The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-06-26
An photographic Snap.
Making Pretty Fair Wages Out of u Wrl
kle Not Everybody Knows.

Making Pretty Fair wages Out OF u WIN
kle Not Everybody Knows.
GLOW do you spell 'choir'?" inquired
short, pudgy drummer as he sat at table il
the writing room of the Weddell House il
Cleveland a few weeks ago. There were
dozen men busily writing at the same tabl'
and as many more who were reading news
papers. The abruptness of the question
caused the writers to pause in their work, fol
the question apparently had not been address
ed to any particular individual. The speak
er refectvey nibbled the end of a pen holder
while waiting for reply.
A gentleman on the opposite side of thu
table finally blurted out: "What kind Of q
choir do you mean?"
"Why, lot of singers in church, you
know. A church Choir"
"Q-u-i-r-e"
"Thank YOU"
The drummer again dipped his pen In ink
preparatory to resuming his letter writing
The other gentlemen could scarcely conceal
| their mirth. Again the writer paused TO say,
half apologetically: BLAMED if could tell
how to spell it. Seemed to me it ought to be
spelled with C. l was going 10 write it
choir"
This was too much for the gravity of the
crowd, and after hearty laugh one of the
L
place I'd spell it that way, now, think"
"Well, thought could hardly be mistak-
en- about il" said the puzzled speller.
Meanwhile the gentleman who had so kind
ly volunteered to spell the word became very
nervous and seemed inclined to get angry.
There are different ways to spell the
word choir" he said, and it makes all the
difference in the world whether you are try.
ing to spell the name of body of singers in
a church or certain quantity of paper. II
you mean company Of church singers it is
'q-u-i-r-e,' but if a quantity of paper"
swell, hardly" remarked a f1ashily dressed
New York drummer, laying down his pen.
You will pardon me, my friend, but you're
wrong. You've got the two words mixed.
Q-u-i-r-e,' spells paper quire, and Choir
spells church choir"
mot by long shot," stoutly insisted the
speller. 'Q-u-i-r-e' spells church choir-or
it used to when | went to school-and I've
got money right here in my clothes which
says that it spells it now"
The speaker was decidedly angry, while
the rest of the crowd were rather amused at
his discontinue.
ooh, well' remarked the New Yorker air
lily, lit isn't worth quarrelling about any
way, especially since it can be settled so cas-
lily. Ii you are SO sure that 'q-u-i-r-e' spells
choir, suppose you back up your belief by a
little wager-say the cigars for the crowd
and we'll look in the dictionary over yonder
and end the controversy"
Pm agreed" was the hot rejoinder; or I'll
bet you So or $40 or $25 that Pm right, and
prove it by Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
in ten seconds" AS he spoke he pulled out
a roll of bills, and the New Yorker quietly
laid a $50 bill on the table which was
promptly covered.
The dictionary was brought forward. The
Gotham drummer opened the big book and
smiled like man who knows 'sure thing"
in sight as he turned to the word "quire and
commenced reading the deinition-'a body
of singers in church. See choir"
The silence that fell upon that room was
unrelieved save by the rustic of $40 bill as
it was quietly slowed away In the spoilers
pocket. =. -
A week later, as was enjoying cigar in
the lobby of the Riggs House at Indianapolis
was startled by hearing familiar voice ex-
claim: "How do you spell choir?" Glanc-
ing hastily around l was surprised to see at
one of the writing tables the identical gentle
man whose ignorance had caused such COM
motion at Cleveland concerning that very
word. Looking closer l was equally sur
prised to find near him the benevolent gen.
tleman who had kindly volunteered to spell
the word for him at Cleveland and who gain
ed $50 by doing so. Approaching the scene
of battle took seat where / could observe
the subsequent proceedings, and within one
minute the Cleveland performance had been
duplicated, the speller pocketing $25 this
time as the result of his acumen.
Accusing the winner, said quietly: 81
see that you spell choir now in just the same
way that you did the other day at Cleveland"
YES" he replied, "that's pretty good
way to spell it anywhere. 1t has netted my
partner here and mt about $50 a day for the
last two months. 1t works nine times out of
ten, and we take no risks, you see. 1t is the
best snap ever struck and l used to work
with some of the slickest boys in the country,
too.
But" he added confidentially, "if you ever
try 1t you'd better keep both eyes open, or
you'll miss connection with the dictionary.
You can find choir spelled and defined under
the word 'quire' in 'Webster's Unabridged
only. Even Webster had an edition of 1891
called the international Unabridged which
reads 'quire-see choir, without giving any
definition"