The avant courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1871-1872, 1871-11-16
How to Get q Berth Ina a Sleeping
Car

4 / never left the depot yet that somebody
was not put III my care. don't know why
this is, suppose it is something in my couri-
fenanee; IF knew what, I would have it ex-
traeted. I don't like having unprotected
females and school boys and girls turned |
over on me. It's a little hard on q man.
And what is the good Of it? Nobody needs
protection if any one does, it is a benevolent,
good-loeking, innocent sort OF lnall-such
as the writer Of this.
/ was reminded of this by an adventure
that happened to me the other night in New
York. I was about leaving on the nine
o'clock train for Washington, when man
who was in search for me approached.
knew he was in search for me. He was in
search Of some respectable, benevolent indi-
vidual to put woman under his care And
he did. She happened to be rather good
looking, and didn't object in violent way,
but was neither very graceful nor gracious
over the compliment. When came tp secure
d section in the sleeping car. fouHd that
delegation of pious people We're going to
Washington on some charitable business and
had taken nearly all the berths. ! secured
two-at least thought had-and marched
my female with her two carpet sacks. strap
satcheI, mocking bird, and a silk umbrella;
with water proof and two shaWls done up
in straps, into I61. When we arrived inside,
learned for the first time that my unpro-
tected female could not abide the sleeping
cers. She said she felt like suffocating, and
To- hrIt
when we came to occupy our berths made
two disagreeabie discoveries. The first was
that the two tickets called for the same berth;
the other, that this berth was the upper one.
My female friend said positively that she
could not get into that berth. Informed
her that it was her only chance to sleep, and
she told me that she would rather sit up. |
| then gave her the further information that
| that was all very well, but in a sleeping car
| there was no place to sit except on wash
basin, and that / thought would be rather in
convenient. At last, with the aid of a step
ladder, the steward and two pious old pumps,
my unprotected female was boosted into her
| roest and the curtains closed over her for the
night.
Then came the question RS TO what was to
become of the undersigned. consulted the
/ conductor and the steward, and had the sat
/ isfaction of hearing the fact stated that if
had told them earlier the blunder might have
been remedied. But as it was, the pious dele
CATION had retired for the night, and all the
berths were occupied. The conductor, how
ever, told me that he would try and make
some arrangement, and then went off about
/ his business.
A drunken man had been captured on the
platform as we started. where he was found
addressing the stars in a yociferous way, tho
sleeping-car ticket fished out of his pocket
and the inebriated fellow chucked into an up
i berth / was leaning against the Wasa-stane
of the car in d very melancholy way some
time after, when this intoxicated fellow stuck
his head out and, addressing me. said:
Il would like to lave drink
.'Water?' said |.
mo, darn water; want some whiskey;
am as dry as a chip
"Well,'' responded 81 am sorry to say
that have none about me-"
'sAin't you the conductor?"
mo- responded, II don't believe am
i Nor do I. IF you were the conductor yor
would have something to drink. Where il
the conductor?n
| told him that he was in the next ear.
! ssWeH,'' said he, II have a great mind tt
get up and hustle round till | get a drink
ssMy christian friend,' I said, s.tIlere il
nothing in the constitution nor In the six
teenth amendment that prohibits you from
getting up and hunting a drink il yol
want it,
Whereupon the inebriated individual rolled
out of thesberth. He rolled into several ether
and was promptly elected; and at last, get
ting his legs, disappeared at the further ent
of the car.
I took in the situation at a glance. Her
was a berth vacated. Above it was whit
hat I Immediately removed that white hat
/ carried it further along and put it over
Christian association who was lost in tn
sleep of innocence and peace, and then, re
turning, / cnseonced myself in q berth yacate,
BY a man who had a constitutional right to
drink.
I was dropping into a slumbcr, for Away
sleep on a car devoted to that business am
invented by Mr.. Pullman; the motion he
the same effect upon my brain that rockini
has upon child, and | not only sleep easily
. but profoundly. In few seconds / shonl
have been beyond all disturbances, but
happened I was awakened out of my frs
wink by a row in an adjoining section. Fher
seemed to be a pitched battle going on be
tween one of the delegates and a gentlema
t who claimed the berth to be the one he ha
| just vacated. I heard him say, s'ToW ge
out of that;n and he called the good ma
the offspring of a female dog, adding theret
: some very profound ianerlage. The condue
tor came to the rescue Of the weary delegate
and when the man called attention to the fac
J of the white bat, he puzzled him sofely b
J showing him two or three white hats furthe
along in the same car. At this the inebriat
: passenger desisted, but as soon as the condut
!. tors back was turned, renewed the fight wit
the next white hat, insisting just as positivel
Il that that was his berth and with the sam
3 profound and violent language and seufH'
i He was repulsed only to begin again, and b
| | kept fighting these good Christian gentleme
: who were so unfortunate as to have whit
i fall asfaan a,,d f4rnaYned III