Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-18
AN oRTHoGRAPHIc SNAP.
Making Pretty Fair Wages Out Of . Wrinkle
That Not Everybody Knows.

/ AaAAuB 1ir w oKco Out OF . w rlnkIo
That Not Everybody Knows.
From the Chicago Mail
'How do you spell 'choir'7" inquired short,
pudgy drummer as he sat at . table in the writ
ing room Of the wedden House in Cleveland .
few weeks ago. There were dozen men busily
writing at the Same table andes many more
who were reading newspapers. The abrupt
ness Of the question caused the writer's to pause
in their work, for the question apparently had
not been addressed to any particular individual
The speaker rehectively nibbled the end Of .
penholder while waiting for q reply.
gentleman upon the opposite side Of the
table finally blurted out: "what kind of Q
choir do you mean?''
why, a lot Of singers in . church. you
know. church choir"
| "Q-u-i-r-e."
Thank you"
| The drummer again dipped his pen IN ink
preparatory to resuming his letter-vriting.
The other gentlemen could scarcely conceal
their mirth. Again the writer paused to say.
| half apologetically: Blamed il I could tell
how to spell it. Seemed to me il ought to be
spelled with C. was going to write II
choir"
This was too much for the gravity Of the
crowd, and after a hearty laugh one of the gen.
tiemen said: We'll, If were in your place I'd
spell 1t that way now, l think"
We'll, l thought could hardly be mistaken
about it. said the puzzled speller.
Meanwhile the gentleman who had 90 kindly
volunteered to spell the word became very ner-
vous and seemed inclined to get angry
There are different ways to spell the word
choir, he said, and it makes all the differ
enoe In the world whether you are trying to
spell the name of a body of singers in a church
or a certain quantity of paper. II you mean a
company Of church singers it is 'q-u-i-r-e,' but
II quantity Of paper"
| We'll, hardly remarked Hashily dressed
New York drummer, laying down his pen.
''You will pardon me, my friend, but you re
wrong. You We got the two words mixed.
Q-n-i-r-e spells paper quire, and choir
spells church choir.
Not by long shot" stoutly insisted the spell
Ter. Q-u-i-r-e spells a church choir-or it
| used to do it 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.
.'Oh WELL" remarked the New Yorker, airily,
III Ism worth while quarreling about any way
especially since it can be settled so easily. II
you are SO sure that 'q-u-i-r-e' spells choir sup
pose you back up your belief by q little wager
the dictionary over yonder and end the con-
| troversy."
I'm agreed" was the hot rejoinder: ''or I'll
bet you %, or $40, or SIS that I'm right and
prove 1t by Websters Unabridged Dictionary
In ten seconds. As he spoke he pulled ont a
| roll OF bills, and the New Yorker quietly laid a
$50 bill on the table, which was promptly COW
! cred.
The dictionary was brought forward The
Gotham drummer opened the big book and
smiled like man who knows that he has a
sure thing" in sight as he turned to the word
| 'quire" and commenced reading the defini-
ton body of singers in a church. See
choir"
The silence that fell upon that room was I'm
relieved save by the rustic of a $40 bill as il
was quietly folded and slowed away in the
sspellers vest pocket.
week later as was enjoying cigar in the
lobby of the Riggs House at Indianapolis was
startled by hearing familiar voice eIciaim:
How do you spell choir?' CHANGING hastily
around was surprised to see at one of the
writing tables the identical gentleman whose
| ignorance had caused such a commotion at
Cleveland concerning that very word. Looking
closer l was equally surprised to find near him
the benevolent gentleman who had kindly vol
unteered to spell the word for him at Cleve-
land and who gained $40 by doing SO. APP
preaching the scene Of battle l took seat
| where could observe the subsequent proceed
ings and within one minute the Cleveland per-
| fcrmance had been duplicated, the speller
pocketing S25 this time the result OF his
acumen.
~, Accosting 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 a pretty good way
TO spell it anywhere. 1t has Melted my partner
here and me about $50 a day for the last two
months. 1t works nine TINES out of tell, and
we take no risks. you see It is the best snap
ever struck and Used to work with some Of
| the slickest boys IN the country. too.
| but, he added contidentially, If you ever
try It you'd better keep both eyes open. o,
you'll miss connection with the dictionary
You can find choir spelled and defined unde,
the word 'quire' in 'Websters unabridged
only. Even Webster had an edition Of 1891
called the international Unabridged which
reads 'quire-see choir without giving any
definition"