The morning call., 1893-03-12
HE FELT CHILLY.
\ Near-Sighted Young
Mans Sad Mistake.
He Took the Right Thing to the
Wrong Place and They Never
Told Him.

He was chipper and dapper ana gay. He
was near-sighted.
He carried small alligator-skin hand
satchel and hummed softly Tell Ne With
Your Eyes" as he mounted the three granite
steps of the yellow brick building at Fist
and Natoma streets,
Secretary Barrett was busy with his
books as the stran ger entered, but lie stopped
10 ng enough to say:
''Not any to-day, thank you"
This didn't please the near-sighted young
man bit. He opened his alligator salchel
and took out handful of patent gas burners.
Then he said:
MY friend, If you have the interests of
your employer at heart YOU must at least
give me your attention long enough TO show
yOn these"
Sorry. but very busy to-day Making
out payroll. Can't you come later?" said
Secretary Barrett, without taking his eyes
off the long column Of figures before him.
Il really can't come again." insisted the
near-sighted young man, Besides this is Of
vital Importance just at present, for now
above all times the gas companies are"
"Ah, what's that YOU say? What about
the gas compauies?" Secretary Barrett
was really interest ted.
They are robbing the people. sir; you
know that if you burn gas at all here
Indeed" CALCULATED the secretary. He
put the column of figures away from him
ana came over to the big counter where he
could hear the near-slghted young mah
better
''Yes, sir; the gas companies are ro5bing
the people. Tney are the curse of our tair
municipality. II it were not for their niqui-
tous and, need l say, gross oVercharges.
our poor people would be riding in car
riages to-day. sir; and our honest employ
eTs, relieved from the thrall of this heavy
yoke, the gas bill, would bs enabled to in
crease their hard-wOrkbJ clerks and man.
ayers salaries until they DS.ome more com
mensurate with the expenditure OF brain
force bestowed by these faithful servants"
But you were speaking about the gas
companiesY interrupted Secretary Barrett.
80 l We're, gentlemen, so ! were; and so
l always Will. That is my mission in life"
and lie smiled approYngly and eXpeetantly
at the head hookkeeper aud the cashier and
the under r-clerk and the errand- boy, who
had gathered about him.
You're dead right about the gas COM
panies," said the cashier, symDathetically.
But have here little instrument, gem
tlemen, which outwits these great monop-
olirs and will in one month save three times
its net cost in decreasing the gas bills"
why, that must be good thing" said
the head bOokkeeper.
at has brought happiness and wealth to
thousands OF Impoverished homes in the
East. am now introducing it for the first
time in California"
DO tel" said The under clerk.
"And low do they wOrk?" asked The sec
retary.
"Allow me to show you. gentlemen. I
see you are intelligent men, ana | am sure
that my task in this direction viii be
rather pleasure than a burden. 1t is
always pleasant to hold converse with in-
tellectual gentlemen"
Il see yau are a man of rare discern
ment," said Secretary Barrett, but 90
ahead and tell US how it works"
Yes; we're very much interested in
that sort of thing here" said the head
bO0kkeeper.
"our gas-bilIs are awful high" chlmed
in the office-boy
The shoTtsighted young man fairly
beamed. He saw a big sale In the very
near future. AT great length lie explained
the wonderful workings of his grand patent
gas-blll reducer. He demonstrated to
mathematical verify that fully 90 per
cent OF the gas now burned could be,
should be, must be and would be saved by
the use ot his glorious aBti-poyerty de-
vice.
And when it was all explained very fully
to the Intelligent and Intellectual gentle
men and they had praised variously as
wonderful" great" glorious" "im-
mense" and FIRST rate" Secretary Barrett
gave the wink and the head book keeper and
the cashier and the Office boy and all the
rest OF them went back to their desks aud
tasks.
The proprietor is out just at present."
said Mr.. Barrett, ''but / have no doubt
that when he fully realizes the great bene-
fits OF your wonderful invention he will
purchase several hundred gross of them,
Tor he uses great many gas-burners in his
business.
'1f you could call later in the afternoon OF
early in the morning | am sure you will
find him al your service"
Il shall be charmed to do sn," said the
0ear-SlgnteQ Young man, 'GOQf- sir.
d-day, gentlemen, TO all of you"
"Good-day, sir" said the secretary "Oh
-but-say, in order to make sure that you
do not forget our number Just read that
sign as you 20 out"
Ah, thank you; with pleasure. sir"
This is the sign the near-sighted young
man read when he reached the dOor