Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Voices from the Past: Obediah Bluebottle (1879)



The following description of the laziest man on earth comes from the Bluebottle Papers: One of the Family, which is a humorous description of the author Bolivar Bluebottle's (obviously a pseudonym) cousin Obediah Bluebottle. It was first published in the Carthage Republican on May 13, 1879. I know a few folks like Obediah…

Not content with this he concluded to get up a patent of his own, and make money without working.

Obediah dearly loved work, but he was not on intimate terms with it.

He could rest all the time, and never get tired or complain.

Still, if he had anything to do he was always willing and energetic to have it done by somebody else.

His first invention was an improved fishing-rod, so arranged that it would dress the fish as well as pull them but.

It had an attachment to do all the swearing when the fish wouldn't bite.

This saved the fisherman a good stock of profanity to fling at his friends who asked him on his way borne, "Where is all your fish?"

But it didn't sell well, for as soon as it got a little out of order it would go roaming about the house swearing like a pirate, no matter bow many ministers were there to dinner.


-- Dr. Todd

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