The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-02-18
MERTCO.EUROPFAN AERIAL
TRANSPORTATION 60.
VISITORS ROOM.

TRANSPORTATION 90.
VISITORS ROOM.
''Wcn,'' muttercd the Young man be
wldcyIy 10 himself '.sincc m into it this
far might as well go ihc limit. Guess the
elevator boy knew what he was talking
about. anvway-here goes,
lie opened the door aud walked in
\ Young fellow who had been seated at
a desk in the room came forward and smil-
inglv greeted the visitor, Glow are 'you7'
lie inquired pleasantly. 81 IN glad TO meet
vnu: my name IS Cummins-Andrcw Cum
Minis. Will YOU sit down, Mr.. - ~
"Tborpc-Goorgc Thorpe" supplied the
visitor. taking the proffered scat.
''Stockholdcr | presumed asked Cum
mius
"WclI no-not exactly-' stammcred
Thorpe, 'you SEE
80. that's all right, - cut in the other.
. You re welcome, anyway. | suppose YOU
want to sec the oGicesl'
Well, if yoU re not too busy
'Not at all. Mr. Thorpe; / am employed
for lust that purpose. Come. if YOU re ready,
wc II start right now. Just step this way if
Won please
AS the astonishcd young man followed
his guide. his mind, dazed as it was by the
rcceut happenings. still retained enough of
its reccptivcncss TO note the things, both
queer and curious, which presented them
selves at every turn. Initiating Cummins, he
stepped onto moving platform which ran
rapidly but noiSclcssv along the great hall.
Before q large door, high and wide, the guide
stepped OF and pressed button. The door
swung open without "A sound. and they en-
tered long. high ccliuged room.
"our correspondence department. an
nounccd Cummns.
Four rows OF large. Cat topped desks
icudcd the length of The room. At all of
them were seated clerks busiiy engaged with
their work. The visitor was at once I'M
pressed By the comparative stiffness of the
room. from which there came no clattcr or
hanging of typewriter keys, but only the low
subducd hum of hundred softly moduIatcd
voices.
"Typcwrters in another room / sup.
pose, he remarked
The guide grnncd. "'Watch the man at
that desk there nc answered
The clerk hastily scanned a letter which
he picked from tray Then he took up
long tube, having its end an object not
unlike the mouthpiecc of toy horn. This
he placed to his lips, and into it be dictated
what was presumably AN answer TO the let
ter in his hand. The dictatiou completed he
turned small crank which projected from
the side Of his desk, and sheet of letter
paper, partly covered with typowrittcn mat.
ter slipped out from slit in a slightly raised
portion Of tho desk top. An envelope fol-
lowed. The clerk first pressing his right
thumb handy rubber stamp pad made
impression the letter sheet Then. with
It's envelope. the sneet was dropped into an.
other opening in the side Of the desk
''What did he dol'i asked the pcrplexed
visitor.
THAT sheet contained the letter
he had just Dictated explained the guide.
"it is now on its way through the
compressed air tube to the general post.
Office after having been folded, inserted IA
thc envelope, aud sealed by machinery be.
meath the floor The tube into which he
talked leads to pbouo-writor, combins-
tion OF tho old style phonogrsph aud type
writer, which received, recorded. and type
wrote tho letter as it WAS dictated. 4 copy
,f the letter is now down in the sling ROOM
' But he didn Z sign the letter.
80. YES. he did. Didn I YOU notice him
impress il with his thumb! His thumb
print is - legal signature. However. for con
renient Identification he wears a rubber rinc