Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-20
NOT OBSOLETE.
On the Contrary Courtesy Is Now a
Drug on the Market.
Ex. City Father HAS This Fact Impressed UPo"
His Mind.

Every now and then some prominent
writer or speaker advances the idea
that the days Of chivalry are over. that
the chivalric age is thing of the past
and that we as nation of hustlers
have no time in our hurry and rush to
grasp the almighty dollar to pause long
enough to be courteous to our fellow
men.
But I beg to differ with the writer's
and speakers who advance such ideas.
Tor the world is full of courtesy and of
courteous people and we find them
even in the umbler walks of life. Why.
OILY the other day while strolling
around the town a case came to my no
tice that convinced me more than ever
that I am right in my assumption and
that courtesy like tincture of rhubarb
is drug on the market.
One of ureX-city daddies who always
has the welfare of the city at heart and
who sees no reason why the city should
pay 81 for - cents worth of goods was
coming down to his place of business
the other day and saw, just outside the
travelled road. the head and shoulders
of workman who was diligently WELD
int q pick and burying himself out of
sight in the hole he was digging. He
recognized the man as one of the city
workmen and wondered what he could
be doine there. He realized by his
familiarity with the city street plan
that the sewer or culvert did not run
on that side of the road, which made
him wonder all the more.
After watching the man with the
concluded that as he was taxpayer
in the borough and that he had a per-
feet right to know why the man was
making that Klondike excavation in
the street. So he crossed over to in
terview him.
Approaching the excavation as near
as he could he hailed the lone labOrer
from the Emerald Isle and said, Good
morning, my good man. What are you
digging for?'
The labOrer looked up, shifted his
choice Dit of tobacco from one cheek
to the other so as to balance his face.
rested both hands on his pick handle
and said in a broad, unmistakable ac
cent, Sir" And the ex-city father in
louder tone repeated the question.
What are you digging fOr?'
The lahorer caught the question this
time on the fly and said, "Sir. l am dig
ging for $3.50 day and I expect to get
me money at 6 o'clock"
The reply struck our ex-official as
being very clever and to the point so he
very Courteously thanked the laborer
and journeyed towards his Office. we'll
satisfied that courtesy was not like the
IA. Al, Is hr,t
was practiced iii Augusta to some ex-
tent and the only way to find out any
thing in this world is to ask about it
foi he might have lived in ignorance
all his days and never known just what
the man was digging for if he hadn't
asked MIN the question. AS the gen.
tleman is a rather good after dinner
speaker on any and all occasions he
sometimes works this story in to IL
lrstrate the point that courtesy is not
one Of the lost arts.
was holding quite heated discus
sion with one of our prominent city
divines the other day and the answer
he made to offset one of the strong
points of my argument rather stag
stred me. l said by way of argument,
Now you put 2 and 2 together and it
can't help making A. The divine
mildly said, Now that may be So but
that is not my business. My business
is putting and l together for life
which am in hopes makes happiness"
AS I could not offset that argument 1
gave up the case and acknowledged
myself beaten.
Up al the North End Water street
merchant has unique way of dispos-
ing Of his goods that will put depart
incnt store manager to shame. He has
a tabby cat which on divers occasions
presents her master with a whole
windrow Of miniature cats, of all
colors and varieties. At the present
time there is quite an overplus in the
cat market and he finds it difficult to
dispose of them. He has asked about
everybody he has come in contact with
If they don't want cat, but thus far
has been unable to keep the crop down
to the prescribed limit so the other
day he conceived brilliant idea. He
dumped the whole mess in large
basket on the counter and marked
card with great big letters, Take one
free" He is in hopes that the thought
of getting something for nothing, in
bern in the American public, will en-
able him to dispose of his surplus feline
population without resorting to gun
ny sack and a brick.
AgA&s~M