South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-13
By LINCOLN J. CARTER, JR.

- HE elevator men who save
people energy by carrying
- them from one floor 20 ar
other in our modern office buildings
have no holiday full OF aerial thrills.
for they are the prey OF people who
seem % be mentally disarranged dur
ing the period OF their flight and
consequently do peculiar things and
ask questions that would get on the
nerves Of airy ordinary mortal who
was compelled 90 answer them day
after day The experienced pilot OF
an elevator nes become go accus-
toned 20 such things that ne no
longer allows an expression Of pity
or surprise 20 cross his countenance
under such conditions. His face re-
poses "a the same blank stare ihat
appears on that Of his cross
examiner.
DO not begrudge the elevator man
what money he is paid OF his sup
posedly easy work nc deserves 1t
for the docile manner in which he
submits himself TO the ordeal. Thu.
IS the means of testing q good, able
hand in this branch of public s5rv-
ice. Not by the easy manner in
which they land you at the exact po-
sition which enables passengers t.
step off az ease. nor the Jolts and
jerks your body un5ergCes while
they maneuver for the landing place.
COngenial, at Least.
Test them in very simple manner.
II YOU see an elevator going UP and
you have forgotten 10 push the but
ton which indicates ID them you are
there and wish 20 bo moved some
other direction. yell loudly after the
victim as he passes on his upward
flight step In, and then summc "a
courage TO ask sweetly If ne lis 60
ing down" obviously not, but that
does not matter If the pilot shows
little signs Of life and YEARLY re-
spends that he is not now, though
he will be soon" you may sincerely
believe that ne is a veteran Of many
such consequently an
old hand. Anyway. y5u have gain
cd the sweet experience of a trip up
for no additional charge.
People who make the elevator
mans life miserable may be divided
into classes. There are those who
like 90 vary their hard days work
with a few thrills and make several
trips mp and down before they are
content 90 get off. Then there is the
person who is not quite sure If he,
or she. is in the right building and
seeks 20 give the pilot a third de-
-ree" In order TO discover that fact.
There isl also the thoughtful gentle
man who is so intensely absorbed in
plans which viii net a fortune that
ne expects the poor elevator man toI
become a, mind reader and through
the strange medium OF mental tele-
pathy discover his needs.
Forgot Mission.
The story IS told of one woman
who entered one Of the big office
buildings I'm South Bend on import
amt business. but actually forgot
who il was with After riding up
end down i'm the elevator for several
trips undecided where 10 get off. she
questioned the operator, Il wish you
could tell me where ! want 10 get
Off I am late 10 an important bust
ness engagement
II may bee able 10. lady If you will
tell me who YOU want tC see" he re-
Piled
IL can't tell just who. but any
way it begins with NJ, she re-
sponded brightly
When the elevator man could not
tell her she became very angry,
threatening to report him 70 the
owners. The next time they reach
ed the main floor she got off and
after an intense search of the di-
rectory Of the building. discovered
who she was after
There are countless people who
hail an elevator when it is going in
"A direction opposite from the one
they wish TO take and after riding
two or three floors in that direction
remark that they wanted 10 go in
the other
Try Them All.
The person who forgets that there