The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-12-03
Joe Booths Free Pass.

yeais ago, Wnen the Mlchlgar
Central Railroad was frst;built, the Com.
pany purchased several tracts of wood.
land adjoining the road, and gradually
cut Oft for fuel for their locomotives Or
one OF the clearings thus made, a squat.
ter-Joe Booth, who got his living BY
working round among the neighboring
farmers-built shantv and began cult.
waiting garden. The railroad officials
warned Joe off the land half a dozen
times as many years, and he often prom.
lsed to leave, but by negligence rather
than any feeling of opposition to the or.
der, he still kept possession of the ground.
Joe was good natured fellow, liked by
everybody, and the superintendent of the
road didn't care fg about his occupancy
OF the land-for he was doing the com.
pany no harm-but it was thought nec.
cssary to give three warnings to prevent
Joe's acquiring title for indisputabe
possession. To prevent this 10 q legal
manner. it was resolved to give him
formal written notice to quit, and the 81.
perlntendent having formally written out
the document, he ordered the engineer of
one OF the freight trains to stop ct Joe's
shanty and serve it on him. The train
accordingly stopped, and fireman was
dispatched to give the notice into Joes
own hands. He accomplished his task in
haste, and returned to the engine and the
train was of in a moment
--.t:-s g
turned the note looked at it in all sorts
of ways, thought and wondered what it
could possibly mean, and then took and
handed it to his wife. She too, was
poor hand to read writing, and it may be
said truly it is somewhat doubtful if even
an expert interpreter of manuscript could
decipher the contents of this extraordin.
ary document, for the superintendent was
q blind writer. As neither Joe nor his
wife could read the notice, he resolved to
submit it to the inspection of the keeper
of "doggery," about two miles distant,
whose place he often visited. This man
was fond of joke, and when Joe showed
the paper he declared, with solemeity,
that it was free pass on the railroad.
Joe was delighted He treated the
company present with frequent drinks OF
redeyc-got gloriously fuddled himself
and at once resolved to take trip to
Detroit. The pass worked to charm,
for it was such an illegible scrawl that no
conductor on the road could read it,
though all of them knew the superintcnd-
ent's signature. The consequence was
that Joe became frequent deadhead on
that part Of the road.
Six months passed sway and no one
questioned Joe's possession Of the shanty
and garden patch or his free travel to and
from Detroit. Indeed, he had taken ad-
vantage of his good fortune. and found
more profitable employment in the city
than his neighbors, tho farmer could af.
ford him. One day the superintendent
happened to be in the same car with Joe,
and noticing the conductor passed him
over without demanding ticket, natur-
ally enquired who he was.
II thought you knew him sir, said the
conductor ats Joe Boothe, who lives at
the Lazarus clearing !; he travels almost
daily on your pass"
"On my pass !" exclaimed the superin.
tendent. II never gave him pass"
Its certain he has one with your sig.
nature" replied the conductor, "and has
been going over the road with it all sum-
mer."
ASK him for the pass, if you please,
and let me examine it said the superin.
tendent
In few moments the conductor pre-.
sents to his superior officer the famous
NOTICE to quit" served upon Joe.
"You call this pass 2" inquired the
superintendent with broad grin on his
countenance.
"Is it not your handwriting and sigma.
ture, sir ?"
"Yes. to be sure"
well. Joe said it was q free pass over
the road, and as could not exactly make
out the writing, took it for granted that
it was one."
The superintendent chuckled, but said
nothing; and in his mind he gave Joe
credit for great deal more shrewedness
than he possessed.