Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-03
THEORY FAILED TO WORK

II don't know so much about this theory
that you can come close to telling a mans
occupation by his manners and appear
ance,' said a Washingtonian who re-
Gently returned from the Pan-American ex-
position. stopping at the same hotel with
me in Buffalo. and with rooms right across
the way from me, were three Chicago
newspaper men. The proprietor of the no.
tel introduced me to them a couple of days
after / registered, and we went around
good deal together. They were on their
vacation.
'tOne Of them was quite young chap.
not more than twenty-five, I should say
big, brawny, well-dressed lad who look
ed good deal like a typical eolleglan and
football player. at that. He was clever
skylarkish young fellow, with q boisterous
laugh. and he was always playing jokes
on his two companions Far be 1t from me
to knock, but the number and size of the
high balls that boy could scramble on the
outside OF were sure caustion to locusts.
They never seemed to have any effect upon
MIN. and he was always good-na tured and
jolly and entertaining.
Another of the three was slightly I'M
derSlzed man of thirty-fiye or so, rather
thin and dyspeptic looking, who didn't
nave great deal to say, and who seemed
SO diffdent with women folks that he al
most collapsed when the four of US were
the grounds. This man dressed in different
suits of modest black all the time with q
snip of black bow tie and a warmiook-
ing black hat. He always spoke in low
tone, and although he was perfectly good
natured and agreeable and quite obviously
a man of parts and character, he kept I'M
der cover about as much as any man
ever met uo with.
The third of the party of newspaper
men was a stout, very precise man of
forty-a man of such natural dignity that
the sense of it would impress you at once
He was exceedingly well dressed at all
tlmes and old-maidish in his habits, where
lore he was considerably guyed by the
others. The excellence of the language he
employed even when conversing on ordi-
nary topics struck me very soon after met
nm. lie never permitted himself to fall
into slipshod methods of expressing him
self, and. though his talk was by no means
stllted, 1t was almost old-fashioned in its
undertaking allegiance to a conversational
standard other than that of our day.
well, one night, couple of weeks after
met up with the three, we wound I'D the
night with little game of draw In my
ROOM After the last Jackpot, and when
we Were doing a bit of desultory talking
before turning In, l got to asking them
lew questions about newspapers and the
making of them This was subject that
nad always interested me considerably,
Inough didn't know much about it.
Finally I put them a few questions as to
the personnel of metropolitan newspaper.
For example, said /, addressing the
Dig, loud-laughing lad who understood the
dlhcult art of Furnishing high balls without
letting them get away with him, what do
you do on the paper"
Sky-pilot. he replied, unconcernedly
religious editor, that is to say And I
nave charge OF the morgue-the biograph-
ical department, You understand
This struck me as being laughable. but
the others didn't see anything particularly
Iunny In it, so | went on to the sedate.
dyspeptic-looking little man who always
dressed In black and curled up so awf,.lly
When he was introduced to a woman.
AND what is your stunt on your pa
PERI / asked him.
Racing man. he replied. Cover the
tracks and edit the racing department in
general. -
They didn't seem to see ANYTHING in
congruous in this, either and SO I INQUIRED
or the third man. who was so old-maidish
In his habits and so absolutely precise in
his manner OF using the kin 's English.
what was his specially.
on write the stories of the streets
slang STORIES, he answered me-
ana there you are. Each of these mon
nad been following his special line of work
for years, and none of them had the stamn
OF his specially in his appearance or man
:! don't accept that tell-them-by-their-
looks theory any more"