Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-07-14
selsft Story.
How 1 Became a Brakeman,
and what became Of it.

How I BECAME a Brakeman
and what became of it.
10 whom can riches give repute and trust,
Content and pleasure, but the good and just?
Judges and senaLes have been bought for gold;
Esteem and love are never 10 De sotu.-foPE.
At the time wherein my simple story
commences, L had just returned from the
Office of one of the railroads, having
applied successfully, for the responsible
respectable, and, as times go, the tolera
bly, welI-paid situation of brakeman
The situation, L repeat, is a recpecta'
ble one; yet not exactly to the liking o
one,who, but few months before, dashed
in his own Buggy, after pair of fas
nags, down the Bloomingdale road
VINO eschewed any others than Bajour's
kids, sported diamond studs, and wa:
throwing the bucks of the Avenue into
commissions of envy, with the patterns
of his waistcoat. All these We're mine
and yet became brakeman.
OF course when L applied for the stu,
ation-with a letter ofintroduction from
u former. clerk of my father, now well
to do merchant up-town-I took good
with that delicately white hand of mine
or course. alluded incidentally to the
forsler greatness, to speak more correct
ly, to the former wealth of my family
OF course took it for granted the Pres
ident would not consent to oebase me by
making me brakeman, but would ap
psint me his private secretary. Alas
the unromantic, matter-of-fact official
instead of shedding tears for my misfor
tunes-instead of endeavoring to soott
my laeerated feelings-scanned me from
head to foot, and said:
We'll, you are not exactly chap we
care to employ, but as my friend Mr
Brown recommends you, We'll try you
Come tomorrow morning; and mind
Young man, to be here at eight O'Clock
to a second.n
"Chap!" young manv And this tc
mel Oh, how nay blood boiled at the
indignity! I, Augustus Reginald, el
cetera; for l shall not utter my patrony.
mic in connection with the brake on the
rail-, 10 be called a "chap" by that
insolent President!
But then, dear reader, did you evel
live, for months, by sending up the spout
or, in plain English, by depositing with
the pawnbroker, your valuables! We'll.
hope you never did and ferventiy pray
you never aay.,.>I did, and it is truly
wonderful what a teacher of philosophy
and moderation is poverty. 1 accept the
offer. syAsss sSss.
My history was pretty common one
in our fast country; rise from corner
grocery and bad liquor store, to a brown
stone front house, ,thence to bankruptcy
which carried my. father through the
~ 'AAo 90 -. - -,
80. ,;,s,. yasrs
.l Tss;s7t .1s.l,, nina, beir,t
sssS ,;-..s sI,a discarded fn
,,,.; uU :. jsa,,a.,t,,- ber as nv rnnfbe
.'S,,,,1. wiz was mo-
49,, IoJu W - .,seSa : ,5;o :, hoof
10y ana = -, - ,,nnsesra 10 nres,,m n4; !,
Oh m ta.s lS..e,-, -, ps,n,,t hoI, i
W '.I,s,;s 80 ,yara aiItbt
aiu ~ ,,s nv aots - vishad that i
POI "a, f',I.ts. s',,s+ Nc 10 the mos
W say 10y ., iaSneh senI -. T loo cna5 +,
eApIn'I.o oonG', ,,'s.aa haok dacIin,
siiohe oiS S1is ,iiue ~ .oasG t;,a fin.
%I.Houu .,nt. uioOn s'a,.. LII - "r,, Sar.tog.
Eatln uecIenslone' anu spe@n ,,IJ - e
'Iehon, "nien ~ l I1+oS q. So % th.t
oy any possloiilCy, uiueis ~ - -
wheh reVerses came, .I Maa ~ ~ ioi ;n"tl mO,n
ing oaI jocNey' yeb, WIN Ine - ~" :.
shrewdhess OF my natlon, 'oHn' :,
preference, 10 the institution III lhe d
cendaht, tne ran; ,
can ! say l Ihe9 ny ne~ epUS =
nelI, AT least, ulu noS Ahel' ,no .. n,s
by uegees, however, custom oiun1ei
OH theeages ana, IN COURSE vi t,ne,
almost forgot my former sen, anu ever
passed Without Diusn, my ioiihef ao
quaihtanceS on broau"ay.
hafaships-ah tnose u tIa.lat oiaheinat
are iieilher ieW nor OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES y
myeoonssitutlon, I'll nhaIiy ny 1inI "
attention 10 my duties, anu goou con
uuet1 L worked my way from IIe plae
iorm TO the INSIDE OF the cars; anu sport
ed lne laoel with the lcgehq cohuuctoi
with Iar more priae than Iorme1ly \, ,all aio
thei best' beaver OF 0ehlhs liia'chiess
II -m2npG.iascture,
It SO happened tnat my route was on
a eranch road, OF one OF tne greates'
railways tnat ever enIicneo Ine counGIy
or peggared the stocKhoioersi anu that
LOOK board Win WluoW remarkably
1or nothing particular, unless III De 1ol
paie, pretty, rather sau-iooklhg niece
AN orphan giri, VINO suppoLIeu nei'eil
III oecehcy anu con parative Eoii.ort' III
exercising 1er tr4ee "a q ,i4.i iuiiiine
~ HEst, mere Was pus Ii'tie y pasny