The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-05-28
Always Placid.
n the Detroit Free Press.

From the Detroit Free Press.
The receiving clerks behind thedesks
at the telegraph offices arecool, placid
fellows. They take YOUR message Of
life or death with perfect indifference,
mechanically count the words, II
look u bit bored as they reply:
at will be sixty-tive cents, please
Ihad my eye on a certain chap for
several weeks before | 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 a at
tend funeral?"
When Ihandedh him the message lex
pected him to exhibit a little emo,
ton. While he could not have been
personally acquainted with m%ySrand-
mother, he must have suspected that
she was a 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 you
feel. and I'm sorry for you"
But, no. He whistled and counted,
made a scratch or two with his pen,
and remarked:
Three words over-seventy cents
And as he made change he told on
az tba hove babi,r1 thn ~cpuptar that
he'd be--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, shovel me
over some change, and turned away
to resume the p~erusal OF a sporting
paper.
The next week | went in with a dis
patch announcing that my GRANDPA
theirs will hadbeenopened and that
came in for $4,000. Thatman must
have seen by my face hat | vas high,
~ elated. Hang him, he never had
the fifth OF that sum. and his salary
had Just been cut down S1Oper month,
but when he had read the despatch hv
calmly announced:
Forty cents, and youiorgotto date
it."
And then he began talking to one OF
his fellow clerks about Il slugging
match, and how he won So by betting
on the right ! don't say he
ought to have swung his hat and
cheered owe my good fortune, but
why couldn't he have extended his
hand and said:
'Eh, Old boy? In luck amt you?
| Nnll II,, u1ol on - Sn,,l ,rlr,,j t1,n
cigars and We'll smoke to your good
health"
made up my mind when l went
out that would upset that mans
equanimity or lose q leg. I'd tumble
him off that pedestal OF placidity if
1t cost a thousand dollars. l'dupset,
unbalance, and unhinge him or die
trying. gave HIM two weeks 10 re-
pent. ltisn'tright torush telegraph
MAJ out OF the world on IL days no
tice. ! went back one evening, and |
felt Il bit sorry for him ~ he glanced
up and then let his eyes return to the
Police .azette. knew that his wife
and child were III Ohio on II visit, and
stepped to the desk and wrote:
DETROIT, June 6, lSs5.-J. II. Smith,
Columbus, o: plense te!cgraphus full par
ticulars OF the accident by which Mrs.
George Taylor and daughter OF this city
were Instantly killed this afternoon.
5. y.
felt a bit sorry as | handed it in,
not knowing but the man might faint
denu away as he read the terrIblenews.
Still, | had vowed revenge. and would
not :orgo it. Hereceived thedispatch,
whlstling softly as was his won't, clat-
tered the point OF his pen along the
words rs he counted, and then he
drawled out:
"a dollar and twenty cents, and
where shall ! send the answer"
Odd you read that dispatch?"
asked, after looking at him Tor half u
minute.
yes"
do you know the parties?'
"Ies, Sir"
"lsn't your name George Taylor?"
Eyes, sir"
"Aren't the parties your wife and
daughter"
NO, sir. They returned home this
morning. Here'syour change"