Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-08-29
THE HOT WATER BUTTON.
Country Couple which AcceDsed
the Directions Literally.
This Is a tale of pressing the hutton


This Is a tale OF pressing the button.
Blaine Viles OF Skowhegan tells IL 20
me. 1 don't know where he got the
facts; couldn't have been In Skowhe-
gan, of course.
But, wherever II was, a couple fycm
the country came to the hotel OF which
the tale is told. OF course this may
have happened I'm Bob Haines' hotel In
Skowhegan. but doubt il, for Bob has
told me many times that il is liberal
education for man, woman or child to
stop in his hotel five minutes.
Rural parties in question asked to be
shown TO n room; boy escorted them
up; left them standing in the center of
the room looking around.
Over the electric push button. Of
course, was the usual card directing a
guest to ring once for ice water, twice
for hot water. etc. II Is evident that
the first business of the new arrivals
was to study the card.
In about five minutes the bell on the
annunciator in the Office commenced to
ring - prin-n-ng, prin-n-ng, prin-n-ns,
prin-n-ng!-giving the hot water call
over and over. The number shown
was the number OF thS room occupied
by the rural parties.
The boy rushed into the Mushroom
and drew a pitcher Of hot water. Still
the bell kept sounding steadily, two
rings in quick succession.
"Git a move on shouted the clerk
to the boy. Them parties In slumteen
must be considerably fused up on the
hot water question. They must have
cold feet"
The boy was already half way I'D
stairs, running like a deer The bell
still kept ringing.
The clerk, crazed by the noise of the
bell, stood UP In a chair, saying things
In rapid succession, and held his hand
on the gong, dulling its sound
The boy tore into the room, with his
pitcher Of hot water stopping The
new arrivals, man and wife. were
standing before the electric button.
Their eyes were on the card. The man
held n bowl carefully under the button,
with his head turned away. so that the
hot water wouldn't squirt in his eyes,
and the woman was pressing the but
ton with regular stroke. They were
doing their best TO get hot water strict
ly according to directions.
Here, stop thatr yelled the boy TO
the woman. Here's your hot waterr'
The man with the bowl lowered that
article and looked at the boy.
What" says he-the man from the
rural districts-"d'ye have to bring Il
in a pitcher in the old fashioned way {
WAL, l snumi What's the trouble
with yer waterworks here? I've been
pressin this button accordin TO the
rewles here on the card, and there
hain't darned drop Of hot water come
out yit. When things amt workin, We
ought to hang up a sign sayin out Of
Order That's the way they do on the
weighin machine up to Sile Cobb's gro
Gerry store"
And when the bellboy came out Of
his swoon he told the clerk, and the
clerk went gravely up stairs with o
tiny card on which he had written
Not Working"
He carried n spike and a hammer
and after gaining admission to room
slumteen he nailed up the card with
the spike.
The guest surveyed his work with in
terest.
''There, that's businessT said the
man from the rural districts. EFF she
amt workin, say so, and ef it's goin to
trouble We any TO fetch water up here
me and the woman will come down ter
the sink and wash up. Jest as soon
dew it's not.'-LewiSton Journal.