Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-10-09
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. SOME SHORT STORIES. :

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. SOME SHORT STORIES. :
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This man conducts business
house in Rock Island. He has .
Telephone in she store
People ara constantly coming into
she place and using she telephone.
The proprietor il of nervous tenn
permanent and 10 easily agitstsd. He
10 WHIT 10 commonly termed . hot
head.
As much as he disspproved of the
idea Of people using his telephone.
he could not consistently refuse |
them; that Is. looking at IL from .
business standpoint. /
He conceived an idea. He placed
q switch under the counter. and
when snyone came in to talk on bis
machine when be was not feeling in
the b-st of spirits he would step over
behind ths counter and turn on the
switch. This would prevent the
sound Of the man using his phone
from leaving the building. The man
would ring and ring. but no answer
would come from the central station.
81 guess your phone is ont OF
order" she man 1t the transmitter
would say.
II wouldn't wonder. would be the
curt reply. "Ring 'em again"
And he would ring. but of course
NO answer wouli come.
This game was worked for quite
awhile. Finally one day. being I'M
abe TO get the telephone to work.
the stoiekesper came down to the
central Office in q rage. He did not
ace Why he could not get service
when he was paying for 1t. He
stamp pod around for about I've min
utes. Then he left, being assured
that q man would be up at once to
place his telephone in order. !.
The i'nsman went up to the
stors and began examining the phone
What are you doing With thi
switch in here?" the telephone man
asked
..Why l Just put it In there for .
joke" replied the storekeeper.
..Well. she joke 10 on you thi.
time. This telephone 10 all right II
you only keep this switch turned
off,"
Aud the Kicker looked sheepish and
said nothing.
A midile-sged German gentleman
recently sent . telegram from Rock
Island to his home In the fatherland.
apprising his family that he woult
leave America At once for Europe.
He hsaved q sigh as he 6nished
penang the message. Been away
from home q long time" he said
land what Is worse, I have mo-
earned o penny in five years."
"What is your business?" ing uiret
the operator.
Il am q railroad conductor. I an
employed by . railway company IL
Germany. There was . pest raging
there. and . number Of towns wers
Guaranteed. My train ran into on
Of these places. WAS warned no
TO allow the train to pull into tn,
town. I disobeysa the order. ant
was laid ef for Eve years. Now
am returning to take back my oil
; Job"
And railroad men in this countr,
think 1t q terrible thing to be lai,
OF ~ days.
i. The pervisst man who has ap
pearsd in there parts for numsrou
moons took lodging at the polio
station the other night.
In the morning when he arose b.
was handed . broom and instructe
to do the sct"-ss they call 1t q
headquarters-that is. sweep out th
r station. He registered no com
Q plains, aud did very good joh
. When he had flushed. he made hi
J toilet, and chen walked up to th
i desk sergeant and tapped him on ii
: shoulder.
81 Say, partner" he began. "I'u
I croke, and I'd like to have thu pric
y Of Il little something to eat.
Q you cannot spare ANYTHING larger
i why q nickel will do"
J, The desk sergeant could not d
anything but laugh.
Il isis annecessary to say that ,th
Q hobo did not get the price"
81 II 10 nothing unusual for q privat
Citizen TO be touched. bat to thin
of the nerve It requires to brace
blue, coat.
Il The address OF the hobo was takeu
and he win be forwarded . lesthe
!; medal iot his bravery.
/
II Two women we're detected in Il
act Of sAoplifsing ut . Rock Islan
a dry goods store last week. The
Il we're taken to the police station
|. one OF the proprietors. They beggs
. Of him to let them 20. aud promise
= that they would not attempt such
thing again. They were told tbs
the police were the people for thel