The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-04-30
AN ORTHOGRAPHfC sNAps
Making Pretty Fair Wages Out OF Wrin-
ts1e th&t Not Everybody Knows.

AN PHOTOGRAPHIC SNAps
Making Pretty Fair Wages Out Of wrin
kle that Not Everybody Knows.
"How do you spell 'ch6ir'l" inquired
q short, pudgy drummer as he sat at
table In the writing room of the Weddel
House in Cleveland a few weeks ago
There were dozen men busily writing
at the sat1e table and as many more wht
we're reading newspapers. The abrupt
ness of the question caused the writers tt
pause in their Wotk; for the question ap-
parently had not been addressed to any
particular individual. The speaker re
fecti7ely nibbled the end of a penboldel
while waiting for reply.
a gentleman on the opposite side O
the table finally blurted out: "WhaI
kind of 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 bis pen in
ink preparatory to resuming his letter.
! writing. The other gentlemen could
scarcely conceal their mirth. Again the
writer paused to say, half apologeticslly
"Blamed if could tell how to spell it.
Seemed to me it ought to be spelled with
a c. I was going to write it Choir
This WAS too much for the gravity Of
the crowd, and after hearty laugh one
of the gentlemen said! "Well, if were
in your place I'd spell it that way now,
think"
"Well, I thought I could hardly be
mistaken about it," said the puzzled
speller.
Meanwhile the gentlemen who had so
kindly volunteered to spell the word
became very nervous snd seemed inclin-
ed 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 a church or a certain quantity
of paper. Ifyou mean company of
church singers it is 'q-u-i-r-e,' but if q
quantity of paper It"
"Well, hardly,'s remarked aashily
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"
"Not by long shot, stoutly insisted
the speller. 'Q-u-i-r-e' spells church
choir-or it used to do it when I went to
school-and I've got money right here
in my clothes which says that 1t spells it
now"
The speaker was decidedly angry,
while the rest of the crowd we're rather
amused at his discontinue.
"Oh WE'LL" remarked the New Yorker,
airily, "it isn't worth while quarreling
about anyway, especially since it can be
settled so easily. If fyou are go cure that
.tq-u-i-r-e' spells choir, suppose you back
up your belief by little wager-say the
cigars for the crowd-and we'll look in
the dictionary over yohdet and end the
controversy"
'tI'm agreed" was the hot rejoinder
"or I'll bet you s5, or $40, or s25 that
Pm right, aid prove itby Webster's
Unabridged Dictionary in ten seconds" +"
AS he spoke be pulled out roll Of bills,
and the New Yorker quietly laid $40
bill on the table, which was promptly
covered.
|. The dictionary was brought forward.
The Gotham drummer opened the big
book and smiled like q man who knows
that he has s'sure thing" in sight as he
turned to the word "quire"; and commenc.
ed reading the deanition-"a body Of
singers ina church. See choir"
The silence that fell upon that room
was unrslievsd save by the rustic of a
500 bill as it mas quietly folded and stow
ed away in the spoilers vest pocket
III TX
a week later, as vas enjoying cigar
in the lobby Of the Briggs House, at
Indianapolis, I vas startled by hearing
a familiar voice exclaim: 1How do you
spell choir? ?" Glancing hastily around
was surprised to see at one of the writ
ing tables the identical gentleman whose
ignorance had caused such commotion
at Cleveland concerning that very word.
Looking closer I was equally surprised
to find near him the benevolent gentle.
man who had kindly volunteered to spell
the word for him as Cleveland and who
gained $40 by doing so. Approaching
the scene of battle, I took a aeat where
could observe the subsequent proceedings
and within one minute the Cleveland
performance had been duplicated, the
speller pocketiDg s25 this time as the
result of his acumen.
Accosting the winner, Isaid quietly
II see that. you spell choir now in JUS
the same way that you did the other day
at Cleveland"
"Yes,", hereplied, "that's apretty gooe
way to spell it anywhere. Ithas netted
my partner here and me about $50 a day
for the last two months. It works nint
times out of ten, and We take no risks
you see. It is the best snap I ever struck
and used to work with some of th'
slightest boys in the country, too.-
Chicago HAIL.
= The Hometake mine, in the Blacl
Hills, is generally supposed to be tn
richest gold mine in the world. For /
years the company has never missed pay
inp q dividend. and each month from