The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-12-18

y
older passen gers began to feel cross an,
jaded.
One pleasant fellow, with an apparent,
inexhaustible flask Of whisky in his pocket
and good humor oozng from every, pore 0
his jolly countenance, passed from car to car
retailing hundred jokes to every frcsl
batch of listeners. But presently the pas
sengers began to tire of his witticisms, ant
one after another ''poohsd and "pashawed
at him as he approached. Then with infrit
good-nature and philosophy he retired t.
one ofthe saloons and peacefully fellasleep
! Almost equally amusing was wizcned
bent, and thin old man, draped from head t
foot in coarse butternut-colored ho,nespun
and called "Old Wooden" by the funny fel
low, who walked from car to car bewailine
his hard lot.
"I've left the old woman to home," hs
whined, with all the things on her hands
an more'n fifty Of our folks comm to cal
dinner with us to-day an I've got note
ofa hundred an fifty dollars to pay,--to
morrow's the last day of grace,--an' I've
been sixty-five mile to get the money to pay
it. Now look here ~ suddenly and sharply
to the Funny Man, "what do you think O
that ?"
''Old Woollen," said the Funny Nan, with
tremulous voice and tears in his eyes, ats
hard case -
$50 is! That's fact I! Call an see
us, when you come round our way p'
And the old gentleman, greatly modified
by the sympathy Of his new friend, moved
on to find fresh auditors for his tale of wee.
1t came to be nine o'clock on the morning
of Thanksgiving Day, and still the snow fell
with unabated violence, and still drifts piled
higher and higher about the captive train.
The conductor and one of the firemen had
started off on foot at early dawn in search
of food for the passengers and now there
arrived, pioughing nearly breasthigh through
the snow, convoy from one of the nearest
farm-houses carefully guarding valuable
treasure of bread, cheese, bacon, eggs, and
pumkin-pies but so many were the mouths
to fill that it scarcely gave bite apiece to
the men, after the women and children had
been cared for.
Then the passengers began to grow clam
orous. Even the Funny Man had his woes,
for some rogue entered the saloon where he
slept and stole the whiskey- flask from his
pocket. When he awoke and discovered his
loss, he remarked that be knew where there
was more of the same sort, and turned over
to sleep again. But all were not so philo-
sophical as hc Some cursed the railroad
company, some cursed the fate that had
placed them there, some cursed their folly
in leaving comfortable quarters in order to
fast in the snow on Thanksgiving Day.
Presently the impatently- pulled out watch.
es showed ten o'clock, and still it snowed.-
Their lumor ran through the train that
| there were couple Of barrels of chickens,
ready dressed for market, in the express car
and general rush in that direction follow.
ed. One of the first to hear of it, and one
Of the first to be on the spot, vas Samson
Newell.
"Stand back, gentlemen" he cri. to the
foremost Of the throng that poured eagerly
into the car,-'stand back moment. This
poultry is in charge of the express messen.
ger, and We have no right to take itwithout
his license"
| As he spoke, he placed himself beside the
messenger. There was a determination in
his eye and manner that held the crowd
back for short time
"The chickens are mine." the messenge,
said 81 bought them on speculation they
will spoil before can get anywhere with
them, and they are now too late for Thanks
giving. You may have them for what !
gave"
81 will give five dollars towards paying
for them and Samson Newell drew out
his pocket-book.
"Here's dollar !" "I'll give a half ~
"Count me in for two dollars ~ cried ths
crowd. favorably struck with the notion O
paying for their provender.
But one hulking fellow, with large mock
diamond in his shirt-front, and clumsy ring.
on his coarse and dirty fingers, stepped for
ward and said that he was hungry man
that he had lost nancy by the - com
pany already, waiting day and night II
that blamed snow-bank, and that he wa.
going to have chcken,-or two chickens
! if he wanted them, ,--and he was decided,
Of the opinion that there was no express
messenger on the train who would see tn
color of has money in the transaction.
Samson Newell was evidently a man o
few words in case of emergency. HI
paused for only an instant to assure himsel
that the man was in earnest, then he slit
open one ofthe side-doors Of the express
car, and stretched forth hand whose clutcl
was like the closing OF claw of steel. II
seized the bejewelled stranger by the coat
collar, shook him for en- instant, and drop
ped him, dropped him into soft snow
drift whose top was level with the car-foor
Whether the unfortunate worked a subtcr
ranean passage to one of the passenger car
and there buried himself in the privacy of
saloon is not known /; he was certainl,
not seen again till after relief came to tn
imprisoned train.