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Show HE WANTED TO SEND IT "COLLECT." "Just send that to be collected at the other end," he said, with a bland smile as he handed in his message. "You seen to do a lively business here. Nice Office. I'd like to be a telegraph operator. Nice business." "Oh! Yes, sir; very, Quite so," and the representative of the grasping corporation proceeded to verify and count the words. "This doesn't seem to be a reply, sir. Of course you know that the charges on such messages as this, when sent collect, must be secured by the sender." "Is that So?" "Yes, sir. Otherwise the person accepting the message is held responsible for the charges." "Well, that's good! I've been traveling for fifteen years, and have always sent my dispatches collect. This is the first time I was ever asked to guarantee charges. I shall do n such thing, sir! Why, the firm that dispatch is addressed to is worth three millions of dollars, and you are afraid they are not good for 75 cents." "The firm may be entirely solvent, sir. Doubtless they are. But they might object to paying for this message, especially as it seems to be entirely on your own business. It asks for money." "But they can't get it till they pay for it. Then it's too late to refuse." "But they might demand that the charges be refunded when they see the contents, and the demand would be promptly complied with by the company, and this office would be notified to collect trim the sender" "Well, if they refuse I will pay for it myself." "Very will, sir. All I require is a tangible assurance that the charges will be paid here if the payment is refused at destination." "What do uou call a tangible assurance? Here is my card. I am known all over this country." "But I don't know you, and, of course can't know how responsible you are." "The blank dash you don't! Do you mean to say I'm not a gentleman?" "Not at all, sir; not at all. This is purely a matter of business. You ask me to be answerable for the charges on this telegram while you offer me no protection from loss except the word of an utter stranger. You seemed to have overlooked the fact that a vast difference exists between the rule of law and the rule in business. In law every man is innocent until proven guilty; in business, all men are knaves until proved honest." "Do you refuse to send this dispatch, sir?" "Yes, sir, unless you pay for it or furnish me satisfactory security." "Then, sir, I shall not send it, but I'll write to your general superintendent and lay the case before him. I'll show you that I'm not to be trifled with." "All right. Good morning sir." "Hold on a minute. I'll pay for it, as I am compelled to send it, but your company will never get another cent of money when I can prevent it. Mark that!" Patient reader, if you are not a professional brother, I know you will never guess his occupation, so I will tell you: He is a drummer. -The Magnet. |