The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-07-24
Get COAL BY EXPRESS
SECRETARY JOHN HAYS FAMILY
SURPRISES THE MA
TlVES.
UNSOPHlSTIcATED MEMBER
ORDERS A TON
Lacking Fuel for Furnace, One of
Household Telephones to Windsor
and Is Amazed to Get 1t Done Up in
Neat Bags, With Bill for $40 for Car
riage.

LAKE SUNAPEE, N. H, July %
The ways of the summer cottager are
sources of constant SURPRISE to the
natives Of the lake region, but the fam
lily OF Secretary of State John Hay has
discounted anything known here for
many year by ordering coal by ex-
press.
The family of the secretary opened
their beautiful summer place, The
Fells, on the shores of Lake Sunapee
early In June. 1t was chilly, and Mrs.
Hay wished the steam heater put in
action. But there was no coal in the
bin and the secretary was in Washing
ton.
So member of the household un-
dertook to supply the necessity, and
naturally asked villager where he
could get some coal.
How much do you want, a couple
OF shoVelfuls 2" was the query.
mo, want a ton, at least"
There hasn't been any coal sold
around here since it went up, and
l don't know how you can get it," was
the answer If you wanted to buy
diamonds, we might help you out"
Use Long distance Telephone.
1t was forty miles from here to Con-
cord. The obliging station agent tele-
graphed down the line, but could find
no coal for sale anywhere nearer than
the capital
Then he tried to get to the north,
and inquired of coal men at Sunapee,
Newport and Claremont, without sue
cess. A charitably inclined person at
Claremont proffered the information
that he had recently seen some coal at
Windsor, VT. He thought that if Mr..
Hays folks hustled they might get
some of the priced chunks.
Consequently a telephone message
was sent to James H. Kiniry, at Wind
sor, anxiouSly inquiring if the rumor
that he had some coal to sell was au-
thentic. There was great glee in the
Hay household when word came back
that Mr.. Kiniry had coal and would
sell it for So a ton.
Dear, good, kind Mr.. Kfniry, will
you please send us one ton right off by
EXPRESS" pleaded a feminine voice.
BY what?' demanded the astonish-
ed goldman.
by express, if you please" was the
reply.
Mr.. Knight sought the local agent
for the American Express company at
Windsor, which is thirty miles from
Sunapee by rail.
Il want to send a ton of coal by
your company to Secretary Hays
place." said Kiniry.
Tie 1t Nicely and Label 1t.
1--WE haven't got a safe big enough
to hold a ton" said the express man.
Are you afraid it will be lost in tran
SIT unless you make an express COM
pany liable for it's safe delivery?"
Those were my instructions" said
the coal man. '"By express, they said,
and by express that coal goes, safe or
no safe.''
The result was that Kiniry put up
ton of coal very nicely in bags, seal
ing each bag and tagging it for John
Hay, the Fells, Sunapee, N. H. The
coal occupied the biggest part of the
! express car on passenger train, to
the amazement and disgust of the ex-
press messenger.
AT Claremont Junction each bag was
transferred to a passenger train on the
Concord & Claremont branch. The ex-
press messenger receipted for one ton
Of coal in bags and weighed it, to be
sure that the charges were not too low.
The express agent at Lake Sunapee did
some weighing, too, and then delivered
the coal, after much exertion and some
| display of temper at the doorstep of
John Hays home.
How much is the expressing?" he
was asked.
No More Expressing.
'"Ten dollars" said he.
How much?"
"Just So"
Does that pay for the coal, too?"
mo, that only pays for getting it
here. It's good thing for the com
pany, amt it?" the expressman offered
little timely pleasantly
Yes, and I guess Mr.. Hay is the
thing, replied the equally apprecia-
tive hired man of the Hay household,
as he handed out the amount of the
charge. a-
Its much cheaper if you send it by
freight" said the expressman, sympa-
thetically.
In due time this expensive ton Of
coal, which had cost SIS, was consum-
ed in the Hay heating plant. Two days
ago Mr.. Kinirys telephone bell was
rang, and this conversation followed:
rs this Kiniry?"
Eyes"
''This is Secretary Hays house.