Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-03-26
TALK About TOWN.
A LAMENT OVER THE CHANGES WHICH TINE
BRINGS
The Risks Run in Cashing Miscellaneous Checks
The Telephone Impruvsnsnts-A Short Story
About Queer Burglary-VariOus
Other Topics Touched Upon.

HAS 10 ever OccurTeu 10 youi eHAN
Col. Jacob Kemple, "that we have now
but q very few 'well-known characters
in Wheeling? 1 mean men who have
pronounced characteristics sufficiently
noticeable to excite general attention.
Time was, fifteen years or so ago, when
there were a score OF gentlemen coming
under that head-men who were known
far and wide as the possessors OF some
popularity OF speech or manner which
caused them to be especially prominent
They were often men of ideas and
brains, too-shining lights In the pro-
LESSONS, or filing with ability various
public offices-and all were jolly good
fellows, bright, companionable-always
cheerful-often witty, and the life OF
the hotel Hobbies, the old Court House
and the old Ark. But they're gone,
and their places are vacant; the younger
generation has brought no one who
seems TO fit into any Of the vacant
inches, and the two or three old-timers
who remain, and l may be regarded as
one Of the class, sadly miss our former
CHEEKY companions. Things seem more
matter-of fact now than dozen years
ago. Life is taken more seriously; bu-
siness is the thought which is upper
most, and there is less and less dispo-
sition to extract a little pleasure-or at
least the old forms Of pleasure-as we
20 along. Probably there is just as
much fun In the world as there used TO
be, but, somehow, one don't seem to
find IL with old-time facility, and when
found it's of strange sort Of species
and little disappointing. Verify, the
times are changing and men change
with them"
''Do we ever get stuck on checks?"
said popular hotel clerk, Yesterday, in
reply TO a query. 81 should say we
did, and we always will get left, once
in a while, suppose. OF course, we
take all the precautions we can, and, in
fact, are not supposed to cash checks or
drafts at all, but it's rule we must
break pretty frequently. Old and we'll
known travellers often run out of cash
SuuuEHlls
short notice to get out OF town, and
when they come to US in rush, just be-
fore train time, perhaps, we have TO
help them out. Then, lots OF firms
send checks to meet representatives
here. The men will probably be in
town but a day or day and half, and
cannot deposit at bank for collection.
We have TO come to the
rescue, and do it cheerfully,
when we know our men, aud some
times when we don't. Twenty-four
times out Of twenty-five it's all right,
the favor is appreciated, and business is
often thrown our way as a result, but
the twenty-fifth time we get stuck on
bogus or worthless check. We have
four or FIVE such bits Of paper now,
which can be purchased at 90 per cent,
or face value. Did an old traveller ever
hit us that way? Yes; and his name is
ii. Valentine, and he's now in jail. lie
stopped at the house right along, and
was all right, but on the last round he
stuck a check for SIS at US, we cashed
il, and are SIS out by the operation.
That's the sort of thing which makes
innocent men suffer, for IL turns hotel
men against the whole check system and
the good men who hold good checks are
put to great Inconvenience, through
distrust caused by two or three rascals."
Glow do we carry news from the I'M
derground conduits TO subscribers
houses?" said Manager Wolf, Of the
Telephone Company. "In two or three
ways. Take the block bounded by
Twelfth, Fourteenth, Market and Main
street, as an example. l think every
house ia that block has one or more
telephones. We will lay four conduits
up alley 8, from Main street to the in
tersection of alley 3, and there will
carry them up pipe to the top Of a
big ,Jole. From this pole, which will
be In the centre of the block, the wires
will radiate 10 all parts Of the block.
In other cases, where it isn't practic-
able 10 get into the centre Of the block,
we will run lot Of wires up q pole on
the street, through pipe, aid then
Tadiate them over the tops or between
the houses, as circumstances will
permit. The work is GO
ing to be very costly one, but
the Improvement will be great. In
addition TO laying the conduits, we will
put in a complete new outfit at the Of
fee, including the latest metallic switch
bands. That will improve the source
very much. / think we have very good
service now, bat we are working with
od-time apparatus and consequently at
a disadvantage"