Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-07-15

! had formed the acquaintance OF hun
dreds of his people. His place was on
Sixth avenue. and he gave me 40 cents
on it, which ! gladly accepted. As he
was making out the ticket he said:
e Do you want to save it from the
mothsT
Yes answered.
''That will cost you - cents. Per-
! haps you would like to have it insured?
1t is always advisable. but it will cost
you II cents more replied my friend
'''All right / said. Take good care
of it He could have eaten il for all L
cared for l never intended to redeem
IL. l was about TO leave the place when
1 saw n big sign on the far wall. 1t
said:
NO extra charge for putting watch
es and jewelry in the safe in the office
watches and jewelry. 1t brought
the tears TO my eyes, and rs l crawled
into my 10 cent bed that night 1
thought of diamond necklaces. pearls
and rubies of priceless value and-cake
Oh. the curse of some signs! How they
mock the poor
They We're all silent moment. but
The one addressed as Willis was the
first 10 resume conversation, and he
said:
There's my friend. Big John Smith.
Let me introduce him. Since you chaps
are talking of signs and hard luck. let
me tell you of the time that | had TO
leave my trunk At the old Stevens
House, on lower Broadway, and light
out 10y the shades of midnight To get
away from n hotel bill that / couldn't
pay. Everything l had in the world
was locked up in that trunk. and as |
could not remove anything without ex-
citing suspicion l thought il best to
keep out OF Jail by leaving everything
behind me. / must have walked tn.
streets at least Il week furnished and
penniless. One afternoon | was pass
ing along an up town street. hoping to
die. when l happened 10 look up and
saw u sign as big as my hopes were
small. This sign read:
we Are Not Daylight Robbers.
Trunks, Trunks. From the Battery
to the Harlem Bridge 10 Your Room
For % Cents
IF that sign was not the irony OF
fate in my case. 1 do not know what
TO call it,"
"Oh. that's a small affair alongside
of my experience" said Smith. 1t is
only Il few years ago too. | had been
unemployed for several months. and as
| had six little shavers To take care OF
did not have much trouble spending the
little money had saved. / didn't seem
to have Il friend in the wide world To
turn TO. and | spent my last copper for
Il paper TO examine the employment col
umn. 1t was about Christmas time,
and dreaded going back home to face
the scolding landlord. l recall that l
stopped in front of the Harlem office
of Il newspaper TO see the holiday
crowd go by. and as l did so l saw a
sign that made my blood run cold. 1t
said:
There Is No Reason Why You
Should Be Idle. Insert n Want Ad.
-Four Cents n Line
The pronoun was printed in inn
mense letters, and l had the greatest
trouble dissuading myself that it was
not intended for me. and me alone.
OF course 1t wasn't. but that sign burn
ed into my memory, and l have
thought of it innumerable times since"
"Oh. pshaw,' rejoined the leading
man after Il pause. II suppose il is i'm
possible TO please everybody with pub
lie signs. / saw one in Buffalo once
which said: Attention, blind men.
Read this and be cured which referred
TO n new treatment for the blind. All
signs cannot be expected to satisfy the
ideas of everybody."-New York Mail |
and Express,