Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-05-07
TELEGRANIS.
characteristics of People Who Daily Send
or Receive Wired Messages
che sad and the Gay.

Onc oil the busiest places IN tnls CITY,
says the Denver TriJUnc-RcpUblicdp, is
the Office of the Western Union Tcle-
graph company. Its visitors during the
day are many, and from morning until
midnight the throng continues 10 come
and 90, and the street door opens and
closes with n lively clattcr every few
minutes. They come in all styles. the
old, the young, and middle aged. They
come in garments of wealth. i'm the rags
of poverty, and in the Sccdiness of hard
luck, which soon may change
Faces pale with sadness. furrowcd
with care, bright with anticipation, or
radiant with happiness; all go through
the not ovcrwidc portal, and all upon
the same sort of GRAND, either TO get or
Send away messages.
Hope and despair jostlc with careless
ness and selfish JOY, and each seldom
notes the other. Often the face which
comes smiling goes away dark with
trouble, and many times the dull look
bcgOtten of hope deferred becomes trans
formed, and the owner goes away with
buoyant step and peace which has not
been experienced for long time.
glance around the Office will give
chance to guess at what is being written
by those who prepare their messages
right on the spot and the manner Of
the writers will often show something
Of the characters and business habits OF
them,
A commercial drummer will run into
telegraph Office, slamming the door
and making the papers ilutter all over
the place. He will push his way TO the
desk seize blank, dive pen into the
Ink, and write message in just thirty
seconds. Before he begins he will push
his hat high on his brow, and turn his
head to one side.
Then he will stride up TO the desk and
looking familiarity at the clerk, will push
the dispatch and big silver dollar to-
ward that functionary, rcmarking;
"Send that away d--n quickm
A man who has not been accustomed
10 sending kilograms will take moro
time about it, sometimes taking rs much
time about il rs il would take n book
keeper 10 balance n cash account He
will carefully count the words, and
study and rc-study the message in order
10 decide that he hasn't got too many
words, and TO be sure that the message
will be clearly understood.
Ladies generally write their messages
at home and then take them carefully
folded TO the Office, where they will ask
many questions They will want 10
know how much the dispatch is going
TO cost, and then if the address and sig
nature is 10 be included in the cost Of
the transmission. Then they will want
al 1.
nation Then they will carefully Law
down their parasols or satchcls and
count ont the price for the message, and
when the cash is about half counted
they will stop 10 look around and smile
at whoever j, standing behind them
waiting for a chance TO talk with the
clerk.
Finally, when the money is paid and
the clerk has been carefully made 10
promise to send the message immcdi-
atcly they will then gather up their
ur.mxSty md depart After they get
sidewalk they will fire.
ou' ul}ou -. ,,u the clerk if he can
,onj ~ ~ Ji"n"tc y, .y wrote It quite
hurricdly. When lady Nprttto
write the message in the ofl'~Chc pro-
cess Is NOuDltu. IL Il >llllldI sly IL bl ptI-
Torrance is carried on at the desk,
where they will want lots of elbow
room.
OF those who enter or send away the
announcement of death TO relatives
far away their manner is always quiet,
and a new father coming in TO let the
grandparents know that baby has ar
rived, will 20 in smiling all over his
face Not infrcqucntly the sender will
90 to the extra expense of a dime or so
TO add sentence which is intended as a
joke.
People sending for remittanccs gener-
ally look anxious, and not infrcquently
write with rush, and spread the ink
on thick and black, rs though 10 thus
express the cNigcncy which compelled
the sending of Geographic message
for funds.
And so they 90 Unconscious panto-
mimists, all of them making, without
knowing il, mimic, skctchy picture OF
the lights and shadows, the ileeting joys
or the sudden and more lasting griefs
which 90 to make up the dream called
life.