Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-09
A Travellers story.

at is not sir"
with your permission, then" as he seated
| himself beside me.
The train had already started, and presently
| the conductor made his appearance collecting
| the tickets. Reaching us he detached the APP
| propriata coupons from our tickets, handing
back the remainder with the usual "checks."
pardon me-" said my companion, "but l
| perceive you place your ticket in your wal
"Ycs.a
at is unwisc, unsafe"
"Why do you consider it SOP" | inquired,
with curiosity, retaining the wallet in my
| pocket.
"Suppose, through carelessness or, we may
| say accident, your wallet is lost. Your pocket
may be picked. for instance"
| eyes"
"Your money and ticket are both gone. Prob
| ably you do not appreciate the manifold beauties
olsuch position; do not think it possible eX-
| cept by experience"
at would certainly be an undesirable situa-
ton l. can see that clearly enough. Pardon
the question naturally suggested-were you
ever so placed|
"Once, only once"
GLOW is thatP
''lou wish to profit by my experience? Well,
| don't know that | mind telling you the
story II may serve to amuse you, if nothing
| more"
1t occurred number Of years ago, and no
train, and being somewhat tired and altogether
sleepy, had stretched myself upon a seat for as
comfortable nap as circumstances would per-
init. slept soundly, for could in those days
sleep well almost anywhere, and did not awaken
until the conductor came formy ticket The es-
sential board Of pasteboard could not be found.
| was positive ! had purchased a ticket; indeed,
| remembered distinctly having shown it to the
baggage clerk at the time OF checking my trunk
The conductor grew impatient, passed to the
other end Of the car and returned TO me- had
made the discovery that my pocket book had
been picked, and in proof of my story showed
him my baggage check.
1t was useless If You have travelled much
you are aware that Yirtuous conductor takes
no mans word; in fact, all men have designs
upon the company's dividends except himself.
Ii was perfectly natural, therefore that the faith
full steward in question should say:
The check is all right; bur how do | know
that it belongs to YOU? | will take the money
| for your fare or stop the train and put you off,
Just as you choose"
What could l do? Protestatons amounted
to nothing, and my fellow passengers, with the
| usual tendency Of humanity to trample upon Il
| fallen man, showed clearly by their looks and
| expressions that they thought me Il sneaking
rogue who would steal passage if he could
| They paid money, why should not | pay mine?
Few men would ever see heaven if Judgment
| was rendered by Jury-eXcept themselves.
My search for the lost ticket had brought to
| light about dollar and eighty cents This
| told the conductor was every cent had about
| me. He said 1t was about fifty cents short of
| the usual fare to LauderClale city but that he
would pass me through for it rather than stop
! the train. From Lauderdale, a city of much inn
| portance, could write TO my partner for mon
| ey. 1t would certainly be as well as to tramp
| ten or twelve miles back to the city had left,
| and where | should be no better off, beng equal
| Y stranger there.
In 1up limo 4 III Cd L..
went to the best hotel; tecgraphed for money
aud wrote an explanatory letter to my patner
| This business attended to, | sailed out to see
| what sort Of place Lauderdae city might be-
| There was nothing to do but amuse myself as
| best could until the money should come so
| determined to make the most of my voluntary
holiday. As Strolled leisurely up the main
street, newsboy darted out Of paper office,
| crying;
DAILY Banner-extra editon-all about the
murder-great accident on the E roadP' etc,
etc. Have an extra ~
| took the sheet and thrust my hand
| in my pocket for the money without a mo-
| ments thought. You may imagine my feelings
| when compelled TO return that tWo penny bit
to the boy, with the muttered excuse that had
| no change, and the utter contemptuOus express
| sion on the boys face as he received if. / i'm
| mediately stepped into the Office of the Daily
Banner, and wrote Il paragraph of my recent
miShap, taking care to make it as amusing as
possible. When complete | handed it to the
clerk, He read it, laughed, aud took il into his
private Office. Coming back Il few minutes lat
er, he told the bOok-keepGr TO give me fifty cents
1t was not much, but more than expected.
| Well, | continued my walk until | finally
| reached the end OF the street which terminates
at the e. river, here spanncd by Il long COW
cred bridge. | crossed the bridge, and was sur
prised to see upon reaching the opposite side,
that would be required to pay toll. young
| girl came up to the door Of the little office as /
stepped up tQ inquilG how much should pay,
drawing forth my solitary shinplaster.
