Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1910-07-21
ANDY'S
FRANK BOOK

iSloi LIEU eOlC5tdpu OpCldIoI, WIZ udu
been in deep thought for some time,
but can't think of the copy-book
motto or maxim, or whatever it's
called that fits the case of a friend of
mine. once knew all those top lines,
too, but it isn't Virtue is it's own re
ward or A kind answer turneth away
wrath, or any that comes to my mind
just now. However, here is the story:
ut was when was manager for
branch office of a telegraph company
that became acquainted with Andy
Glenn. He was in the railroad bust
ness in a small way, and that threw
us together. He was strictly honest,
but If there were any perquisites 60
ing around he was out for his'n, and
got all that came his way. Should one
be coming along the street, Andy was
not the man to sidestep or duck around
corner. No, he met it face to face,
and always was the captor.
"Often I have thought that Andy
was the man for whom trading stamps
and tobacco tags were invented, for
they sure were his style. 1t was
rumored that when he was a child he
enjoyed being sick just to get the
candy or lump of sugar that went with
the medicine, and he always led his
classes because the teacher gave
prize each month for the best pupil.
We'll it so fell out that Andy be-
came the owner of the frank book
from the telegraph company which
employed me. You know frank book
Is like one of these postage stamp
books you buy at the postoffice with
pages of stamps that can be torn out
and used separately. The franks are
given to individuals the company con-
s1ders itself under obligations to and
can be used to convey free purely So
cial messages signed by the one in
whose name they are issued One at
tached to a message will secure trans
mission free, such information as It's
ten-pound boy and is named after
you, uncle Meet Mary at the train.
She will spend two weeks with you
etc.
Now, Andy found these stamps con-
venient and his communications by
wire were numerous His book had
been renewed during the year of its
life, but with the last day of February
it expired by the statute of limitations
Endorsed upon it's back. Andy was
brought to realization of this fact
by the receipt of new book of stamps
for the coming IL months But alas,
he searched himself and found
bunch of the old stamps still unused,
and with the coming of February %
upon him saw their value fitting. He
was taken by surprise and had not
realized the time was so short Never
before had he seen such valuable col
lateral go to waste. What was to be
done was his problem.
II was In my Office on the night in
question, and Andy called me I'M and
stated his case. He wanted to know
If he could not continue to use the old
stamps until the book was empty, but
| said 1t was ag'in the rules. He asked
II they could be exchanged for new
ones and again l had to tell him nav.
Then came his heroic resolve-he
would use them all before midnight
and not let the telegraph COMPANY gel
the better of him.
Then came hunting ND of friends
to whom he owed letters and the wri
ting in his hotel room of lengthy mes
sages, replying to their latest commu.
n1cations, the affixing of stamps. the
call for a bell boy to take the dis.
patches to branch telegraph Office
IN the hotel and Andy retired shortly
before midnight conscious of a duty
tand telegraph company well done
AS Andy was beginning his dreams
the operator in charge of the branch
was relaying the messages to the main
office, satisfied with the bell bov,s
assurance that Mr.. Glenn says these
are all right and get 'em off in a.
hurry
But woe it is to tell. A mistake
had been made, and the branch office
was that of another telegraph com
pany, our rival, which never had
granted Andy the freedom of it's wires
but knew he was responsible fnan.
cially for any fair amount of business
The error was not discovered for two
days, when the messages were sorted
and the valueless stamps were discov.
ered.3
Then a settlement was desired and
Andy was obliged to dig for IS to nav
for his set of dispatches, which con.
veyed good wishes and gossip that be
needn't have sent at all or could have
distributed for few two-cent most.
age stamps.
Since then Andy has been careful
OF the reckless use of perquisites and
ne looks at the sign over the theater
before he presents his pass at the
door.
Still. haven't been able to figure
out the moral of the story-if there
is one"