Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-14
COR BY GOSH I'll WALK
Thought the Elevator Was Run On the
Observation-Disclosures Principle.

From the Chicago Herald.
A few years ago an old gentleman giving
the age of eighty-two years, a typical rep
resentative Of what is commonly called the
hay seed" entered the mayors office and
desired a license for the sale of a pate.t
medicine. He represented that he had come
here from Maine and had had poor luck IN
selling his wares. He was informed that 1t
would cost 81 to secure the license, and he
began at once to prey upon the charitable
irclinations Of the mayor to induce him to
give the license for nothing. In this he was
successful. and after securing the coveted
piece of paper. which permitted him to sell
his medicines, he started to leave. He had
ridden to the mayors office in the elevator
and has he started to go out, he thought
he would ride down again.
1t so happened that at the time the ele-
vator was at the top floor. How to call II
down was a conundrum which the old gen.
tleman seemed unable to solve In the
midst of his perplexities, official of the
city hall happened along and the old farm
er appealed to him how to bring that air
machine down"
The official told him that the only way
the machine could be brought down would
be to drop a nickel in the SLOT at the same
time pointing to the keyhole of the door to
the grating which surrounds the elevator
as the place where the nickel should be
dropped. The old gentleman gazed in won
der at the slot for a minute. and then re-
marked: "Well, to tell the truth, stranger
/ don't happen to have the nickel about my
clothes about this time. Now, l am a purity
old man and can't walk down them stairs
would you mind putting the nickel in for
me?"
WELL" said the official. 81 will try and
help you out" and with that he handed the
old man a nickel to put in the slot The
stranger tried his best to force the nickel
into the keyhole, but being unsuccessful,
the official kindly volunteered to do 1t for
him, and with the pretense OF putting a
nickel in the slot he slyly touched the call
bell and in a minute the elevator came
down. To the elevator boy the official re-
marked: He's all right" and the elevator
boy remarked, catching on to the joke: Il
didn't see my nickel fall into the box and
/ don't know whether L can let this man
ride down not, but if you say he is all
right, 1 will let him go down"
With that the old gentleman stepped into
the elevator and descended. AS he
reached the ground floor the elevator
boy remarked: Now You are down. il
will cost you just five cents to get out"
This was the last straw which broke the
old mans heart. We'll, by gosh said
he, 81 might better have walked | am in
a worse fix than i was before. Say. Young
Teller, l haven't got a nickel about me.
now. won't you kindly let me out and
trust me for the sum-
Seeing tears standing in the old mans
eyes, he opened the door and allowed the
old man to get out As he left the elevator
he took occasion to say: Young fellow
I'll pay you that nickel for letting me oI,t
Of this scrape, but it has been a good les
son for me. Hereafter, when l want IN
ride in these pesky machines 1 will either
have the price or. by gosh. I'll walk"
tn fI,a 49,