The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-07
Amusing Railway Incident.

Col. Dennis, press agent Of Van Amburg
q Co., is responsible for the following
amusing incident 1t seems that one of
the foreign agents Of the establishment had
Just returned from India with some rare
and valuable specimens of reptiles, and
after landing in New York made bee line
Tor the show, which, as our readers know,
Is now i'll our vicinity The agent entered
the Dopinion not a thousand miles from a
most noted bridge. Arrived on this side
he shouldered his trunk, in which his treas
ures were enclosed, and made straight
wake for the railway depot Barely had
he gained the station and deposited his
precious burden, when a stalwart guardian
Of her MaJestys revenue laws appeared
and demanded to know the contents Of
that suspicious looking trunk. The agent,
plain, farmer-looking man, says, "Oh !
1t is ali right, sir. Nothing wrong in that
trunk, sir. All bosh, says her Mai
esty's functionary, show me the contents
Of that trunk or | will seize it, and put
you under arrest" The quiet agent, see
ing no alternative, unlocked the trunk, and
the atfrighted official desired him, in terms
more forcible than polite, co shut it up
again quick. 1t was near train time, and
the conductor Of that train had sold" the
custom house official time or two, and
here was a good chance to square accounts.
So as the train backed down the officer
helped the agent on board with his mvste-
rious trunk, and assigning him the place
usually occupied by the stove, in the pas
senger car, bud him a cordial good-by and
left him. But he was not done yet. Seek
ing the conductor he told him, in a conf
dental whisper, that there was man on
board his train that looked like a smuggler
of the worst class that he had not time to
look after him now, but that if he (the
conductor) would say upon his honor that
he would examine everything in the mans
trunk, and give him full report of it when
he returned, he would let the man 90, and
he accompanied this with an intimation
that several little things had gone out on
his train lately that didn't look Just right,
but he should say nothing about it. Away
went the train, away the agent and his
snakes, and in due course Of time the con
ductor, in his rounds, found the agent and
trunk aforesaid. Ticket, said the guar
dian The snake man responded in form
" Whose trunk is that N
Mine, sir
i " hat are the contents 4
" Nothing wrong sir.
: But | want to know what is in that
trunk, and | will
There is nothing in it, sir, that is con
traband and | tell you the truth when !
say 50.
Well, sir, open that trunk at once, Or
will put you off the train and place you
under arrest
= don't think it is hardly yfair, sir but
suppose | must comply with your de-
mands- | will do this and no more will
unlock the trunk, and if you chose to open
it you can do 50 at your own risk
: Not much risk III that | imagine,
says the conductor, and the trunk having
been unlocked, he raised the cover to be
confronted with the erected heads, gleam-
ing eyes, and forked tongue of numerous
serpents, whose dazzling colors and com
plcx commissions struck him dumb with
aInazement
"Shut It, for COILS sake 7" said he, gasp
ing for breath; and the agent and the
snakes arrived in good order. Toronto
Globe