. Why, the man’s head was just blown clear ass his shoulders and instead of getting a half-dollar for my job I was out 10 cents for telephoning for the ambulance to come and take him away.” “I don’t think I catch the drift of your remarks,” said the Man With the Cracked Lip. “Did I understand you to say that the man’s head was blown off?” “You did,” replied the Reformed Druggist. “His head was blown clean from his shoulders.” “But how; did he have a dynamite cartridge in his mouth or something of that kind?” “Oh, no.” The Reformed Druggist laughed a bit. “You remember I said that he had protuberant teeth and that I, also said I put a great deal of collodion on his Ups? Well, collodion is made of gun-cotton and ether, and when it got in the sore he kinder brought his teeth together with a snap. Some way or other those teeth struck a spark, that set off the gun-cotton, and there was a big report and the man’s head was blown into bits.” - The Man With the Chapped Lip sat for a moment in sUence. Then he said, slowly: “I don’t wonder that you got out of the drug business. Your proper place is press agent for a fishing club” Canadian press statements report the acquisition by American interests of copper-bearing lands in New Brunswick.