The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-05-26


lie Needed the business.
The primer or .How to Become =
Railroad General Passenger Agent
contains the following recipe: begin
at the very bottom and work up. Theirs
Is nc other way
Such has been the infallible rule IN
til ]. p. Elmer jumped into the saddle
OF the Great Westerns passenger de-
partment, says the Chicago RECORD
Herald. taking the daring leap ut =
single bound. The railroad world was
amazed. but ]. p. pursued the ven
tenor OF his ways and within a twelve
month he was able e take his seat
around the long mahogany table in the
meeting room of the Western Passen-
ger Association.
Elmer's. appointment came about
whe a commodore he was sailing n
boat on White Bear Lake during a Ia
nous regatta. Mr.. Stickney liked the
way he beat out the other fellows after
the race seemed hopelessiy lost. After
j. Z. came in q victor and was con
tentedly sucking his redolent briar In
front OF his ten the president ap-
! preached him and abruptly said:
j. p, the Great Western needs q
general passenger agent. How would
the job suit you!"
what is Il G.. L. a. and what is he
supposed to do as an excuse for draw
ing his saiaryg' asked ]. T., undis-
turbed.
There isn't much excuse for draw
ing the salary" replied the president.
Paying Ii has become n habit with
railroads. incidentally there Is a ira
dition that he Is presumed e get bust
ness for his company. Do You fancy
it,"
Elmer thought for a moment and re-
piled: 1T sounds good to me. all but
the business part. l al do the rest all
right"
You will learn the business quickly
enough" declared the president. So
it happened that j. L. walked into the
general Offices a few days later pre-
pared to do or expire. Striding into
the center of the room he gave his
voice full play n demanded where
is the general passenger agents desk"
1.-The general passenger agent is not
in at present" replied the chief clerk,
hdu utl utdTu OI lut NuHUke III
officials.
"Oh, he isn't? Well, you have got
another guess, hum. Order that old
pine desk thrown out OF here and get
me one of those ~new-fangled mahog-
any affairs n Il long mahogany table
to go with it. l guess that will be a
good starter" he continued, towards a
G.. p AS spending money for things
he does not need"
In telling the story recently at a
dinner party Mr.. Elmer declared that
while he was compelled to put UP an
awful front he knew he would have To
make a confidant of some one. He Sc
lected Frank Malone as the most on
fding looking member of his staff.
Sending for him. he carefully lockeN
the door of his private Office and said:
malone, on the q. t., what does O
Or. Z. A. do!' -lA,
Everybody, and also gets business
II he can"
But how does he get 1t? Just 20
out and gather it in i'm any old wayf'
THAT would be q good way, 1 think"
Elmer thought it over and deter
mined to get some business at once.
Fastening to the busiest portion of st.
Paul, he walked up and down, looking
for victims. Presently three of his
close friends sauntered along. and FL
mer rushed up to them, and, grasping
one of them by the lapel Of the coat,
exclaimed:
Il hear You are going to Chicago
We're not going to Chicago" de-
clared n Of them.
SWELL that's too bad. Don't you
think you ought to go to Chicago?"
what for!" they demanded I'm a
chorus.
"Oh, you know travelling broadens
the mind. It's a liberal education"
But we have no need of either"
o o think you would go TO
Chicago If you could go cheaper than
you could stay at home? You fellows
look as though you were all in. You're
working too hard. Take a day Off do,
and go to Chicago over the Great West
ern. It's bully fun and it's cheap Just
now"
How cheap?" asked one Of them.
Elmer made a rapid mental caleu-
lati0n and replied Say $40 round trip,
less than half fare" :
well CO." they declared.
Bully. How many Of your friends,
did you say, were going?"
None"
That's too bad. Don't you think
they ought to go to Chicago? It's 50
jolly in Chicago. Round them up and
take 'em all along. / need the BUSH
ness. You know that's what a G.. p.
AS for, any way:"
Three Pullmans, loaded with st.
Paurs most respected citizens, left on
the limited for Chicago next evening.
There was a Cry Of cut rates, and an
investigation followed. To every ones
amazement unquestionable proof was
presented that every n Of the eighty
tickets had been sold at tariff, which
was then $1S. 1t was a ten-strike for II
reputation and it won hands down. The
day following the investigation Elmer
summoned Malone into his private Of
fee.