The Washington times., 1904-12-12
A Record Breaking Run.

A Record Breaking Run
There was record-breaking run on
he general delivery window from mid
night until o'clock this morning dur
ing which time over so people applied
TO the clerk on duty for the letters from
The Washington Times addressed TO
ASA Spades"
The cause If the visits Of the multi
/ tude was the desire of the people 10 cap
ture the Black Arrow money hidden in
one of the envelopes addressed TO Asa
Spades Two or three letters bearing
that address we're delivered TO the eager
throng. but they were fakes. not the real
Black Arrow After that the delivery of
he Asa Spades epistles was stopped. The
postofilce authorities were undecided as
20 who was entitled To the letter.
Then trouble began.
The people. disappointed at their fail
ure 10 secure the letters for which they
asked. We're loath TO leave the postomce.
and they fingered in the corridors. New
Corners felt the same way. and the
crowd grew every moment
Clerk Put on Brave Front.
Back of the delivery window, the one
I
ing out letters in the cold gray dawn
put on brave front and replied to the
sea OF inquiring faces before him that
he had no such letter as was asked for.
The letters. in the meantime. on some
high authority. were not in his custody.
but had been carried 20 another partsof
the office. awaiting the decision of the
powers as TO whether or not they should
be- delivered.
But this did not satisfy the walters.
Every second the requests for the let
/ ters sounded above the general din of
the murmurs of indignation against the
refusal of the postofnce To hand out the
envelopes as they were asked for. The
weary clerk. dry-throated and short OF
patience. glanced al the clock. counting
up when should come the time of his de-
livery from the trials he underwent.
for his time was up at Z o'clock.
The new clerk came on at O'Clock,
and the throug stiIl grew, while the
murmur of the hundreds Of voices in
creased in volume and sharp persistence.
A Watchman Appears.
Suddenly, without warming quietly. as
robber comes upon his prey. a postof-
fee watchman appeared ia the crowd
that now filled all the corridors OF the
lower floor of the office With pushes
OF his shoulders and strong persuasion
OF various kinds, he told the people they
would have to leave the building. At
first his words were of no effect. but
/ later the hundreds began 10 muve They
! crossed the street 10 The Times office
and asked for advice. They We're re-
ferred 10 Major Bell, superintendent Of
delivery. as the only person IN posi-
tion TO decide 10 whom the letter should
be delivered The major was Desleged,
and for TWO hours he was the center of
chattrriug, gestlCulatlns crowd, all
anxious to secure the envelope
Just as the postoflce people We're fiat
rtriug themselves that quiet and peace
were restored, 10! 1t was not so. Like
Uhantons ont of the darkness, stlli an
other IhrOug had assembled within the
doors and the new clerk had 70 say all
over again that tee ASA Spades letters
were not there.
Again Corridors Were Cleared.
Again and ao1in the corridors were
cleared by the watchmen OF the build
ing. -Four times between $50 and
o'clock. the process had 10 be repeated.
and stiu they came. The mOnotonOus
formula Of refusal by the clerk behind
the window sounded az regularly as the
ticking Of the clock The set smile on
his face took am the '-wOOdeny' charac-
ter that comes from long usage. Things
began t0 get dreaTy Tor the clerk
Al last, he was able 60 laugh heartily.
and the performance ia all probability
saved his life.
A little after 9 o'clock, a woman, who
was fair. fat and forty, and blessed
with che kittenlsh airs that set 80 well
on the shoulders OF those IortunoF
who are enjoying the freshness and
vigOr of the sixteenth year. presented
herself at the window. her face illumi-
mated by "a smile that bespoke all the
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