The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
GENIUS AT THE CHOP-BOI.
The Copper and the Can and the Hump.back
hoy FORM . Plot for . Tale.

htOy U FiOt A1ics
The ticket chopper of a downtown station on
the Sixth avenue line may flash out as a nov
elist or a playwright before long. He is now
hesitating between seeing Messrs. DAILY or Froh-
man or throwing himself into the imbecile
dunes of one of the yellow concerns which
grinds out Ten Young Stories by Ten Young
Women in Ten Minutes.
While a belated patron was waiting for q
train the chopper, who had left his choppery
for a few moments to look below. said to
the patron, whom he had come to know by rea-
son OF his regularity:
Did you see u copper stop at the south stair.
way and reach up to the roof Of the entrance.
and take down o tin can and something tied up
in a paperi'
The patron had not seen a copper reach mp or
down as described.
Maybe he's changed of tonight" contin.
ued the chopper. "Or maybe he is late. But
whenever he's on he comes around that corner
at just such a time, and he swings his ni0ht-
stick and chuckles low, and then there is an.
other chuckle still lower, most always. Then
the copper he walks 10 that stairway on the
south side of the street, and peers out and up
and down, and then he reaches up. and he
and then he takes something out Of the paper
and eats whatever 1t is, and then he takes an
other 6,fs n s%ig ;b ent . Of sw the sad' t ana t = bit snq n5tiI
there amt nothing more 10 swiR nor TO bite, and
he puts up the can and whistles low again, and
then he walks off, swinging his night stick. Then
when he turns the corner a boy comes out of
and walks around and looks up
and down, and when he don't see nobody look.
ing he takes the can and scoots down in the
direction OF the ferry. That things been going
on down below, just as I've told 1t, ever since
about last spring."
The patron said 1t was an interesting study.
There's a damned big sensation In that
thing, true as you live. i am thinking OF work
ing 4" ,,., .,o.. :. ..n..,,on o.
itf' asked the patron.
Think Why it has all Of the parts of one
of them Sunday. novels. There's the copper
coming round. whistling low. Then grabbing
the can and the meat in the package. And then
tho low whistle again and the walk away, and
the boy coming up from a dark place. looking
around, taking tho can, and making for the
ferry. And he's a hump-backed boy, at that,
"Now, that boy is hired by thieves to feed the
copper while they are at work; or. which Ia
still better for a story such as they're running,
that boy has a sister who Is q shoplifter. And
when she got pinched this copper he gets her
Off easy, and she Is at liberty, and she cooks him
cake and buys a can OF beer and sends them to
the copper by her hump-backed brother. Say,
that'd work up another thousand In circulation
right In this district.
There's so many situations In 1t. That's
the beauty OF the thing. Its good for more
stories than one. i hate to do anything thai
would cause the copper any trouble. but
reckon n man oughtn't TO hide his light under nc
bushel for the sake OF anybody. else; I'm go
ing TO spring 1t before some OF them lobster re
porterS gets onto It,