The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-01-10
ne Eas and lntellieencer.
BEL AIR, MD. JAN. 10, 1902
HE WON A NEW CHAIR
A CASE WHERE NERVE AND PER-
SlSTENcY GOT THEIR REWARD.
The Station Master Called the Divi-
sion superintendent's Bluff and
Went Out Through the Door In
stead of Through the Window.

sion Superintendents Bluff and
Went Out Through the Door In
stead of Through the Window.
Several division officials were inform
ally congregatcd In the superintendent's
Office of an eastern railroad one after
noon when the conversation turned to
the subject of elaborate office furniture,
suggested 10y new Office chair which
had been presented to the venerable su-
rerintendent by his subordinates as q
birthday remembrance.
Il never see an Office chair like that
without being reminded of an amusing
incident which occurred to me at almost
the commencement of my railroad expe-
ricncc," remarked the travelling freight
agent.
Il commenced my railroad career as
spare agent for the Central Vermont
back in the sixties when Old Man Hal
lONay was superintendent of the north
ern division Of that road. only worked
about six or eight months in that capaci-
ty when was assigned to n new station
just opened near st. Adams, VT, the
headquarters of the division. l shall
never forget the pride and satisfaction
which / experienced in the possession of
Iliut, III! iISl ItbuldI pVSlNloA. hSAC
TO be elected to the presidency of this
road tomorrow / doubt If It would afford
me anywhere near the self satisfaction
that derived from my first agency up
there in the Green Mountain State. Like
everything else In life. though. there was
a drawback to my complete happiness,
and that drawback lay in the fact that,
while all tho rest OF my station equip
anI nthco f,,ppitnpn nnf{rtSlv
new. the chair which they sent nae, judg-
ing from its appearance, had seen sew
cral years service at some other station
before being sent TO me.
We'll. that chair didn't harmonic with
my idaaS asJ nors thae y ~ WITH tAs
rest nj de 6fice far6fturi. ] heneAst~
" sat down and wrote the supenntsnAesE
n some length. stating the case IN al
its details, which. when summarized.
amounted to the fact that an cid chaiF
had been sent me in error In place OF q
new one, and asked him to see that the
mistake he rectiied. sent the letter On
the morning train, thinking. Of course,
that the new chair would be forthcoming
on the last train from St. Adams that
night: but. although l watched every In
coming train from st. Adams with anx-
ious. eXpectant eyes for over a week, the
coveted chair did not make Its appear
anCe.
Thinking the letter must have been
lost or mislaid, / wrote another, stating
the case at more length than on the for :
mer occasion. On the following day re-
ceived my second letter back with an In
dorsement across the corner that a new
chair could not be provided just at that
time and for the present l would have to
get along with the one ! had as best
could. This somewhat dampened my az
dor. but did not entirely discourage me In
my efforts to secure the new chair.
importuned the train dispatcher at least
three times a week and made 1t a point
to communicate my want to the train
master. the roadmastor and every one
else whom | saw and who ! thought
would have any influence whatever with
the, to me. obstinate superintendent, but
all to DO avail. Something like two
months passed, and l was still seated in
my old. ready to fall to pieces chair.
Being in st. Adams one day. decided
to call upon Mr.. Holloway in person and
ascertain, if possible. what the prospects
were relative to my chair.
After considerab BILE trouble-it being
one of his busy days-I succeeded in
gaining admittance to his private Office.
l have often wondered since that he did
not fire me out bodily and give me q ten
days suspension to boot for my presump-
ton. but he did not. preferring, evidently.
TO bluff me out of the affair and at the
same time have little fun all to himself
at my expense.
II stated my case In as few words as
possible, being somewhat awe inspired
by his scrutinizing gaze. When / had
finished, he simply grunted an assent
and, turning around to his desk. proceed
ed to finish the letter before him. appar-
emily utterly oblivious to my further pres
ence. After he had finished the letter
and addressed it he slowly arose from
his chair. took off his glasses and laid
them on the desk in front Of him and
Strengthened himself up to his full height
something like g feet Pin a way that
led me to think that my finish had ar
rived and that ! was booked to go out
through the window. He did not fire
me, however, but what he did do was
equally radical in its nature. Taking
the large, comfortable office chair in
which he had been sitting by the back
with both hands and placing his right
foot underneath it, he partly threw and
partly kicked it over in front of where l
sat, rcrnarking in his most severe man
ncr. There, will that do your
For the tenth purl of a second l was
completely nonplussd: but. not desiring
to be blufed, l caught up the chair.
swung it over my shoulder and. with
SThsak you, Mr.. Holloway: this Will DO
very nicely started to depart as had
come. through tho enter efics, who're his
sissaii esas4 &C Slafte 6ssEp Es-wsrk. Sec
Ing aaS atsatsaa asa sssisskraS ~ TSAf
ing me TO 60 IN that way. he directed ny
attsnrien to . side door leading directly
to the street. and, opening the door. hs
bowed me out of his presence with as
much grace as II had been the president
Of the road. ] afterward learned that Il
was several weeks before he got another
chair to replace the one ! had taken. In
reply to the master mechanics query
shortly after as to how be came to give
his chair to Clarke he replied. with a
smile, Well to tell you the truth. ] had
no more idea that he would take that
chair than ] now have that you viii
shoulder this Office and carry it away
whether the episode gave me any
prestige with the old man or not am
unable to say. but was promoted to one
Of rho haSf cfafiOna tho limo oil