The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-23

F. Harris Deane in the Wide World Mag
azine.
7 HAD a curious experience of German
postal oficialdom at Mainz. I ar
1 rived at about In the evening. hav-
ing spent my last penny on a cigar COM
ing into the town. 1 knew, however, that
should find Geld telegram awaiting
me at the postoffce.
On application at the Postlagernd I was
given a card with instructions to pre-
sent it at the telegraph office. The teie-
graph clerk was a cold, official individual
and he asked me how l knew there was
a telegram for me. I told him the man
In the Postlagernd had told me so. He
asked me how he knew. 1 said I didn't
know, unless he'd been using his brains.
Even then the official didn't exactly
admit that there was telegram for me.
The farthest he would go was TO say
that, If l could prove | really was the
person | represented myself to be, he'd
inquire into the matter. rendered my
passport, but he pointed out with some
severity that l might have stolen 1t. l
wrote my signature, so that he could
compare it with the one on the passport,
but he coldly remarked that In all prob
ability | was an experienced forger.
l didn't get heated; just reasoned
with him. 1 said forgetting who he was
and speaking sensibly), didn't he think
that If I was the cunning criminal he
took me for 1 could do better for my
self than by trying TO swindle clever,
hardheaded postofice officials? or course
he had to admit that; I'd bowled him
google
Beaten there, he said that under the
regulations referring to Geld kilograms,
number one thousand and something. he
couldn't pay me direct. The money
could only be delivered at my permanent
address.
l gave him the choice of two-my pri-
vate address and my club in London.
Hadn't I got one in Germany? he de-
manded.
said no; an aunt living at Margate
was the nearest 1 could do him.
He threw his cards up then and said
a hotel would do. / hurriedly looked
up a hotel in my Baedeker and said the
Germania.
money round at once"
He also advised me to hurry, or else
the Geld Brieftrager would get round
there before me. So l took my hat in
my hand and ran.
The Germania was full up; 1 therefore
explained the position of affairs to the
manager and asked If I might wait. He
hesitated as he eyed my travel stained
garments, but at last said IL l would
promise to keepiin a dark corner could
wait in the smoking room. SO l went in,
ordered glass Of beer and waited.
About an hour later the postman hus-
tied in. He asked the manager If he was
acquainted with me. The manager, nat
urally somewhat insulted, replied that
he was not. All he knew about me was
that l had walked into his hotel ana sat
for nearly an hour over one glass OF
beer.
AS had given the Germania as my
address. the fact that was not stopping
there made the postman deeply suspi-
ctous He seemed to think l must be
pretty bad character II mad no &C
ouaintances in town like Mainz; he was
or,v a common postman, yet he had
hundreds.
Eventually he took my passport and
went back to the postoffice for further
instructions. I begged him to let me
have sixpence on account SO that l
could pay for the glass of beer I had
had but he wouldn't. heard him tell
the waiter as he went out that ne ought
TO have had more sense than to have
trusted me- When he went away I
skulked up in the darkest corner could
find, and tried to avoid the pathetic eye
of the waiter as he glanced at the glass
of beer hadn't paid for.
Ate9 o'clock the Brieftrager returned.
and said il would go up to the post