The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-13
THE ELEVATOR BOY.
He Sounds a Warning to the Profess
sion.

For the past ten years the running of
an elevator in a skyscraper has come
to be recognized as a profession in
stead Of a job. An elevator boy does
not appear in court and talk to the
to keep his dignity and be able to adj
wise telegraph boy or a district mes
senger what constitutes assault and
battery or false pretenses. He does not
crowd in when there is a street acct
dent and announce that he is a DOCTOR
but he always keeps rags, cotton bat
ting and sweet oil on hand to render
first aid to the wounded. Only Jealous
minded people viii deny that he is a
professional. There could be no more
deadly insult to an elevator boy than
to stop him on the street and ask him
If he is out of q Job
If the profession of running an ele-
vator ever comes to be looked upon
with contempt, and If the elevators
themselves are ever removed from all
buildings and the tenants compelled to
walk, the boys themselves will have
been to blame for it. Taking my own
experience and the Investigations l have
made during the last year, feel it a
duty to sound a note of warning
What the average elevator boy has
got to look out for and steel his heart
against is falling in love with the
stenographer and the typist. Every
skyscraper holds from five to twenty
I IL
to make friends with the young gentle
man who runs the elevator. They want
his information. They want his ad-
vice. They want his candy and pop
corn.
1 was warned when I secured my
/ first engagement to beware of the
stenographers and typists. [ was told
! that they had soft, sleek and insidious
down with tears in his eyes and said
| to me: a
sammis they viii smile. they WIN
giggle. they VIII fiirt they viii sigh,
they will call you Bobby and pile on
| the soft soap, but their ways are the
ways of the deceiver. When your for
tune is gone they will throw you away
like an old shoe.
ing, was in love with the golden haired
| typist in room PAS I was calling her
"Goldie" and she was calling me
sDuclzy." was an Innocent hearted
boy, and how could I tell her that her
hair was bleached, and that she was
working me for lunches and theater
tickets2
wanted to die for Goldie
I wanted to pour all my wealth into
her lap
I wanted to knock the head off old
Saunders for winking at her. She was
in my thoughts by day and in my
dreams by night.
I bought her candy I paid for her
lunches. I sent her bouquets. I went
hungry In order that she might have
street car fare. We were as good as
engaged for two weeks, and I was
| wondering whether we should take in
Florida or Niagara Falls on our brida
tour when the blow fell. The agent OIL
: the building had been keeping tab OIL
me, and he had found me careless and
Indifferent to the lives OF my passen-
sssamnis.v said he. your elevator
wobbles. You bring up with a jerk
} You run past the sixth floor. You
some down with a bang. You scare
the old maid on the seventh floor, and
you cause the fat man on the eleventh
to use cuss words You are in love. L
always acts this way. Choose between
/ your engagement and Goldie.'
Il seorn your engagement, sir!" wal
my heroic reply, and I went up to SET
: Goldfe and ask her If she wanted t
live out at Bensonhurst when we wers
wed. Only 80 minutes from the city
hall, ocean breezes, no mosquitoes, sew.
} ers, water and gas, and any kind Of {
house built on the installment plan
/ She heard me relate my heroic answer
t and then she looked me straight in thu
eyes and replied:
I Robbie, you have made a mistake
in the room The girl who is dying t,
wed you is four doors farther down tn
: hail.
Through a pull with an alderman
obtained another engagement. Thu
agent Of the building seemed favora bly,
impressed with me, but he thought fl
to say:
, young man, we want no nonsens
here Running an elevator is business
There are no less than four trusts max
. ing their headquarters in this building
and knowing how much the people low
them, they are taking no chances. Be
ware of the typists. Flee from tn
stenographers. If you find love buddinl
in your young heart come to me ant
get q good spanking"
I started IN with heroic resolves. Blu
was failure after the first week A
black-eyed typist with much gold in he
front teeth smiled at me as she wen
up. She laughed at me as she cam,
down She chucked me under the chiI
on her third trip, and on her fourth sh
, whispered.
ssSamnis. It is a case of love at frs
sight. I cant live without YOU
Three days later got the bounce. TIL
Trust naagnates were complaining tina
my elevator vvobbled and that I shove,
a desire to run them all down into tn
basement or up against the roof.
waited in the vestfbule for the black
eyed girl, but when she appeared an,
! I spoke to her she replied:
! Don't ask me. Bobby. I have onl,
been here a week.
six different time have loved. an,
: six different times have received tn
( bounce. I have now ceased to love. NJ
matter how good-looking the girl VIII
E takes my elevator, and no matter hoy
7 sweet her smile or how delicious he
eiggIe. Z keep my stern dignity and per
nit of no familiarity. There are occa
sions when am chuclxed under tn
chin and ] hear the whispered excIama