Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-01-31
THE WILD BEAST or CIVILIZATION.
A More Pitiless Rrate Than Any Here
tafUre Seen In Nature-H0w l Was
Avenged, and H"w Dearly l Paid
Eur IL

regions were frightened by grizzlies
and cinnamon bears and mountain
lions, are past. a panther would not
now cross our roads for thousan'.
sheep. But there has am her IN N
ster grown up, right on the bosom OF
the nost advanced civilization a
monster more pitiIes> and cruel than
anv wild beast ever was, because ii is
not longing for life and blood. but for
the .4time' of human beings. This
monster is the telephone.
The writer was sitting on his coun-
ter, last week, the door carefully
bolted, SO that no one could bother
him while he finished up his books and
attended to huge pile of correspond
enre. The snow. storm outside was a
benefit to him and his work-hc felt
so quiet, so sure to be alone. But
there is fello~ in Bellevue-Cid Tim
who tends a saloon, and, unhappily
for the writer, has telephone No. 55.
w hen no one is at the bar-which is
mostly the case--he calls up anybody
he happens to think of by telephone,
to have what he calls IA social chat.
was adding up the first page of my
led ger when the telephone rang.
jumped to the instrument, and ex-
CLAIMED:
"Halloa -
"That you, Sam? Pretty heav,
storm, amt it =? How are you ?"
"l'm busy-that's al - and l hur
r;ediv left the apparatus.
Not being sure of my figures, be
gan adding up my first page again
Another call at the telephone
'Halloa, sam! Excuse me. | for
got to ask How many degrees hav
you there -
81 have 10 in this room. Don
bother me, please -
| thought that would do, and com
menced figuring page 2. Anothe
continuous ting a.ling- ling-g g!
"Ualloa: who is it 2"
s.It is |, Sam--No 55. Can vo
tell me how many square feet in ii
acre? There is bet here"
"l5etter call up the Land Ofic'
- and leave me alone" This | though
was little warm, but it might help.
resumed my work of running u
the columns on page l, and passed
, page 2, when a five minute ring di
tracted me and dissipated all my ne
tai concentration.
"What in HI is it,"
so, Sam, here's nice bargain f
IS you. "A fellow wants to sell his NEE
II schaum pipe for two drinks. It's
: daisy? Want IT."
y. | did not answer. | left him tai
l. ing, and ringing, determined not
): notice that bell until | had finish,
Sc my days job. Every qua.terho
d thereafter | had quite Il joke on hi
# ringing me up without getting Il
lie answer. Next morning an ola a
Of highly priced Bellevue friend enter
u my room.
" "What is the matter with you, Sal
al Were YOU not at home at all, vest
ill day? | rang about forty times
" YOU. No answer. tel! you it wa
pity! We had nice party, |
night. Miss Anne was there.
,al asked after you, too. Aud--we ha
all match"
NJ. "a match-who?"
,r- "Even Miss Anne with --
dudish greenhorn from New Y
city, whom she met the first time
night"
l lost my self-possession. Grasp
'r' chair, tried to destroy the t.
'r'- phone, hut my friend prevented.
the instrument, was saved, but my h'
cy, was broken.
''s resolved on revenge.
The same day commercial t
WV eler, widely known as the most
CON rulous fellow on the road, visited
store.
tier "Anvthinr new, Mr.. SAM"
. "Yes; but you must not say av
,vII about it."
oc- ''Certainly not"
eek "You know old Tim, in Belle
He received an order yesterday,
the agent of a powerful English
any dictate, 20 make out a lis. of 6
" Il ,,,ip;pr claim, IL, thiS rariOu wh,