Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-02-26
NUMBER VIII.
A Slight Mistake.

Jim Ward is a conductor on the cas-
tern division of the New York G entral
Railroad, running daily between Utica
and Albany. Ward has been in the
employ of the Central Railroad for
long period of years, and is one of the
oldest conductors in the country. In
variably accommodating and polite, he
is particularly attentive to the ladies,
and always manages to make himself q
favorite with those of the fair sex who
accompany the trains under -his-diree-
sssSSs
a short time since, when train un-
der his direction was on its way east
from Utica, one of those interesting in
cidents occurred on board the train,
which adds to the visible number of pas
sengers, but scarcely ever increases the
profits of the trip. Ward, as soon as
he discovered the condition of the lady,
hustled about, and with the train run
ming forty miles an hour, fixed up por-
ton Of the express car, and had her con-
veyed thereto. A physician by the name
of Beecher was on the train. His ser
vices were Immediately put in requisi-
ton, and in short time Ward had the
pleasure of announcing to his anxious
passengers, that mother and babe were
doing as well as could be expected un-
der the circumstances"
The mother was poor woman, and
as soon as it became known, Ward went
around with a hat, and in a short time
handsome purse was collected, and
Jim with his countenance absolutely fill
tering off happiness, took it to the moth
er. After he re-appeared, the passcn-
gers proposed the child should be named.
No sooner said than done. Jim went
in and got the baby, with the consent
of its delighted mother brought it out,
when it was proposed it should be named
flames Ward,'' after Jim, and Beecher
after the physician who had profession
ally attended the mother. 1t was adopt
cd by acclimation, and amid general
shout and appreciation the babe was
named ''James Ward Bccchcr --."
Jim with a smile of ill-concealed delight,
was Juggling off his little namesake, when
some of the ladies requested to see
the ''little baby" 1t was passed from
hand to hand among the ladies, all ad-
miring the little bundle, but at the same
time general disposition to smile and
stuff handkerchiefs in their mouths, be-
came manifest among the women. Jim
wondered and wondered in vain, what
this subdued laughter meant until the
babe was handed to an old lady. She
had not had it more than 4 minute, when
she exclaimed:
Claw, Suz!'
"Well, what's the matter?" said Jim
fearfully.
"WHY, IT'S A CALI said the old wo-
man, handing the babe to Jim.
Then rose yell of laughter; the men
broke out first, then the women, then
they broke out together, until one uni
versal scream filled the car. Several
gentlemen threw their hats and muflers
out of the windows, while others endeav-
ored, unsuccessfully, to ''saw their legs
off. The women blushed and scream
ed; the men shouted and held their sides.
In the midst of this storm of fun and
laughter, Jim made his escape from the
car with his female Jim Ward Reech-
err and, for the rest of the trip, on the
platform of the baggage car, ruminatcd
on the sudden changes and mutations of
human life.-Bnfalo Republic.