Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-30
HE HAD A SECRET CODE
A Man Who Had Proposition for the
Commissioners.
He Thought His Deaf, Mute Alphabet
Far Superior to Omeinl
Muscles.

Would you be kind enough to indicate
the time when there would be most proba-
bility Of such a desirable meetingT e
want to know when you can see emf"
"Jrst so'' 80 e-r''TH''' -
want to see 'em all at one timer :,
THAT is my DESIRE my friend. and II you
should render me any assistance shall be
under great and lasting obligations--etern-
ally your debtor. SO to speak"
Come in tomorrow at IL o'clock, and
maybe you can get hearing. II the mat
ter is very important you ought to state
your case to the secretary Of the board
and make q definite engagement"
Just So" And the inquiring visitor in
dulged in genufiexions such as are COM
mon to men who smile perpetualiy, VINO
are forever washing their hands with In
whose manner is oleaginously suave. The
BOOKKEEPING messenger was silently In
quisitive, and might even have gone to the
extreme of asking the nature of the smooth
mans business, but he did not have to, for
in unctuous tones the rather seedily dress
ed stranger preceded:
II have been informed that day or SO
since q man was here for the purpose Of
selling muzzles with which to keep closed
the mouths of over-loquacious subordi-
mates. He was assuredly a very absurd
fellow, albeit he may have had well-de-
veloped business instinct. My proposition
to attract instant attention merely by its
merit and Its cheapneSS.'
He fourished his hands before the mes
senger's face, and twisted and snapped the
long fingers until there seemed to be
dar ger Of their either being inextricably
tangled up or fractured. Then one hand
smoothed a closely-shaven chin while the
other continued the contortionate exercise
after most violent fashion.
1T would be reasonable for me to pre-
sumo that you are unaware of the meaning
of the signs have just, displayed"
The messenger nodded assent, but In his
mind was satisfied that they were signs OF
insanity.
MY dear friend" said the seedy man.
'you have just witnessed an exhibit Of my
rev alphabet for deaf mutes, and you also
beheld a vivid presentation OF the Ten
Commandments. the opening paragraph Of
the Declaration of Indel Evidence and some
eighteen or twenty lines Of that delightful
creation of Longfellow's-the Song Of Hia-
watha. You probably fail to discern q
reason for my presence, but am. never
the!ess. assured that my plan is admirable
"All the difficulty the Commissioners have
had with newspaper reporters has had its
origin in the fact that communication be-
tween the Commissioners and their SUBJ
crdinates has been either verbal or written.
The reporters possessed ears and were able
to read, SO they gathered to themselves in
formation that the Commissioners desired
to conceal from the public. With my al
phabet and the code I have invented this
would not have been possible, for only the
Commissioners and subordinates selected
by them could know the code; they could
converse with the utmost freedom even in
the presence of a score Of reporters with
out the slightest fear of the news escaping.
Naturally, my two-handed method Is the
speediest, but the one-hand alphabet with
suitable authorizations is very satisfactory;
1t commends itself especially when at lunch
time clerk is holding a sandwich or a cup
of coffee in one hand and at the same time
finds 1t necessary to hold official converse
with the other" ST.
might be kinder hard to learn?" queried
the messenger.
mot at all, my friend. Easter than learn
ing to talk. If your memory Is good, you
have probably noted the fact that 1t took
you several years to learn anything like
rational and accurate conversations; even
now I find you somewhat defective as to
grammar and pronunciation. You can &C
ouire my alphabet and secret code by less
than forty-eight hours of persistent appli-
cation, and in a month would be an expert
What I want, to be specific, Is an en-
gagement as teacher. Terms, of course
I would prefer. though. to have the Com
missioners set apart as much as may be
necessary for my reimbursement from the
emergency fund. The work of instruction
would be principally in classes, but with
the Commissioners and some of the promi-
nent officials I would naturally labor in
private.
You will oblige me-" he continued, after
pausing to give his restless hands another
imitation cleansing, "by saying nothing
whatever of this to anyone, either of you"
for a reporter had been of the party
secrecy is an essential to success. I will
call tomorrow. Good bye, my friend, good
Dyer
And swapping of a farewell with his
abpormally elongated digits he departed.