Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-06-02
HIS CHECK WAS GOOD
THE STORY OF A RAGGED MAN AND A
GOTHAM HOTEL CLERK.

! An Amusing Incident Which Demonstrates
Anew That 1t Is Not Always Wise to
Judge n Man by the Cut of His Coat or
the Fit of His Trousers.
Dave Gclvin-it is pronounced Gal.
vin-of Maitland, No, is one Of the
cattle barons Of northwest Missouri, a
section Of country which has a large
number of cattle barons. 4 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 stranger
would take him for an innocent gran
ger, eager to buy gold brick or likely
to blow cut 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 u train for home the
next morning. Dave is o lover of the
good things Of life so he Inquired his
way to the Hoffman House and affixed
his name to tho register. The clerk
looked at him for moment and asked
II lio wanted % room.
Eyes, and good one replied Dave.
amy baggage:"
"No."
"our rates arc $40 day, ard we re-
quire cash in advance from unknown
parties" said the clerk.
ooh, darn your rates; give me the
room. want 20 wash, said Dave
"All right. Ten dollars, please"
Dave run his hand in his pocket, but
all he could fish up was 81. This
sum was made up by silver dollar,
two silver half dollars, two quarters, a
90 cent piece and Il penny.
ooh, I'll pay you in the morning, :"
said Dave, turning to 90 to the elevator.
But the clerk know q thing or two.
He was not to DO caught that way-not
he.
"There is no deviation from our
rules, SIR" tho clerk said politely but
firmly. lyon must pay in advance -
"Then III give you check, " said
Gelvin, who was rapidly becoming an
cry.
ITo stepped back to tho desk. filled
out check for $500 and handed it to
the clerk. But tho clerk was not q
greenhorn. He was a New Yorker, he
was. He would not accept the check un-
less certified.
By this time Dave was mad. He said
q few words in Latin, or in language
that sounded like it was of foreign
origin.
"Confound your rules, you blasted
chumpl l 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."
The clerk called q messenger boy and
dispatched him to tho Chemical Nation
al, with a note asking If check of $500
signed by David Gelvin of Maitland,
Mo-, was good
Tho clerk knew it was not, but Dave
was fighting mad, and the clerk realiz-
ed that if he did not make seeming eff
fort to ascertain tho worth of tho 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 duo time the messenger returned
with an answer. 1t read, "Mr. Gelvin's
check worth $500 is perfectly good :"
| Tho clerk at once became obsequious.
There was nothing too good for Mr..
Gelvin of Missouri.
"Well, give NE back tho check, !"
said Dave. "Ill go over to the bank
and cash it myself v
The check was handed to the irate
man, and he marched out and never re-
turned The clerk was evidently filled
with curiosity about tho Mi1sourian,
| for he sent letter to Charley Donovan,
cashier Of the Maitland bank, asking if
| Gelvin's check for $1,000 was good.
Charley wrote back that Gelvin's check
was good fer $40 600, for five times
that and then he would have a balance
in tho bank. "You dod BANKED 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 us tho gold. "
Dave declares TINT tho ambition of
his lifo is to go back to New York some
time and dazzle tho eyes Of that hotel
clerk. He insists that when tho time
comes he is going to dress like king,
hire II corps of footmen, dozen Wallets,
carry 81 trunks. travel i'll special car
and go down to New York and throw
that hotel clerk into fits
This will explain why Gelvin is such
tiIG1oss worker Ho has enough to
live On in luxury aud eass all the rest
OF his life, but he has not yet accumu.
lated enough to make that New York
trip III what no considers the proper
stylr Until he does he will work hnrd-