The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-12-25
THE CONDUCTORS STORY
BY REBEccA HARDING DAVIS.

it's as pretty piece Of land as you'll
find in Kent County. That stretcl
now ahead. BY the way, there was a
queer thing happened on the track just
there, three years ago come Thanks.
giving-as queer as ever came in my
way since I've been raiirnading. 1t
occurred in this way: I'll have time
to tell it | reckon. We have to switch
off for the express at the next station,
and lay by awhile.
This branch road, you see, was built
for the local peach business. l was
put on as conductor of the first train
that was run. BY George! how the
engine woke the country up! The
Delawareans are genuine Southerners
lazy and hospitable. They were hos
pitable to the very train, in way
commercial people couldn't under
stand 1t wasn't a matter of business !;
it was home affair to them, like their
church or their darkeys; something t.
ohuckle and gossip over, and boast
about. The stations used to be crowd.
eJ with young fellows in hashy neck
ties, and their swecthearts, nice, mod
est little girls, loaded with cheap fine.
ry, WHO had made up parties aad come
down from the interior to see the train
go by. Every old farmer on the route
thought he owned the engine (the Gen.
eral Jackson it was), and knew each
seperate car as well as he did his own
bulls and sheep. They'd treat their
wives to few miles ride as you town
people would rnn over to Europe with
yours.
OF course, sir, l was at home here
on the road in two weeks. Everybody
called me Dick. There we're scores of
places where. | could drop in for an odd
meal. | began to doubt whether they
were my uncles and cousins or not.
Besides, a man here, after fifty, has no
other business but loafng. All the old
fellows got free passes over the road,
and forsook their corners by the tavern
fire for the baggage car. There they
smoked day after day, and told queer
stories of their neighbors' families for
the benefit of anybody who chose to
listen. l knew all the gossip by heart
directly. 1t was just when the peach.
es were in bloom. too, when l went ON
the road, and | soon was punching
open buds with my thumb.nail, aud
talking learnedly of Early Blush and
Morris White with the rest. Its Gu.
rious sight to see that pink flush above
the early spring mpd, from one end of
the State to the other, and to think
that the crop is the 6ae matter of life
and death to the people.
The peaches had come and gone,
though, when one day, about a month
before Thanksgiving, an old fellow
came on board with his family, who
had pass for two down to St. Geooges.
saw at n glance he was one of my us.
ual deadhead squad. A thin, wiry old
man, white.headed, but as active as II
boy of sixteen. and with the true Del
awarean knack of finding friends aud
showing himself friendly. He was a
reporter on some Philadelphia penny
paper, and had his uote-book out ev-
cry minute, pumping me abUpt the
Wilmington whipping post, Sloan's
fsh.breeding experiment, and the con
dition of the freed negroes.
"Makes items, makes items" said
he. "Pushes the paper wonderfully
into local circulation"
He had been a doctor or lawyer, /
forget which, in New York. and was
starved out, he told me, and so took up
journalizilg. He did not impress me
as a man of ability; and besides, the
poor old fellow was worn ont. 1t was
high time for him to lie by and Loaf
with the others in the baggage'car.
Newspaper work." he said, pays
handsomely. compared to my own pro
fession. We get on quite comfortably
'on my salary; quite comfortably"
/ NOTICED, however, that both he and
his women folks were thinly and shah
billy dressed. | did not pay much at
tention to the wom,n, but there was q
boy, Dan, the old mans grandson
little chap of four that | took an odd
fancy to from the first, He had q
homely face, but l think one of tht
most honest aud loveable ever saw
Tanner-that was the old man.
name-told me that he had brough