The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-05-27
HIS CHECK WAS GOOD
THE STORY OF A RAGGED MAN AND A
GOTHAM HOTEL CLERK.

Anew That 1t Is Not Always Wise to
Judge Man by the Cut of His Coat or
the Fit of His Trousers.
Dave Gelyin-it is pronounced Gal
vin-of Maitland, Mo-, is one of the
cattle barons of northwest Missouri, a
section of country which has large
number of cattle barons AS hustler
and pusher Dave has few equals and
no superiors, and what he does not know
about cattle would not be worth finding
out.
Dave is always SO busy looking after
his cattle interests that he seldom has
time to "dress up in his company
clothes. and at first sight a stranger
would take him for an innocent gran
ger, eager to buy gold brick or likely
to blow out the gas.
Several years ago Dave shipped lot
of export cattle from Maitland and went
as far as New York with them. When
he arrived in New York, he looked like
the ragged end of poverty, but he was
too busy to secure a change of clothing.
He had some business to transact and
intended taking train for home the
next morning. Dave is a lover of the
good things of life, SO he inquired his
way to the Hoffman House and affixed
his name to the register. The clerk
looked at him for moment and asked
if he wanted room.
Yes, and good one, . replied Dave.
ANY baggage?'
NO.
"Our rates are $40 day, and we re-
quire cash in advance from unknown
parties, y said the clerk
"Oh, darn your rates; give me the
room. l want to wash, said Dave.
All right. Ten dollars, please.
Dave run his hand in his pocket, but
all he could fish up was $2.71. This
sum was made up by silver dollar,
two silver half dollars, two quarters, a
90 cent piece and penny.
ooh, I'll pay you in the morning,
said Dave, turning to go to the elevator.
But the clerk knew thing or two.
He was not to be caught that way-not
he.
There is no deviation from our
rules, sir, . the clerk said politely but
firmly. "You must pay in advance. -
"Then I'll give you check. !" said
Gelvin, who was rapidly becoming an
CRY.
He stepped back to the desk. filled
out check for $500 and handed it to
the clerk. But the clerk was not
greenhorn. He was New Yorker, he
was. He would not accept the check I'M
less certified.
By this time Dave was mad. He said
a few words in Latin, or in a language
that sounded ike it was of foreign
origin.
"Confound your rules, you blasted
ohumpl I could buy and sell you ten
times over, you pigheaded, pimply faced
dude. If you don't think that check is
good, send it over to the Chemical Ma
tional.' y
The clerk called messenger boy and
dispatched him to the Chemical Nation
al, with hote asking if check of $500
signed by David Gelvin of Maitland,
Mo-, was good.
The clerk knew it was not, but Dave
was fighting mad, and the clerk realiz-
ed that if he did not make seeming ef-
fort to ascertain the worth of the check
he would get into trouble While the
messenger was absent Dave walked the
floor of the magnificent office and talk
ed to himself.
In due time the messenger returned
with an answer. It read, Mr.. Gelvin's
check worth $500 is perfectly good .
The clerk at once became obsequious.
There was nothing too good for Mr..
Gelvin of Missouri.
'sWell, give me back the check, y
said Dave. "I'll go over to the bank
and cash it myself. -
The check was handed to the irate
man, and he marched out and never re-
turned. The clerk was evidently filled
with curiosity about the Missourian,
for he sent letter to Charley Donovan,
cashier of the Maitland bank, asking il
Gelvin's check for $1,000 was good.
Charley wrote back that Gelvin's check
for $1,000 was perfectly good; that it
was good for $40, 600, for five times
that, and then he would have balance
in the bank. You dod blanked fool, .
wrote Donovan, '.if Gelvin takes no.
tion to buy your third rate hashery and
offers check for it, take it quick It's
as good as the gold. .
Dave declares that the ambition of
his life is to go back to New York some
time and dazzle the eyes of that hotel
clerk He insists that when the time
comes he is going to dress like king,
hire corps of footmen, a dozen Wallets,
carry 81 trunks, travel in special car
and go down to New York and throw
that hotel clerk into fits.
This will explain why Gelvin is such
a tireless worker. He has enough to
live on in luxury and ease all the rest
of his life, but he has not yet acoumu.
lated enough to make that New York
trip in what he considers the proper