Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-07
CAREFUL AT THE @. p. o.

sswe're pretty middling caNsful around the
old printery since Public Printer stillings
inaugurated his crusade against samblinx
among the employees. observed one Of the
compositors ON the government pay roll
the other day.
One Of the men In my room glanced out
of the window shortly before o'clock the
other afternoon to have peek at the
state Of the weather.
Wonder why it's not raining as usuaiT
he said. Two to one it'll be raining cats
and dogs by half-past 4"
:. .Sh-shr we all missed at him.
Why. what's the natter he asked US,
surprised
"'You said something about two to one,'
It was explained to him.
Oh'' he said. remembering the two-to-
ons crack, which clearly showed him to
be an inveterate and hopeless gambler. and
he flushed and glanced furtively around
the room.
Zone OF the men who got back from
can get 'em now-,was telling US about
how he enjoyed himself on the day he re-
turned to work.
You can gamble had corking time
he said. enthusiastically.
Hush that! we all felt bound to warn
him. Don't involve us in your ruin. The
word gamble mustn't be used around this
factory any more.
Zone of the old-time watchmen was mar
rating a war experience to one of his old
mates a few afternoons ago.
Well. sir he concluded. IN bet them
Johnny Rebs is a-runnin' yet
1.-THE other old-tirfle Waterman ducked,
and when the narrator OF the war expert
ence was reminded of the break he'd made
his face grew chalky as he rubbered up
and down the hall to see whether any of
the attaches of the public printers regular
staff had been passing any where near at
the time he said I'll bet
zone Of the young women in the bindery
received letter announcing the serious ILL
ness OF friend recently.
Dear me- commented the girl, aloud,
life Is a lottery. isn't itf'
THE other people in the room stared at
her so hard and significantly that she sud-
denly remembered having used that awful
word. lottery and so she quickly amend
ed her observation by saying, 'Er-life Is SO
-er-uncertain, isn't it?.
Two young women In the hindery had
They couldn't both be spared at the same
time, and they both wanted the afternoon
off pretty badly.
I'll tell you what said one Of the girls.
fairly. after they'd found out that they
both couldn't get off, well draw lots to
see which of US is to CO.
But their chief scowled fiercely over
this proposition, discerning, as ne did, tech
nical gambling in the scheme, and SO they
had to settle the matter of the afternoon
off In another way.
Il understand that all pokers are to be
removed from the printery, that during
the cold weather the CRATE fires will have
to be stirred with the coal tongs.
1.-THE favorite cuss word of one of the
old-timers in my division used to be BY
Pharaoh! But he hasn't used that ejacu-
ladon lately, on account of its too close
resemblance to the abhorred word faro
which. as a matter of fact, Is only cor
ruption of the word Pharaoh
In thoughuess moment the other after
noon one OF the young women in a room
near mine began to count the buttons on
her shirt waist.
Rich man, poor man, beggar man.
th.ef-she began, ana then she looked Up
Yes, everybody in the room was gazing re-
pIoachfully at her. Had she not been gam
Ding with herself as to how those but
tens We're going to come out?
"A man In the clerical division who re-
Gently took his vacation at the time he
was told to take it--we'll all have to do
that, too-went to New York, his home. to
put in the time, and when he returned he
was telling his pals about the good tirne
he had. Among the things he did was 20
tekt dinner at the Park Casino. He start
ed to tell that but he changed It, for he
remembered that casino Is game of cards.
There goes red-headed girl said one
OF the young fellows in my division look
ing out of the window the other afternoon
Now. where's the white--but he stopped
abruptly, remembering the peril OF men
tionlns such an eXpurgated word as horse
I've got malaria, sure--can feel It In
my bones. observed one of the old-timers
the other forenoon. but right away he sud
denly recollected that bones Is capable of
being construed into dice and he looked
worried for the remainder OF the afternoon
for fear somebody had noticed the awful
break -"
On, L guess we're not learning TO he
q md 4. -
TO De careful. Need the work.