The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-05-08
A CIGAR DID THE TRICK.
ment Official His Appointments,
and Changed His Whole Life.

at is the small things which control
our present actions and ultimate des.
TIMES very often" remarked chief
clerk of one of the executive depart.
ments, according to the Washington
Star.
"a ten-cent cigar changed my whole
course in life, when the friendship of
senators and representatives in con
gress and their efforts were without
value.
II had been trying for the place !
sought with that alternate hope and
fear which besets all who want posi-.
ton under the government, and who
believe one day they have it and the
next they have it not. My funds were
running short, my principal opponent
seemed to have the inside track, and !
had about agreed that had no chance.
Zone evening as | was wandering
aimlessly around in the northwest
waiting and hoping for the results OF
tomorrow, as had resolved to go OUT
of town on that day unless | received
the position, stepped into one Of our
big hotels and bought ten-cent cigar.
AS l was lighting it, an influential
friend who had been heretofore in
differant to my cause approached me
in the lobby, saying:
i am going to get you That place.
l thought you had left town. The old
man (meaning the secretary of the
department in which l had hoped to
enter) is upstairs. Stay here; for per-
sonal reasons | shall block the appoint
ment of the other fellow. His senator
has done me dirt; just wait. will be
back in five minutes
1T is superauous. to say that l
waited and that my hand was a trifle
shaby as L let go of the swinging gas
jet with which l had lighted my Gig ar.
My heretofore lukewarm friend re.
turned to the office in a few minutes,
and with him l assembled to the pres
ence of the big chief. The big chief
said that he was glad to meet me, had
heard all about me; that l was just
the man whose peculiar aptitude made
me fitted for the place in which he in
tended to install me, etc, but l knew
in my own heart that if | hadn't
stopped to buy that cigar and if the
senator backing my opponent hadn't
done my influential friend dirt the
big chief would never have discovered
those remarkable qualities of mine.
Nov for the sequel, as this is true
story: My opponent, becoming dis
gusted, went to New York, entered the
practice of law, married wealthy
woman, and ma',as to-day thousands
where | make hundreds of dollars.
And the question remains, would to-
day have been better off if | had
bought that cigar elsewhere and left
town the next day."
Theology az He Understood 1t.
Passengers in an uptown car one
afternoon last week were very much
entertained and amused by a discus
sion of things spiritual by two col
ored passengers. AS the debate
waxed warmer the voices of the de-
baters grew louder until what was
said was plainly audible to all in the
car. After each had made confess
sion of faith and given his views of
the means whereby mortal man could
gain salvation, one of the pair blurt-
ed out, in a tone that implied that
all his hope for the next world was
embodied in the words:
"Well, sab, | b'lieve dat what's
gwine to be is sholy gwine to be-"
"Huh!" grunted his companion, con-
temptuously. "Den yo' b'lieves in
premeditashun."-B Sun.