Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 87, 30 December 1893 — They Said Ditto. [ARTICLE]

They Said Ditto.

At one of tLo largest sbippiog offices in tbe city, as the majoritv of tbe clerks resirle in the raost distant suburbs, a certain amonnt of grace is allowed them for arriving in the roorning. Tbey are, however, all reqnired to explain on a Iist speciallv provided for the purpose, the caase of their nnpunctualitv. The first to make his appeamee alwajs leads otf with the words. ‘ - Train lato,” “Bus horses down,” or as the case may be, aud to this the other clerks say, ‘‘Ditto.” So accu$tomed have tbev beeome to- the formal procednre that they hardly ever take the trouble to see wbat excn.se heads the hsL The other morning tbe first arrival conscientioosly penciled in tbe words, “Wife ill—twins,” and to the ntter amazemeut of tbe ehief this extraordi* naiy explanatiou was promptly “dittoe<l” all the way dowu. Jior was his asionishment diminished when he discovered the offioe boy’s name inclnded! When a foreigaer is made a citizen of ihe United States they bave to change the snbject.