"Oh, said she, with a smile and a slight
blush, eve do NOT charge ministers anything y
1t was not a bad joke; but | suppressed the
laugh that rose to my lips. and thanking her
for the consideration shown to the clergy, |
| turned about and retraced my steps TO the
hotel notswthout slight tWingcs of r0nsGion6e
for allowing the mistake tG pass, aud taking
| the advantage OF 1t.
My first duty next morning was to seek some
| knight of the razor. had noticed pleasant
little shop at no great distance from the hotel in
| my walk the previous day. Thinking that |
SHOULD do no better by looking further. | re-
paired to that. There was in attendance a boy
| about twelve years of age, who stated that his
| father, the proprietor of the shop had cone to a
neighbOrin@ city, and would not return before
| noon, Without any hesitation | asked for the
| loan OF Il razor, and proceeded to operate on
myself. While thus occupied, the customers
| began to present themselves, expressing great
dissatisfaction on learning how matters stood.
| Now, although am proud man, | am not,
| thank God cursed with that species of vanity
which prevents Il mans doing certain kinds
| of honest labor, simply because they are not
| gcnteel. Here was an 0ppartpnity afforded me
to at least cara The price of my breakfast. |
took advantage Of it. Told the first man who
entered after | had completed shaving myself
would shave bin. | did so. In fact ! did
| quite brisk business for couple OF hOnrsj and
il any Of the unfortunate individuals who came
under my hand had any doubt of my fit
ness for the business, they certainly cx-
| pressed none. AT the expiration of this
time | began to think | had done sufi-
cient, aud feeling rather hungry, having had
no breakfast ! DIVIDED tho PROCEEDS with the
boy, and prepared to return to my hotel. But
| ! was not done yet. As | was brushing my hat
| Il young and dandfied specimen of humanity
| came in; resolved thar he should be the last, |
| went 10 work upon him. When he came to pay
| me, was, to say the least, somewhat surprised
to see1him deliberately produce my own pocket
| book-thc one had lost. Standing on no cere,
mony, snatched it from his hand, and demand
ed, IN no gentle tono, hoWit came in his possess
sion,
! Without stopping to reply other than by a vol
| ley of imprecatiOns as he reached the door. he
tumbled, rather than ran down the stairs into
| the street, Waiting neither for hat nor coat, fol-
| lowed, the pOcket-book in my hand We meas
| time. On, on. 1t was an exciting chase. Men,
| boys and dogs Joined the pursuit; the cries of
''stop thief growing louder and increasing.
| What an uproar there was. Suddenly came a
fash of light sharp and vivid for an instant.
then utter darkness, A policeman, mistaking
me for tho thief, had gently tapped me upon the
| head, as their custom is, and with the usual re-
sulti the thief escaped, and |, the victim, was
| apprehended. My appearance told heavily
against me; but my story heing fully oorrobo.
rated by tho boy at the barber shop, was re-
| leased,
| Upon examining the wallet found my own
money intact and about one hundred and thirty
dollars beside That is all the story,
Mot Il bad speculation, after ALL" said |, as
| he concluded,
| Well, perhaps so. No, it was not: but still
my advice holds good. Never place railway
ticket in your wallet,
The WOMAN WHO SUED BRIGHAM YOUNG,
The Davenport Oowa) Gazette says:
| "Among the kilograms in yesterday mornings
| Gazette was one announcing that Mrs Sarah A
| Cook, Of Salt Lake City, has sued Brigham
| Young for $4,000, which was deposited with
| him for her benefit years ago, and at the time
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