Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-12
WHO EATS HELLO" BOOKS
VANISH FROM P. O. D. BOOTHS
WITH FEARFUL REGULARITY.
And the Question Of Responsibility
Is Fostering Everybody to
Death Just Now.

"Who Took the Telephone Book? or, the
Post Office Department Mystery is the
title Of a historical romance which might
be written by some one Of the 2O-candle-
power lights Of the Indiana school Of
litrachure.
Things are somewhat dull in the depart
ment during the summer, but 1t is a duller
day than usual when every telephone book
is in its place in the public booths.
Messengers. who occur frequently in the
neighborhood Of the booth at the foot Of
the elevator. and sporadically elsewhere in
the building, Indignantly deny that they
have any responsibility for the books.
When an attempt was made recently
to use one Of the telephones, and the
book was not in sight messenger, camped
out In a chair about five feet from the
booth. was asked where the book was. or
where another could be obtained He sug-
gested that some clerk had walked off with
it, but beyond that his imagination baked
at taking further flight.
Those Busy Messengers.
isn't that messenger supposed to see
that persons don't walk off with property
not nailed DOWN." was the question put to
an elevator man fitting skyward
Not at all. He has much more i'm
portant duties. He has lots of things to
see to-"
"Such as what, for insyance?'
But there was another dead wall. cata-
logues of duties being scarce as tele-
phone books.
still, it was declared that it was ''up to
the telephone company to keep book
there"
DR.. Holmes, the Secretary's secretary.
who tells Interested callers what hard
worker Mr.. Meyer Is, was not on the job
this morning. or he would undoubtedly
have explained matters with habitual
adrOitness.
With regard to the messengers position
an authority said that they evidently con-
sidered the question matter of jurisdic-
ton.
Ito them" he said, lit may seem that
although the federal government owns the
Post Office building yet. when the tele
phone company erects therein a public
booth, the teta-ahedron Of atmospheric air
which 1t incloses passes, for" purposes. Of
commerce. under the authority Of that
company. which, as tenant at will, con-
trolls what goes on within the booths four
walls. The messengers. therefore. appar-
emily consider themselves exempt from
responsibility attaching to the fate Of tele-
phone books which are elusive articles,
however you look at them
Here's a Dizzy Question.
But, suppose it was suggested. that
a clerk with an acquisitive disposition and
prehensible paw should begin collecting
telephone DOCKS III Oruef 10 amaSS a library
to All set of invertebrate bookcases given
to him last Christmas by his wifes step
mother who has married again, her second
being a widower with four children, one
of whom has learned stenography-what
do you know about that?"
Il SHOULD say replied the authority.
that 1t Is no part Of the telephone com
panys duty to visit the post office booths
three or four times a day to see whether
somebody has distracted a telephone book
since the last inspection
The manager of the telephone company,
when seen today, was of the same opinion,
but added that he would ito 1t that
henceforth the telephone books In the post
office booths would be fastened in against
the depredations Of collectors.
This will save the messengers worry,
also. and that, Of course, is a point which
must be considered