Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-02-18
SENSE OF HUMoR SAVED HIM.
Frank Advice to His Big Boss Boosted
the Fireman.

This man used to be a locomotive
fireman on q Texas railroad, the head
luuarters of which was then in Dallas
iAs n fireman he was just as big and
bluff and breezy as he is now.
THE president of this Texas railroad
was man of extreme dignity and aus
terity He was absolutely fair and just
in his treatment Of men in the employ
of the road, but he certainly was the
most whOppingly dignified human being
YOU ever saw or heard of. He demand
ed every bit of the respect that was
a-coming to him. and he came pretty
close to getting it too. All of the en-
ployees who came into direct contact
with him stood in the most profound
awe of his terrific dignity and tiptoed
around like as if they were servitors at
some temple Of Buddha
well. this fireman person that I'm
talking about didn't know much about
that dignity stuff. He didn't know how
to execute a right or left oblique. The
only way he knew to do things was to
skate right smack to the place where 1t
was to be done and do 1t now, natural
like. Maybe at the time this thing hap
pened he hadn't heard anything about
the stupendous dignity Of the president
Of the road, and then maybe again he'd
heard about it and didn't care durn
Anyhow. one day his engineer sent
him to dig up the superintendent Of
the mechanical department. The pas
senger train to which his engine was
hitched had just come into the Dallas
depot and the engineer wanted the me-
chanical super to take a peek at some
defect in the engine. So he told his
fireman to dig out into the station and
find the super and fetch him if possi-
BILE
The fireman, just finishing a long
run, was pretty greasy and grimly IN
his dungarees. His face was smeared
with oil and coal dust and he shed
few ounces of clinging bituminous fuel
with every step he took.
He mooched all over the station and
yard without getting hold of the me-
chanical super and was about to flag
the job of searching for him when he
heard that the man he was looking for
was closeted with the president Of the
road.
We'll, this closeted stuff didn't scare
the fireman any. He'd been sent by his
immediate superior to get hold of the
super, and he didn't care if the super
was closeted with the Nizam Of Hy-
derabad. his idea was to go get him and
fetch him.
$50 greasy and gritty dungarees and
smudgy face and all, he clomped up
the stairs to the door where president
was painted on the main door of the
row on the gallery.
He didn't even rap on the door and
wait for come in He was too direct
man for that sort of fiddling and
beating about the bush. He grabbed
| hold of the doOrlinob and pushed right
into the presidents solemn, profoundly
dignified office. He forgot that he had
his cap on, too when he found himself
inside the office.
| THE austerely dignified president
land the superintendent of the mechan-
| ical department had their heads togeth-
er al the presidents desk, and when
this grimly apparition thrust himself in
without any knock or asking by your
leave. they both looked up at him with
ich
super found himself first-recognizing
the fireman-and grinned.
But the dignified president didn't
grin. not by a blamed sight. He turned
red with outraged dignity and things.
"'Well? he said to the big fireman.
still standing there with his greasy cap
on one ear, in a voice of choked wrath
I'm here to snag the SUPER eX-
planned the fireman offhand, just like
that. Jim'-meaning his engineer
wants to have him look at what a
crazy old pile o junk No. III has got
to be. Jim's yellin' to have 'er over
hauled. Wants to see the super right
away and having delivered his mes
sage the fireman turned and started to
make his getaway.
Just moment, my man. put in
the president right there in his awful
voice-a moment, if you please. How
long have YOU been in the employ of
this road?'
Couple years replied the fireman,
wheeling about and looking at the pres
lident blandly, and still wearing his cap
rakishly pulled over his left ear, the
peak turned TO the rear.
"A couple of years, eh?' the presi-
dent repeated after him sternly. How
long have you been railroading?'
"'Since l was a kid replied the fire
man, looking very bored.
VERY WE'LL said the president Sc
lpulchraly. And has nobody ever told
you the proper way to enter n gentle
lman's Office
THE big fireman scratched his head
with a greasy hand back Of his rear
turned cap peak but said nothing. He
dopcd it out that his job was just as
good as gone right then, and he figured
that there wouldn't be any use wasting
lany unnecessary talk. So he kept still.
Because went on the president,
you are obviously in need of some tut
ton as To the proper way to enter your
lsuperiors office
The fireman couldn't think Of any
thing to say, and so he leaned on the
other leg and sort O gazed out of a
window.
"'N0w.' went on the president of the
road. I am going to the trouble to teach
you, since you manifestly don't know,
how To enter the office of your superior,
and how To address him after you have
lentered, and I trust that you will profit
by the lesson. Just you sit in this chair
of mine and l will go outside and for
the moment you may act the part Of
my superior officer
The president. who had a club foot
I,S,, he f,,.