Oddest Scheme of All

1895

"You can talk about burglars," said Lieutenant Blow of the United States Navy when his turn came, "but the oddest scheme in the way of protection I saw in a big down town office the other day."

"Go ahead with the story," remarked one of the little group of professional men.

"Well, it was one of those big, roomy offices, with desks planted all over the floor. I was waiting for one of the firm to come in. While I sat there another partner came, opened his roll top desk and pulled off a silk lined overcoat, slipped one end of a chain into a sleeve of the coat, passed the chain around the arm of the chair and joined the ends with a spring padlock. After that he folded the coat, put it down on the seat of the chair and sat on it and began work. He did it in the most everyday sort of fashion. When I looked around the office, I noticed that every man in it had his coat chained to his chair."

When the lieutenant had finished, every man in the group was looking at the dining room clothes rack. — Chicago Times.


A Correction

"Who is the author of the song, 'Ben Bolt?'" asked the New York girl.
"Thomas Dunn English," said the Philadelphia girl.
"That cannot be the name," said the Boston girl.
"Why not?"
"It must be Thomas Did English." — New York Press.