Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-21
A PLACID CLERK.
How He Mortified a Observation-Disclosures
full Individual.

How He Mortified a Observation-Disclosures
full Individual.
The receiving clerks behind the desks
at the telegraph Offices are cool, placid
fellows. They take your message Of
life or death with perfect indifference,
mechanically count the words, and look
a bit bored as they reply:
'It will be sixty-fve cents, please" !
had my eye on n certain chap for
several weeks before I humbled his
pride. He insulted me. He insulted
me by softly whispering to himself as
he counted the words in the following
message:
Grandmother died last night very
suddenly. How many of you can at
tend funeral?" /,
When | handed in that message I exc
pected him to exhibit a little emotion.
While he could not have been person.
ally acquainted with my grandmother
he must have suspected that she was q
nice old lady, and that her sudden death
had greatly overcome me. Why didn't
he look up with a bit of sympathy in his
eye and say:
TOO bad! know just how youfecl.
But 40. He whistled and counted,
made a scratch or two with his pen, and
carelessly remarked:
'rThree words over-seventy cents.";
And as he made change he told one
of the boys behind the counter that he'd
be hanged 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 I went in with a dis.
patch announcing that my grandmoth-
er's will had been opened, and that I
came in for twenty-five thousand dol
Jars. That man must have seen by my
face that l was highly elated. He never
had the fifth OF that sum, and his salary
had just been cut down ten dollars per
month, but when he had read the dis.
patch he calmly a%nnounced:
"Forty cents, and you forgot to date
it,"
And then he began talking to
n of his fellow-clerks about q
slugging match, and how he won three
dollars by betting on the right man. I
don't say he ought to have swung his
hat and cheered over my good fortune.
but why couldn't he have extended hin
paw and said:
"Eh? Old boy? In luck, amt your
Well, I'm glad on it. Send around the
cigars and We'll smoke to your good
health"
I made up my mind when I went Gus
that l would upset that mans equanim-
ity or lose q leg. I'd tumble him of
that pedestal Of placidity if it cost a
$1,000. Ia upset, unbalance and un-
hinge him or die trying. [ gave him
two weeks to repent. 1t isn't ris hit to
rush a telegraph nan out Of the world
on a days notice. I went back one
evening, and l felt a bit sorry for him
as he glanced up. knew that his wife
and child were in Ohio on a visit, and I
stepped to the desk and wrote:
DETROIT. Mich, June 6, 1885.
J. Fl. Smith, Columbus, o.:
Please telegraph me full particulars of the
accident by which Mrs. George ay!ornnd
daughter, of this city, were instantly killed
this Afternoon. S. r.
l felt a bit sorry as I handed 1t in, not
knowing but the man might faint dead
away as he e the terrible news.
Still, l had vowed revenge, and I would
not forego it. He received the dis
patch, whistled softly as was his won't,
clattered the point of his pen along
the words as he counted, and then
drawled out:
"a dollar and twenty-five cents, and
where shall [ send the answer?:'
'.Did you read that dispatch?"' I
asks.l after looking at him for half a
minute.
.'Yes."
do you know the parties?'
"'Yes, SIR
'Isn't your name George Taylor?"
Eyes, s.r:?"
AREN'T the parties your wife and
daughter?:"
'No. sir. They returned home this
morningg-here's your change!"-.A
Qxgd, in Detroit Free Press