The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-12
A CHOLERA SCARE.
Touching Interview in Which Mr..
Jimson Quoted Scripture and
Doughty Jeer Said ''Phmthm-
roughm."

"Phmthmro ughm," remarked Mr..
Dough Jeer. as he entered his office yes
terday morning. "Phmthmroughm. has
Jimson got back?"
Mr.. Jeer did not seem easy In his mind.
He looked as IL he had little pleasure In
the prospect of All interview with his
naughty subordinate. who was expected
back yesterday from a couple OF weeks
enjoyment of somebody or others hos
pitaiIty at the Chicago Fair. In Jimson's
absence the Bdcknumber had had its
Waterloo. 1t had had nearly all the
remaining life knocked out of it by an
attack OF cholera. of course Jimson's
presence In the city would not have made
the least differencs-chelera is not a dog
fight, so he would not have cared about
it-but the disaster which had befalleu
the declining sheet in his absence would
give Mr.. Jimson an unequalled oppor-
tunity for exercising his mastery power
OF being disagreeable.
So Mr.. Jear trembled In his boots. So
did everyone else In the BdckRumber
Office. Freddy spent most of the morning
hiding under his desk. Mr. McByw ways
did his best TO cultivate a spirit OF de-
iauce; the Commander Ia Chief told
campaign lies TO Keep up his spirits aud
the reporters kspt out of the way.
About ten o'clock Mr.. Jimson stalked
into the business o flee. Mr. Jeer checked
an impulse to run down into the press
room and, screwing up a sickly smile.
remarked "PhmthmroughmI Phmthm-
%roughnl All Mr.. Unison. good-good
morning Mr.. Jimsou, Pm-Tm glad-yes
glad to see you you know. I hope you
enjoyed yourself. / hope you come back
feeling good, Phmthmrougnm!"
Eyes I feel good. l do" replied the
naughty employee. II like TO be made a
fool of the minute my back is turned. l
like to have seven men and a small boy
shout 'Choleral' at me as / walk down
Montgomery street. aud ask me when l
woke up"
"Phmthmrougbm." iuterjscted Mr..
Jeer. iu a tone of sympathy.
81 want to know what you people
mean by running this paper this wayi"
Mr.. Jimsou insisted. land if / don't get
a proper explanation at once. by Christie
pher Columbus. TIl resign and take a
job at Guttenbere."
"Oh. no: oh. no.; don't do that; any
thing but that; dom desert us now. Mr..
Jimson. We can't stand it. Stay. aud
we'll raise your salary some time. or you
can take another political job when
Cleveland is elected Mayor again.
Phmthmroughmf"
"Bosh'' roared Nj. Unison, In a tone
of voice that gave MIR. Doughty Jeer
paralysis. Il am talking business. /
want TO know how you people came to
have the floor wiped up with you In this
way when the news was right under
your noses"
but. my dear Jimson." walled Mr..
Jeer. my dear Observation-Disclosures
what have 1 to do with it. 1ts out of
my department. Go up and talk so tue
Commander-in-Chie He's response
ble."
"Humbug," rejoined Mr.. Jimson. in
his most disagreeable tones. You
don't believe that yourself. You know
the Commander-in-Cnief is a newspaper
man. anyway. whatever else he is. and il
it were left to him he would at least
have known what to do In a crisls of this
kind. l guess this is some of your blank
ETY. blanked stinginess. You were afraid
to spend a few dollars in the composing
room TO handle the news properly"
oh Unison, dom speak of it. These
are hard times. lust LOOK ut the paper.
There are hardly any ads in it. aud this
local sheet up the street is playing hob
with our circulation. Spend money on
news, Mr.. Jtmson, you must be mad.
Why we'll be lucky il we don't nave to
fill the columns with plate this winter.
Oh. no. Mr.. Jimson, don't talk {, ms of
expensive extras and such like chunks Of
enterptize. We amt stand it. Indeed.
Pm not surs but l will have to consider q
horizontal-that is what the Commander
in Chief calls it In his editorials about
tine tariff. isn't tia horizoptal reduction
in salaries; phmthmrouyhmv
This speech visibly reduced Mr.. Jim
sous tone. His voice grew hollow and he
In turn showed q disposition TO get out of
tAC SyS4OAik oAO6s A4V sA4t
perhaps. after all. the idlotic laundering
had not been Mr.. Jeer's fault. and he
sad he would go up and call down Alec
McByway and make Freddy cry.
MIR. Jeer. seeiug his advantage, at once
adopted the bluffing tone in which he
addresses the Board Of Delays when he
presides over its meetings. 1t was now
Jimson's turn to quail. Mr.. Jeer pulled
himself out, and Jimson's knees knocked
together. Mr.. Jeer intinated that If
Jimson stayed at nome and paid more
attention to business there would be less
danger OF Alec McByway's promotion.
aud things were beginning to look very
blue for the ex-haughty empIoye, when
the genial face Of Mr.. Smiles McSpartan
was seen at the door, aud his voice was
heard in gentls remoustrance against the
botched job The Backnun1ber made Of the
city advertising.
Mr.. Jeer instantly fed to the cellar
eayinx the bookeeper to faca the music