Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1930-09-05

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N@hat A4As NNf WalshJ
~ Of the loi .,,,.,,o,oo,,.
'm nor did an ornitnoiosista
no dun-co' 'os-iaceu' "iu-eyeu
type usuc ne wear the newt
- able yong ored duster that men
OF ms Tree dly AFFECT. He made on
occasion T. trips into the country,
climbing and browsing around
In bis eter quest for birds in their
native haunts. a
Jim was just as personable as any
of the other tellers in the bank; low
ing husband and generous, indulgent
father. No one accused him of being
queer. Nevertheless, there was that
quirk about his mental makeup which
made him like birds-birds of every
description, starting with humming-
birds and rum E5he gamut; spar
rows, crows, --snt-faring hawks,
eagles. s-l -#
There was canary that belonged to
the president of the bank. Jim
wheedled this gentleman out of the
bird and placed 1t in the bank window
so throughout the day he could have
W hlo oAuC SOLuCIhluS uc AONCus
We all knew this obsession Of Jim's,
this peculiar prediction. And as a
rule we forebore to remark about it,
to twit him about 1t.
At times we took an irresistible fling
at him. Them birds O. yourn," I
heard one of the boys say, do they
have rheumatic an such ailments,
same as we do?" And, really, think
he was half sincere in his query.
For this man, Jim Cramer, possessed
a knowledge of the feathered world
that was really uncanny. 1t made US
creepy at times.
"Sure thing they have ailments.
I've seen an old crow-an' a crow is
old at five years-Pve seen an old, de-
crepit crow limpin' along tn ground,
dragging no-account leg. Rheu-
matiZ-sure" .. .UU
Jim Cramer had been with us three
years when the old man called him
into his Office and closed the door.
Jim told me the conversation that en-
sued.
"Jim, old man." said the usually af-
fable George Binford, our president,
slim, old man, you've been with us
nigh three years now"
Jim told me Of his citation. He ex-
pected raise, possibly promotion.
"ItS hard for me to do 1t, but this
is one Of the disagreeable duties of
an executive The board of directors
have requested your resignation. Your
pecuiarities-we have had some COM
plants. You don't seem to fit in just
right"
To the three hungry little mouths
that crowded about Cramer's table had
recently been added another and 4
more ravenous one. "Babies'r funny"
Jim had said to me. "They never get
enough; want to eat every 80 min
ntes. Lord, what an eater it'll be when
IT grows up"
Well, the long and the short of 1t
was, Jim was canned. And Jim went
silently from the presence of the old
man. No one ever talked back to the
old man and got away with It. 1t just
wasn't done, that's all.
Some days later the bank was held
up in broad daylight and the details
of this affair are so commonplace that
shall not repeat them. The bandits
got away with something like $4,000,
mostly in currency.
Some one had given the alarm and
on: on Central avenue one high pow
cred car was followed by another and
there was fireworks aplenty as these
cars dashed down the street.
The robbers took to the woods at q
rough and rocky point. Later in the
day they were captured. Meantime
the sack of money had disappeared
For several months the hills were
searched, tree trunks undermined,
rocks turned over, the earth made like
a plowed field, ms If with huge stick
some giant had harried the soil.
The whole town had searched the
hills, every mothers son OF us large
eyed and expectant, thinking momen-
tarily that we would upturn the sack
of bills and claim the $1,000 reward
which was posted on tree and barn
and fence the country over.
Finally interest in this strange quest
abated and only occasionally was a
remark made about the robbery.
Jim Cramer was working in a store
as head bookkeeper and for larger
salary than he had drawn In the bank.
Jim was a very capable fellow, as
sure you. s.-..
Meantime Jim's dream life had new
or ceased TO function. Always on Sun
day and holidays he was questlng over
the hills. Birds and the nests of birds
The peculiar ways of birds.
"Every one has hobby" said Jim
TO me. "Some go in for golf. Others
baseball an tennis Some for women.
Mines birds" ADJ lla... ..
Late In the autumn, when tree
leaves we're growing yellow and frost
lay heavy Oh the roofs of buildings In
the early morning, jim Cramer. ut the
end of short vacation, startled the
town with the news that he had found
the sack ~ money Found 1t and
turned II ovrr ~ the bank. Placed II
In the pldgy hands Of George Blnford,
the president. .
Jim lOlil the story n this manner:
Il was trarln' down crows nest,
big ns your li;u ANA quite Us round,
when NJ, ed something that looked