Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-05-16
ALWAYS PLACID.
The Receiving Telegraph Clerk who Re-
fused TO show any Interest Even In MS
Own Family Affairs,

The h0Ce1tluS AoAebNHPA
fused TO show any Interest Even In HI
own Family Affairs,
Detroit Free Pres.
The receiving clerks behind the desks q
the telegraph Office are cool, placid fellows
They take your message Of life or deatt
] with perfect indifference, mechanically
count the words, and look bit bored al
they reply:
1T will be sixty-fve cents, please"
/ had my eye on certain chap for ssEe
raj weeks before humbled his pride. de
insulted me. BE insulted me BY softly
whispering to himself as he counted the
words in tbs following message:
GRANDMOTHER died last night very sad
denly. How many OF you can attend tune
rAl2'
When l handed in that message ex,
pectsd him TO exhibit little emotion.
While he could not have been personally
AGO TAINTED with my grandmother, he must
have suspected that she was nice old
lady, and that her sudden death had
greatly overcome me. Why didn't he look
up with q bit!of sympathy in bis eye and
say:
100 bad l know just how you feel,
and L N sorry for you.
Bat no. He whistled and counted, made
a scratch or two with his pen and remark
ed:
Three words over seventy cents.
And as he made change he told one OF
the boys behind the counter that he'd be
If he wasn't gong 10 the dog fight
night Then be picked up my dead grand
mothers despatch and banged it on hook,
showed me over some change, and turned
away to resume the perussl of sporting
paper.
The next week went in with despatch
announcing that my grandmother 8 will
had been opened and that / came in for
$4,000. That man must have seen by my
face that was highly elated. Hang him,
he never had the fifth of that sum, and his
salary had Just been cut down $40 per
month, but when he had read the despatch
he csluY announced: -,
Forty cents and you forgot 10 date it. "
Aud then he began talking to one OF his
fellow clerks about slugging match, and
how he won So by betting on the right
man. don't say he ought TO have swung
his hat and cheered over my good fortune,
but why couldn't he have extended his
hand and said:
"Ea, old boy2 In luck, amt you? Well,
I'm glad on it. Send around the cigars
and we II smoke to your good health.
made upSmy mind when l went out
that / would upset that mans equanimity
or lose leg. Id tumble him off that ped
estal of placidity if it cost thousand dol
lars. Id upset, unbalancs. aud unhInge
him or die trying. l gave him two weeks
to repent 1t isn't ght to rush telegraph
man out OF the world on days notice. l
went back one evening, and | felt bit
sorry for him as he glanced and then let
ais ewes return to his Police Gazette. |
knew that hls wife and child were in Ohio,
on visit, and | stepped to the desk and
wrote:
DETROIT, June 6, 1885.
]. H Smith, Columbus, Ohio:
Please telegraph us full particulars of the
accident by which Mrs George Taylor and
daughter OF this city were instantly killed
this afternoon. sP.
felt bit sorry as l handed it in, not
knowing but what the man might faint
dead away as he read the terrible news.
Sill, had vowed revenge, and would not
torego it. He received the despatch, whis-
tied softly as was his wont. clattered the
point of his pen along the words as he
counted, and then he drsWled out:
"a dollar and twenty cents, and where
shall | send the answer
did you read that despstch?' l asked,
after looking at him for half minute.
YES
"Doyou know the plrtjesY'
"Yes, sir.
Isn't your name George Taylor"
Yes, Sir"
Aren't the parties your wife and dsugh-
.er2'
mo. sir. They returned home this morn
ing. Here's your change"