Arizona republican., 1906-11-25


 eagerly and drew out sheet of paper
 At the top of it bore the number A675i
 The letter was short. 'Subject-Rat
 on guinea pigs" it said: Dr. Sir-W
 are in receipt of your letter regardin rate on guinea pigs between Frankli
 and Westcote. addressed to the persi
 dent of this company. All claims fo overcharge should be addressed to tn Claims Department"
 NIT. Morehouse wrote to the Claim Department He wrote six pages c choice sarcasm. vituperation and argu ment. and sent them to the Claims Dc partment.
 A few weeks later he received a re ply from the Claims Department. At tached to it was his last letter.
 ''Dr. Sir" said the reply. "Your let ter of the 16th inst, addressed to thi department. subject rate on guinea pi. from Franklin to westcote. reed. w, have taken up the matter with ou agent at Wescote. and his reply is at. tached herewith. He informs us tha ' you refused to receive the consignment or pay the charges. You have there fore no claim against the company, ana your letter regarding the proper rate on the consignment should be address ed to our Tariff Department" MT. MorehOuse wrote to the Tarilt Department He stated his case clear ly. and gave his arguments in full quoting a page or two from the ency- clopedia to prove that guinea pigs wer not common pigs.
 With the care that characterizes cor poraions when they 70 systematically conducted. Mir. Warehouses letter was numbered. O. K.'d and started through the regular channels. Duplicate copies of the bill of lading, manifest. Elan nery's receipt for the package and sev- eral other pertinent papers were pinned to the letter. and they were passed to the head of the Tariff Department.
 The head of the Tarin Department put his feet on his desk and yawned He looked through the papers careless ly.
 Miss Kane" he said to his stem ographer. take this letter. Agent Westcote. N. J. Please advise why consignment referred to in attached papers was refused domestic pet rates"
 Miss Kane made series of curves and angles on her note book and wait ed with pencil poised. The head of the department looked at the papers again.
 Huh, Guinea pigs!" he said. Prob ably starved to death by this timei Add this to the letter: Give condition Of consignment at present.
 He tossed the papers on to the stem ographer's desk and went out to lunch.
 When Mike Flannery received the letter he scratched his head
 "Give prisint condition he repeated thoughtfully. "Now what do thim clerks be wantin' to know, wonder. Prisint condition Is ut? Thim pigs, praise St. Patrick. do be ,n good health so far as I know, but l never was no veterinary surgeon to dago pigs. Mebby them clerks wants me to call in the pig docther an have their pulses to9k Wan thing I do know. howiver, which is they've glorious appytites for pigs of their size. Ate? They'd ate the brass padlocks off of a barn doori If the paddy pig, by the same token, ate as hearty as these dago pigs do. there d be famine in Ireland"
 To assure himself that his report would be up to rate. Flannery went to the rear of the office and looked into the cage. The pigs had been transfer Ted to a larger boX-a dry goods box.
 ''Wan-two-tree-four five-siE -sivin-eight,' he counted. "Sivin spotted an wan all black. All we'll an hearty an all eatin' loike ragin' hippy- He went back to his desk and wrote.
 "Mr. Morgan. Head of TaIin Depart mcnt." he wrote. Why do | say dago pigs Is pigs because they is pigs and will be iii you say they ain't which Is what the rule book says stop your jolly ing mo you know it as we'll as I do. As to health they are all well and hop ing you are the same. r. $. I paid out so far two dollars for cabbage which they like shall I put in bill for same what?"
 Morgan. head of the Tarin Depart ment, when he received this letter. laughed. He read it again and became serious.
 By Georgei" he said. "Flannery iaI right. Pigs is pigs I'll have to get authority on this thing. Meanwhile. Miss Kane. take this letter: Agent Westcote. N. J. Regarding shipment guinea pigs. File No. A6.754. Rule SS. General Instruction to Agents. clearl 7 states that agents shall collect from consignee all costs of provender. etc. required for live stock while in transit or storage. You will proceed to collect same from consignee.'"
 FlanneIy received the letter next morning, and when he read it he grinned. Proceed to collect" he said. softly. How thim clerks do loike to be talkin'! Me proceed to collect two dollars and twinty-foive cints or Misther Morehousel I wonder do thini clerks know Misther Morehouse? I'll git it. Oh, yes, Misther Morehouse two an quarter. blaze 'Cert'nly. my dear fri'nd Flannery. De lighted. Noti"
 Flannery drove the express wagon to MT. Morehouse's door. Mir. Morehouse answered the bell
 An, hal" he cried. as soon as he saw it was Flannery. "So you've come to your senses at last. have you? r thought you would, Bring the box in. I
 "I hev no box" said Flannery. coldlv. | 1T hev a bill agin Misther John C. ! MOrehOuse for ttyO doIIars and t,,-;,.,.