River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-06-17
THE PLACID RECEIVING.
CLERK.

The receiving-clerks behind the desks
at the telegraph offices, says the De-
troit Free Press, are cool, placid fell
lows. They take your message of life
and death with perfect indifference,
mechanically count the words, and
look a bit bored as they reply. ut
will be 60 cents, please"
l had my eye ON a certain chap for
several weeks before | humbled his
pride. He insulted me. He insulled
me by softly whispering to himself as
he counted the words in the following
message:
''Grandma died last night very sud-
denly. How many of you can attend
the funeralg"
When l handed in that message ex-
pected him to exhibit little emotion.
While he could moi have been per-
sonally acquainted with my grand
mother, he must have suspect
ed that she was a nice old lady,
and thai her sudden death had
greatly over come me. Why didn't he
look up with bit of sympathy in his
eye and say:
TOO bad! | know jus. how you
feel, and I'm sorry for you.
But, No he whistled and counted,
made a scratch or two with his pen
and remarded
''Ihree words over ts.''
And as he made change he told one
of the boys behind the counter that he
he--if he wasn't going to the dog
fight that night. Then he picked up
my dead grandmother dispatch and
banged it on a hook, showed me over
some change. and turned away to re-
sumo the perusal of a sporting paper.
The next week | went in with a
dispatch announcing that my grand
p:others 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 SO per
month; but when he had read the dis
patch he calmly announced:
Forty cents, and you forgot to date
it,"
And then he began talking to one of
his fellow clerks about a smuggling
match, and how he won So by betting
on The tight man. / don't say he
ought to have swung his hat and cheer
cd over my good fortune, but why
couldn't he have extended his hand
and said:
"Eh, old boy? In luck amt youP
Well, I'm glad on it. Send around
the cigars and wen smoke to your
good health,
l made up my mind when | went
out that l would upset that man 5
equanimity or lose u leg. I'd tumble
HIM off that pedestal OF placidi,y if it
cost $1,000. Id upset, unbalance.
and unhinge him, or die trying. |
gave him two weeks to repent. 1t
isn't right TO rush "A telegraph man out
Of the world on day S notice, | went
back one evening, and | felt bit
/ sorry for him as he glanced up and
then let his eyes return TO his favorite
paper knew that his wife and child
were in Ohio On a visit, and ! stepped
ut the desk and wrote,
Detroit. Mich, June 6, 1856. III.
Smith, Columbus, O. Please tele-
graph us full particulars of the acct
dent by which Mrs. George Taylor and
VI till MtIG
killed this afternoon. S. T.
| felt bit sorry as | handed it in.
not knowing but the man might faint
dead away as he read the terrible news.
still, / had vowed revenge, and
you'd not forego it. He received the
dispatch, whistled softly as was his
wont, clattered the point of his pen
along the words as he counted, and
then he drawled out
"A dollar and twenty cents, and
where shall send the answer?
''Did you read that dispatch ?"
asked after looking at him half min
ute.
YES. +"
do you know the parties =
Yes. sir.
isn't your name George Taylor D.
"Yes, sir.
Aren't the parties your wife and
daughter 20
No, sir, thnT returned home this
morning. Here ; } our change.