Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-13


A General Manager.
This put on end to my railroadlng
for time at least and set mo looking
for job, The Western Union offered
me q small office In Southern Texas.
! which gladly accepted and was soon
Installed with the nrduous dutlca OF
manager operator and messenger hov.
| "One morning after oponing the Oh A
man with siN-inch beard and hair
In proportion walked In and politely
asked TO see the manager upon being
Informed that | had a corner on that
title he blandly smiled and extending
his dirt begrimcd. but soft hand said:
I am glad to meet YOU Aiy name
| ~ Chapman and am Mn old.timer and
have worked IN every large ottloc in
America. My father was for years
| treasurer Of this c0mpany."s
"Opening the half door I Invited him
to come In and he seated.
/" Yea said he removing his hat
which let his hair ny straight nm like
the quins ON Shakcspeare's fretfui por-
cgplnc, I have put IN twenty Years NJ
the key but my health failing. | was
compelled 10 give Il up and bnvc been
mining In Mexico FOR the past year.
but have not made success of It. aud
have concluded to return TO my home
In New York. where there IL always
n job for me-
"seelnE me reach for the key 10 an
swer my call, he anid
"'Ah, let me see II I can copy rs
I used TO do
"Hr sat down, answered the call and
lelsurely picked IN the pen and began
TO copy the message He did II so ens-
lly and with such SKIN that 1 lost my
head and forgetting his seedy APP
pearance ! could only see In this man
my Ideal operator.
4 champion Operator.
"The pcnmanship was oopper-piate.
which cnuSht my ambitious eye above
all things, After delivering The mes
sage | hurried bncls 10 the offlce aud
found my new friend dusting his
thread-bare clothes with the feather
buster
~ have about run down my cloth
Ing he sadly remarked, as he gave the
finishing touches TO hls ragged hat
In fact I am the little end OF nothing
whitfield down TO u flnc point. However,
/ won't be long In this fix, ms I have
written home for hundred dollars.
which win be here in Il few days. u
you can Xix me out for "A bath and a
shave and n change OF underwear
viii be thankful TO YOU
| "'Why, certainly sud l, come along
and we win soon have you looking as
bright ns new made dollar
| Closing the office | escorted my
friend TO a dry goods store. and pur-
chasing a cheap but neat suit of
clothes together with hnt, a pair
of shoes and suit OF underwear, and
then TO the barber, with Instructions
TO send the hlll to me / left the old
timer perchod up In the barber chair
looking as happy as q siNteen-ycar-o
boy uiking his frat shave.
In an hour he returned, but l could
not believe my eyes. The change was
miraculous and but Tot the voice.
would not have recognized him.
Young man. you arc one OF ma
lures noblemen,' said he. 4 shall never
forget shis act Of kindness 10 my dying
day, As soon az my remittance arrives
] VIII repay you every cent and until
II comes / win be compelled TO accept
further favors from your gencroua ma
turc by asking you 20 nix mo out for
n weeks board and lodglng.'
Most aasuredly,' | replied, any
thing that l can do for you Will be II
pleasure
After dlnner my friend began 70
stretch and complain OF his bend ach-
ing ! could hear him muttorlng to
himself about that cursed disease
whom finally. | nBkcd him the nature
OF hl1 malady,
- do not like TO tell YOU he replied
with much feeling, But atill ns II n
no fault OF mine, and AZ am not to
blame for Il, l see no reason why
should keep II from YOU am subject
20 nts, and strange as II may seem,
there Nv but one preventative for me.
and that is whisky. II ! can take three
drinks a day I Will feel no symptoms
|
ask you for this, and besides desplso
the cure worse than the disease
Not wanting any fits around me I
insisted that we step over to the sa-
loon and procure the nntidotc, lilo re-
luctantly consented. Being acquainted
with tho bar boy ] said, George. glvo
my friend anything he wants and
charge II 70 me- and then hurried back
10 the office
Drank ms Lord.
1 -.
dragged along and my friend had not
returned. while thinking that he had
not taken his medicine In time. and
sympathizng with him In general, he
suddenly staggered IN with his clotheH
and hat covered with barroom saw
"'By lingo. old pnrd, your wheel
hoss--you'ro the stun an doncher for
get t. You treat q man all right
betcher life. Damn amt glad | come
here
And with this last remark he fell
into chair and WAS soon snoring, |
left him to sleep on the effects OF the
medicine and went 10 supper. Upon
returning l found the chap SIN sleep
ing, and not wishing 10 arouse him,
quietly went TO work.
at o'clock | closed for the night.
and after some vigorous shaking finally
got him on his feet and outside into
the cool night mir. which revived him
was another drink coming
This thing Kept up from day 20 day,
until he was looking very much like
the Chapman OF the FIRST hours ae-
quelntRnce.
AFTER waiting week for him 70
brace up and get his hundred dollars.
which. by tho way, never came, In
formed him that his credit had been
stopped at the saloon and boarding
house
IAN right old boy. can't kick on
you at Rii-at NIL Fix me out for n
quart and I'll hit the road
This reaucat gladly complied with
and that wnB the last Of Chap for a
same old Roy.
Kline years later found me woriting
for the Western Union IN Portland. Ore.
One afternoon while standing IN the
Office doorway npied my sld fried
Chap coming up the nireet looking
for the telegraph Office. He Ind not
changed n whit In fact. I wondered
how he had worn the same suit 10
long and there were the aume WHISPERS
and hair There was no mistake. II
was tho chap " old He approached
me ard with the self-same smile said:
"'Brg pardon, are you working here.
! suppose you are an operatorT
yes said I.
| ..t-..ts,, St,,a tfs ba,d Ne aatd.