The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
THE WORLD Is SMALL.
Two Men Who Kept Running Across
Each Other Think So.
Washington Post.


1.-The extreme diminutiveness of the world
is a thing that has often surprised me dur
ing the quarter of century that 1 have
been going up and down the world said
Frank Nj. PancoaSt, a travelling man whose
territory is the entire globe, for he sells
bridges and trestles and structural steel.
CHANGING in many different parts of the
earth upon people L never expected TO see
more than once is an experience have had
so often that 1t has served to shrivel my
world into an exceedingly contracted at
fair.
For example. four years ago / voyaged
up the west coast from La Libertad on
coffee heighter. The only other passenger
on the steamer besides myself was a plant
er from Guatemala-a middle-aged Central
American. and very accomplished and en-
PERTAINING man. We smoked, talked, played
company all the way up to San Francisco.
and enjoyed the trip thoroughly. He told me
that he was starting out on a little tour of
pleasure. but did not mention where he was
going. We parted at the Palace Hotel in
San Francisco with mutual regret
Il made straight jump for New York.
A week after got there went down to
the beach one evening for some air and
music. l was taking a bite alone on the
hotel veranda when who should come
strolling up to my table with a smile and
his eternal yellow cigarette but my Guate-
malan friend. L was glad to see him. He
babe me adios in New York in the morning,
saying that he was going to take a steamer
that same day. So was L. In the afternoon,
when went aboard the Galveston steamer
L bumped one of my grips against man in
a duck suit and a pith helmet who was
yellow cigarette. 1 turned to apologize and
my friend from Guatemala smiled at me in
| his beard.
I'VE had pretty good time together on
the eight-day run TO Galveston, and put up
in adjoining rooms at the Beach Hotel,
outside the city, which has since been de-
stroyed by fire. finished my business in
Galveston in day, and then, with the
Central American, had a week Of rest and
| fun on the gulf sands and In the city. Then
my concern summoned me back to New
York, and once more. after mutual ex-
change OF regrets. We separated. while
after my return to New York relative of
mine, young fellow from the western part
of New York State. turned up and l showed
him about the town a bit.
Among the restaurants we visited was
| Chinese place In Mott street, where we had
one of those weird chop-stick feeds. We
hadn't more than begun before my friend
from Central America strolled in and
greeted me just as II we had made an APP
pointment to meet each other at the Chi
nese restaurant that evening. When / left
| him at his uptown hotel at midnight / fig
ured that the chances of my running across
him again were pretty slim, for L was
booked for a trip to Japan. on trestle-
seHing expedition. within a week or so. and
the Guatemalan told me that he himself
was off on long journey, although he
didn't mention whittier that journey was
going 10 take him. Again il was adios. A
month later / was writing my name on the
register of the Grand Hotel in Yokohama
when felt touch on the shoulder. 1
turned about and looked in the placid,
| black-bearded phiz of my Guatemalan
| planter-he had taken another route for 1t,
but was just getting in, nevertheless. /
haven't run across him since / left japan
on that trip, but / wouldn't be surprised to
meet up with him on Pennsylvania avenue
this evening. 1t is such experiences these
that have caused me to lose my once pro-
found impression of the vastness of the
world. I"