A STICKLER FOR ACCURACY.

Bruce Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 56, 18 June 1908, Page 2

A STICKLER FOR ACCURACY.

The following anecdote is at present making the round of semi-official circles in Khartoum (says the Cairo correspondent of the ' Pall Mall Gazette'), and. certainly deserves reproduction:— A little while ago a young telegraph operator was sent to a lonely station in the remote regions of the interior. From the small cabin which served as his dwelling and his office he could' hear the roar of lions from a-distance. This having occurred several times during the few days after his arrival, he became very much terrified, and despatched the following wire to headquarters: "Impossible to live here. Surrounded day and night by lions, elephants, tigers, rhinoceroses, hyenaß, wolves, crocodiles, hippopotami, etc.; beg for transfer. Two or three days elapsed, and the poor, besieged operator received no reply, which increased his uneasiness. Another official, who was stationed in the same district, paid him a visit shortly after this, and the terrified; operator .related to him his woes and showed him the telegram he had sent. His .visitor.. commiserated with him, but pointed out tjhat list of wild beasts detailed in the wire was a little exaggerated, as no wolves exist in the Soudan. Immediately another telegram flew over the wires to headquarters from the forlorn operator at the far-away station, and the following was its wording:—"Referring to my wire No. X, please .- cancel the word 'wolves.'" When the last mail left it was not known whether the forlorn operator had had his request granted. His earnest desire for accuracy certainly merited some consideration.