The Indianapolis journal., 1903-11-13
MESSENGER GIRLS IN BOSTON.

washir.gton Post.

Washington Post.
That was rather a spirited correspondence
between Superintendent Ames, OF the West
ern Union Telegraph Company in Boston,
and the Hon. Patrick Collins, mayor Of
the city. II came about as a result OF some
difficulty between the company and its corps
OF messenger boys. The boys made certain
naughty overtures TO Superintendent Ames,
who treated them with contemptous leyity:
whereupon the messengers walked out in a
body and. as they innocently imagined. left
the Western Onion TO imbecility and i'm
poverishment. Never. never. at least until
their proud demands were humbly recog-
nized by a grasping and tyrannical octopus.
would they coEdescend to earn marshmal-
low and cigarette money. and a thousand
times never should the corporation add
otner penny 10 its ill-gotten gains. And
so the battle Joined, with the w. u. T. at
great seeming disadvantage.
superintendent Ames, however, appears 10
De man OF resource- The blow was
shrewd and heavy. Ames was visibly stun
ned, not 10 say distressed. But Ames ral-
lied. and after long and painful cogitation,
conceived the happy thought that since
the boys wouldn't run about with tele-
grams and such. distributing them to the
victims of piratical money-devil, girls
might be induced to take their places. He
therefore advertised for girls and he got
them-nice, clean, washed and ironed little
girls. soft-spoken, velvet-footed, brisk and
nimble little girls-and straightway there
was whole los doing In the telegraph bus
mess. The recipients OF dispatches rather
liked the new messengers in fresh aprons
and shiny pigtails They approved those
messengers with clean hands and pleasant
voices, and began TO wonder how they had
ever endured loud boys, In hob-nailed boots,
who breathed noisily and sInelled like squir-
rel cages. Trace doomed. 1t was like OPEN
Ing a new port In the interior Of Manchuria-
And just here, after prayerful invocation
OF the sacred Goldfish and apostrophes to the
original pilgrims the Boston town Council
Mayor Patrick Collins forwarded them TO
superintendent Ames with the following
frugal and judscious observations:
THE general Judgment Is that a great
public corporation ought not TO be in q
prolonged strusgle with few SCORE of mes
senger boys"
Conscious that the Western Union was not
struggling wits "a few score OF messenger
boys" but convinced that, on the contrary,
Ii was prospering with an equal number or
messenger girls, the company went back:
II beg to acknowledge receipt of your
letter Of Oct. 30. inclosing copy OF threat
ening resolutions of the Boston Board OF
Aldermen and Common Council, and sug-
gesting an adjustment Of the alleged diff
ferences between the company and some of
its former employees.
Il thank you for the interest you mani
| fest In our Affairs, and hasten to inform
| you that our relations with all our en-
ployes In your city are harmonious and
| satisfactory in every particular.
Mighty Interesting literature this as. and
| we have In mind quite number OF great
| and good newspapers that might illumine
| and enliven their editorial pages by en-
| ploying these two artists-especially the lat
| ter-at reasonable compensation.