Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-10-24
COLOR-BLIND.
An Unfortunate Employment for n
Man who Couldn't Dfstinguis Coll


From the Detroit Free PIessl
1t was in Chicago He was standing on
a corner of Clark and Madistn streets, lean
ing against lamp post and looking at the
passers by with the air of a afriendlessman.
His appearance was decidedly seedy. His
face was bloated, his nose red, and his eyes
watery He caught sight of me. 1 turned
my face away, but it was to late. He saw
that he had aroused my curiosity and he
made in my direction.
s'You look like man with heart" he
said, softly; lyon look like philanthro-
pist, sir, behold an object for your char
ity."
81 have no time"
'Ah, say not so,' he gurgled; ''we must
always find time for good deeds in this
world. Behold your opportunity"
Ihesitated. His breath was vile with
liquor, but his smooth tongue made me
undecided. He caught me bya button, and
l suffered myself to be drawn into hall
way.
''Honored sir, he said with a plaintive
snuffle, 81 am wreck, mentally and ply
sically. But 1 was wealthy once. Not
many years ago it was my wont to ride
along these streets in my own carriage,
with a coachman and tiger, but a wheat
deal on the board lost me my riches. From
Michigan avenue turned to the environs
of South Clark street with the remnant of
my fortune-some $20-in my pocket. The
friends of my palmy days passed without
recognizing me, and 1 spent one week in
familiarizing myself with the worlds in
gratitude. Then impressed with fact
that 1 must do something or starve, look
ed about me for an no lest occupation.
The proprietor of restaurant, observing
my qualification to be above my condition,
made me his cashier. l worked for him
one day, and that day completely wrecked
me. 1 was driven to drink, and You now
see me a sofa man without character -
1t was impossible to leave him without
parting with q button, so l remained while
he recounted the peculiar story of his
downfall.
"You are unwilling to accept my state
ment," he ventured, noting my caustic
smile. ''Let me tell you, sir, that fortunes
have been made and lost by three strokes
of the ticker; 1 had a whole day in which
to be ruined.
"You see, when went to work in the
restaurant the proprietor handed me a pa
per- Our meal checks are printed in diff
ferent colors,' said he, and do not contain
the price of the meal. Study the paper
and you will understand it,
81 looked at the memorandum and found
that a white check meant sc, a blue check
| 10c., a red check 15c., and so on up to O
green check, which stood for 81. Iposted
myself thoroughly on these colors and their
relative prices, and began taking in checks
and giving out change with the sang froid
of an old cashier and q confidence in my
self that was sublime. We had an unusual
heavy day, and at nine o'clock that evening
/ had a bushel basket full of assorted
checks. The proprietor came around to
congratulate me on my success as a cashier,
and while he was talking, a gentleman pre-
sented rcd check and 50 dollar bill. ]
gave him $1.S5 and showed the pasteboard
into the basket.
"'Hold up, said the proprietor, haven't
you made a mistakef"
"+Guess not said 1 =, showing my mem
orandum under his nose, red, fifteen. He
gave me SO and gave him s1.S5.'
Man alive! that wasn't a red one. It
was green one"
"1 beg your pardon said 1, pulling il
out of the basket, IF that amt red I'll eat
it,
"sYou'd better eat it then,' said he; J
say it's graen.'
"sYou must be color-blind' remark
| ed. ..
"sYou're the one that's color-blind,' he
replied, and he called in a third person,
who positively swore the check was green.
s"And so it vast i had never before
known that / was color blind, but it was
fact, and there 1 had been giving change
| on red checks when / should have taken
cash for green ones. That days work put
me in debt to the restaurant-keeper for G
| trifie over 500. He discharged me on the
spot and took all my clothes and personal
property he could get at to balance &C.
counts. Even then 1 owed him something
but he could do nothing more, and / went
straight to q saloon and bought my frs
drink with my last dime. From that tins
on every cent I could beg or borrow hai
gone for iquor until lol / am become
-wreck. o, kind sirl you have never beer
color-blind, You know not what it is I.
struggle with this great secular defeat. Havl