The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-08-14
MONOPOLY AND PEOPLES LINE.
BY GEORGE p. NORRIS.

Not many years ago, there lived 0, Long
Island, a jolly, well-to-do, honest oldDutch-
man, who drove stage from Brooklyn to
Jamaica, for two dollars a passenge. This
had been the charge since Adam wasan ur-
chin, or since the time whereof the memory
of man s'runneth not to the contrar.." 1t
was sanctioned by immemorial usag, and
had all the crust of antiquity about it No
body thought of disputing the mater. 1t
was settled, like the laws of the MeGes and
Persians. and was thing not to be acrile-
gouslv meddled with, or altered on any ac-
count whatever. The proprietor's great
grandfather had driven tho same route, and
so had all his other ancestors, and none of
them had damaged to realize more than
enough to make both ends meet when Christ
mas came round.
In the course Of time, travelling increased
on the Jamaica turnpike: the Dutchman had
hs stage full every trip, and began to thrive.
But the star of his good fnrtnnc.: although
IU uuu risen rlrar and uncioudeu, "" ~
lone in the ascendant; for one fine morning,
there came another stage driver, the owner
of a new turnout as fine as fiddle, who
put in his claim for patronage: ~
lie was full-grown stripping OF little
credit, but some ready money, and he Sc
cretlv determined upon bearing Oft the palm
from the quiet but coyetous Dutchman. At
first he demanded the usual rates, and dWl-
ded the business with his old d-established RI
val. but finding that he had less custom, that
he was looked upon as an lnterloper, and
that all faces were set against him, he re-
solved to cut down the fare to a single dol
lar-and he did so, greatly to the satistac-
ton of the applauding multitude.
This was a sad blow to the prospects Of
the poor Dutchman, whose carriage was in
stantlv deserted; all the tickle populace in.
stinctively hocking to the glossy vehicle of
his adversary, who cracked his whip IN high
clec as he dashed along the dust and un-
paved streets of Brook yn. At first M!n-
heer did not know what to make of the mat
ter, so he lighted his pipe, and looked, to St.
Nicholas for the solution Of mystery al
together too profound for his comprehen-
sion. One day, however,, n friend unrayel-
led it to him, and suggested the proprety
of a reduction also of his price, whereupon,
the whole truth flashed upon him in the
twinkling of an eye, and he instantly resolv-
ed, in defiance of the good examples of his
forcfathers, to humble himself to the inag-
nfcant fare of his pestilent competitoI-
Now all was right again, and things wen' on
swimminglv, until the new conner again
lowered the fare-called his omnibus the
''People's Line" and branded his opo-
nent's ''The Monopoly;" upon which, the
Dutchman flew into violent passion, broke
his pipe into thousand pieces, and swore
by all the saints in the calendar, that he
would thereafter carry his passengers for
nothing. And so strange was his deman-
or, flying hither and yonder in a hUri-
cane of hot haste and hotter disdain, that
all his neighbors stigmatizcd him asthe
"Flying Dutchman;" name which hehas
never been able to get clear Of to this very
hour.
The "People's Line" not in the least lis
concerted by this unexpected calamity, ,lso
came down to nothing! and painted onthe
panels Of the carriage the figure of fiery
old man addressing a multitude, and teg.
ging them to ride in his carriage gratis, With
the motto, stNothing can come Of nothing;
try again" This was evidently intended Al
hit at the ''Flying Dutchman," WHO re.
torted, by staining the s'Interloper," as hi
always persisted in designating the ssPeo.
ple's Line" with certain Dutch eoithets
which respect for our readers, prevents us
from translating into veritable En,lish.-
Fierce were the nimosities-bitter tie feud.
and terrible the struggles that enaed be-
tween the belligerents. Long they lasted
and fatal promised to be the consequences
to both. Every expedient was resrted to
but as neither would yield an inch Of grount
to the other, they both went on, sesson af
ter season, running the stages at their owl
expense, and entertaining everybody who
would listen to them, with a full ard par
ticular recital of their wrongs. At last, tn
owner of ''the Peoples Line" fairly wor
ried out by the obstinacy and perseverance
of the redouhtable Dutchman, caused {
mammoth handbill to be struck off aad post
ed from the East River to the Atlantic
Ocean, in which ho stated, in ponderou
capital letters, that he would not only carr
his passengers for nothing, but that h
would actually pay each and every one tn
sum Of twenty five cents for going! To tn
unhappy Duschman, this was the drop to-
much; andit effectually did the business TO
his now unpopular and detested s'Monopo
!; ", which was denounced in every tayer
. by the road side, rs paltry mean, and Gun
constltutlonal' concern, while the ssPeo
pies Line" was lauded to the third heaven
for its liberality and public spirit. The Fly
ing Dutchman few no more. His spirit wa
evidently broken as we'll as his prospects
and his horses crawled daily to and fror
Jamaica at snail's pace, equal unmindfr
of whip or rein-evidently sympathizing i
their masters discontinue. Yet 70 on til
Dutchman would-.he had become accus
toned to the occupation-it was second ma
turs to him; and, as he could not easil
overcome the force of habit, he preferre
working for nothing and finding himself, {
relinquishing the road entirely to his inds
fatigable annoyer. "His shirtless maje.
| fys1 ea,na o~lo ~nak bo.