The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-10-12

S"N SldllObS. OhAS 1T lhN Hp"Nh
being the larger, and employing force
of 200 men.
had much to learn when l entered
the employment of the gas company as
bOokkeeper, and | enjoyed my dlscov-
cries immensely. among them the fact
that water-gas was not made from
water; that the huge round gas holders
that were placed in the various city
wards were not meters. neither were
they filed to the windows and doors
with a great bulk of loose. floating gas
which might rush out at any moment;
that n gas plant must have engineers,
craftsmen, surveyors, masons and
builders, besides the host of stokers.
boiler tenders bumpers and yardmen,
and that tar and ammonia and coke, as
by-products. were turned out from the
huge plant, as well as its legitimate
products of coal and water-gas that
kept our city warm and bright of win
ter nights.
The consulting and contracting engi-
ncer for the whole company was also
local superintendent at these works,
and a man so enthusiastic in his pro-
fession il has never since been my for
tune 10 meet. He had a huge technical
library of some GOOO volumes-every-
thing that bore even remotely on gas
making-and pamphlets and magazines
from all over the civilized world. His
only holidays were trips TO attend con-
ferences of gas men, and his social di-
versions were occasional evenings
spent with his confreres. For all this
he was the most genial and the most
versatile man ever knew.
Kate Lloyd and | had very good
times at the south station. Kate was a
later conner than I. She came in with
Mr.. Storer's need for private secre-
tary. when his mass of correspondence
grew so bulky.
If had been as ambitious and enter
prising before Kate's coming rs | grew
afterward she would never have come
for when Mr.. Storer one day remarked
that he wished | knew shorthand.
only replied with genuine regret that
] was very sorry | did not. And as II
was five months between that remark
and tie stenographer's coming,
might have given my employer an
agreeable surprise by making myself
more valuable to him in the meantime.
However. that never entered my head
in those days. "Be fit for more than
the thing you are doing" | had not
then made my motto
Kate Lloyd was a new sort of girl tc
me. she was not willing to be idle two
minutes. When she was not catalOg
ing books or writing her letters oil
ransating French documents she was
practicing touch typewritlng, or getting
me to dictate to her in our leisure. fol
Mr. Storer was often away for days n
a time, and we both had time on oul
hands.
There was no escaping the cOntagior
of Kate's energy. 1t seems to have pm
som athing into me permanently tha
never was til re before-or perhaps il
only awoke something that had beer
asleep.
We worked steadfastly ana did on
work the best we knew how. and theI
we did other things. Kate told IN,
what | had already discovered, that
was a little Ounce not to learn short
hand. and she proceeded to teach m
with energy and despatch. Then Will
practiced she wanted TO know j
there was not anything | could teacI
her. but | could not think of n thin
except instrumental music, and we fel
that we really must draw the line at
piano at tie south station.
One day Mr.. Storer brought the car
penters up stairs and set them at som
mysterious labor on the roof. w
guessed at flagstaff and tower ant
a cupola. but Mr.. Storer laughed an'
would not tell.
But finally. when the workmen hat
gone, leaving a rope which passed int
our office through a hole in the ceiling
he bade me pull II. As | obeyed III
shrek OF a siren whistle answered.
let go with a fainter echo of my own.
(Which was you?" laughed Mr.. Sto
rer. 1T works all right. doesn't II
Now we won't have to fall back on tn
speaking tube. and get Michael to tray
el all over the works, hunting In
hurry for a man lie can't find. Mis-
Nelson, you think up dozen of tn
men we send for oftenest and writ
them down. and wen see II we can
get some sounds that they can eac
answer 10. Yes. and we must have
general call to the Office for pay night.
And here 1t was that really had
brigh: idea myself quite worthy O
kate.
20 Mr.. Storer." | said, eagerly, "le
me call them by their initials In I'll
Morse alphabet The master masoi
Mr.. Arnold. I'll call A. and then III
chief chemist you are always wanting
be caa tell his own ID from A. May
show your"
"Go ahead" sssented Mr. Storer, an
laid my hand TO the rope and blew
g. - -, -, dash-dot-das
fash-dot dot" twice II worked beal
tifulIy.
"He needn't know the alphabet. {
course" I said. In explanation OF m
idea. but at the same time he can te
u from A. So on with all the res
Shall I make list, and then Kate ca
typewrite 1t and hang It here, and
will put the telegraph letters opposlt
80 any one Of US can pull the right oil
by referring to H."
Mr. storer thought the idea excellen
and approved my list when 1t was col