Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-05-14
An photographic Snap.
Making Pretty Fair Wages out of N W rinkIc
that not Everybody Knows
IChicago MALL

| tChicago Mail
| How do you spell choir?" incurred a
snort, pudgy drummer as he sat at a table
IN the writing room of the Weddell House
in Cleveland few weeks ago There were
a dozen men busily writing at the same
table and as many more who were reading
newspapers. The ahruptness of the gues-
ton caused the writers to pause In their
work, for the question apparently had not
been addressed to any particular indiyidu
| al. The speaker rchectively nibbled the
| end OF penholdcr while waiting for a
reply.
a gentleman upon the opposite side of
the table finally blurted out: What kind
OF choir do YOU mean?'
why. lot of singers in church. you
know. A church choir"
"Q-u ire"
Thank you"
The drummer again dipped his pen In
INK preparatory to resuming his letter-writ-
ing. The other gentlemen could scarcely
conceal their mirth Again the writer
paused to say, half apoloeetically
BLAMED if | could tell how 10 spell it.
Seemed to me it ought to be spelled with
C. | was going 10 write it choir"
This was too much for the gravity of
the crowd. and after hearty laugh one of
the gentlemen SAID: well, IL were in
your place I'D spell it that way now, |
think"
We'll, thought could hardly be mis-
taken about it" said the puzzled speller.
Meanwhile the gentleman who had so
kindly volunteered to spell the word be-
came 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
trying to spell the name of body of
singers In church or certain quantity OF
paper. II you mean a company of church
singers it Is 'qu-ire, but if quantity Of
paper"
Well, hardly" remarked a hashiIy
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-lr-e' spells paper
qnire. and choir spells a church choir"
Not by long shot" stoutly insisted
the speiler. "Q-u-i-r-e spells church
choir-or it used to do it when went to
school-and I've got mrney right here in
my clothes which says that it spells it
now"
The speaker was decidedly angry, while
a, hi. di.co,'a,,,r., '"'''' a'n"scd
ON ,.iI :" r..,,,,y...t e..
siriiv ..it {.,., ,,r,t -, -, "e'
ahoni snr vsv ..nani.II,, .i,f '.'uI
settled 50 easily. 1t you are SO sure that
'q-n-i-r-e spells choir suppose you back up
your belief by little waeer-say the
cigars for the crowd and we'll look in the
dictionary over vnpd.r ,,d ..,,.t ~ .,
troversy
Tin agreed. was the no, rei,ipd.r 49,
Ill bet YOU 50 or Slo. or so5 tbs, IN ri,h,
and prove n by Wehster's I-n,hrjJ,.d liz
tionary In ten seconds h..n,ta b..
pulled out a roll OF bills and ,hs Xn'v
Yorker oujelly laid son hilI -, ,h.. .atl,.
which WAS prnmn,lv cnv.r.J
The dictionary vas hrnr,h, ,o-,
The Gotham drummer nnan,I ~. ti,, h'',t
and smiled ike man Who knows ia, ha
has sure thinp" in >inb, a. bn ,,rn.''I,a
the word "quire" and c@rImrnrrJ rrn,,in,,
the detnition--"a body nf .ir,,.r.
church See choir"
The silence that fell ma, ,be rn,,,
unrelieyed save. by The fr.,l.nfa soo tiu
as il was 1ui,tly folded ami s,n,yof aa,.
in the spelIer'. y.s, nocL.,
week later, as was enjoying cigar
apolIs was startled by hearing familiar
voice eXciaim 'flow do YOU spell |
choir" Hiancing hastily around was
surprised to see at one Of the writing
Cleveland concerning that very word |
Looking closer | was equally surprised 10
find near him the benevolent gentleman