Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-07-28
HELLO, OFFICER, HOW ARR YOU?"
by LIE +. VERNON.

~ "a th.'. tilt MI ,bIttN Ol HI''I
will pass a policeman in Il city with
out speaking TO him in any manner,
shape or form: in other words they
avoid him. seemingly, rs they would
rattlc~uale. Probably it iS the
uniform he wears mayhap it is the
fear OF taking "A ride TO headquarters,
or it may be the general man detests
u policeman: that : all. BE- this as
il may. observe Tor yourself at your
lriSure moments. and you will ad-
nit the assertion to he true.
Why is it thus? am not prepared
to say. But viii venture an opin-
ION on the cause, and that opinion is
simply this: The ma ajority of men
are afraid to speak to a policeman in
city. for they know in nine cases
out of ten, should they address a
civil, polite and CHEEKY Good morn
ing" or Good evening" to him.
the olue-coated guardian of the
peace, in return, will only give them.
use a street phrase. The stoney
5 Stare
It's a fact that the average uni
formed policeman in Il city thinks he
is exactly just what " the doctor or
dered imagine. and really believes,
that the tax-paying citizen-the man
who makes it possible for the police
man to draw his salary-is the genu-
inc servant, and not he.
They swagger along the street
with airs that would shame Lord
Chesterfield himself, and should you
happen to see one of them, and make
your mind up to speak a CHEEKY word
to the limb of the law" it is just
the Identical time that the officer
gives you look ttat would freeze an
iceberg itself, and gazes sneeringly
and leeringly upon you as if you
were a criminal of the most danger
Gus sort, and you-well, you are very
thankful and congratulate yourself
that you managed to escape arrest
on suspicion.'
Not so long ago, | read an article
in popular magazine, wherein the
writer thereof declared the indi-
vidual should always speak kindly to
a policeman in our large cities, as the
average policeman believes each man,
woman and child, shuns him because
he was only policeman.
When | had finished this, made
up my mind, then and there, that |
would speak a kindly word of cheer
to the first policeman met. SO
when spied one standing idly on a
corner of the street in which | lived,
twirling his tassel decorated club,
yet looking, rs | imagined, a bit
lonely. a poor orphan, alone in this
cruel old world who not soul
cared for, and who no one would
utter q kind word to, made my
way up to him and said:
" Hello, Officer! How are you?"
In gutteral, grutf, rasping and
severe tone of voice, he replied:
Say, I've seen you passing my
beat several times. | want to know
your name and address, along with
your line of business There has
been great many rObberies lately,
SO don t try to hand me any bull,
by trying to break in on a conver.
sation with me. for there amt going
to be any. See? I've seen you
looking in store windows at differ
ent times, too. and just the other
night saw you go along with a cur
ious looking package"
The curio"s looking package in
question, may say, contained three
bottles of " is the Water"
told him my name, address, and
SO on, as he requested, and when he
finished his "crOSS-examinatiOn" of
me. | sadly melndered towards my
room in the lodging house, thinking
dark, bitter thoughts. What those
thoughts were-well, | shall leave
you to guess, for do not believe in
telling tales out of school," though
really, | should enjoy telling you
frankly and truly what they con-
sisted OF.
Again, ! would enjoy. between you.
me and the gate-post, Il few mo-
ments' conversation with the writer
who wrote the article in the popular
magazine which l read, wherein he
asserted. the individual should al
ways speak kindly to policeman in
our large cities. as the average pO.
liceman believes each man, woman
and child. shuns him because he is
only policeman. Indeed, should.
AS | have mentioned heretofore in
this article, the majority of men pass
a policeman without speaking to
him in any manner, shape or form,
and. great fishhooks! can you blame
them? After my experience in at
tempting to speak kindly to one of
the finest, | have come to the con-
cIuSion that any man or men who
who would ever glance at police
...a.. 49,. ! J. L IL