The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1872-01-18
CONDUCTORS'S STORY.
RY RERFCCA HARDING DAVIS.

NOCu arabic. les, SIT, anu IL you loof,
at it in the way Of scenery, it's as pretty Il
bit Of land as you find in Kent county, that
stretch now ahead. By the way, there was
a queer thing happened on the track just
there, three years ago come Thanksgiving
as queer as ever came in my way since
I've been railroading. 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 fer
the local peach business. / was put on as
! conductor of the first train that was run.
By George. how the engine woke the coun-
try up The Delawareans are genuine
! Southerners-lazy and hospitable. They
are hospitable to the very train, in way
commercial people couldn't understand 1t
wasn't matter of business; it was a home
affair to them, ike their church or their
darkcys; something to chuckle and gossip
! over and boast about. The stations used
/ to be crowded with young fellows in flashy
neckties, and their swcethearts, nice, mod
! est little girls loaded with cheap fnery,
/ who Lad made up parties and come down
from the interior to see the train go by
I Every old farmer on the route thought he
owned the engine (thc General Jackson it
was) and knew each separate car as well as
he dill his own bulls aid sheep. They d treat
/ their wives to a few miles ride as you
town people would run over to Europe
with yours.
Of course, sir, was at home here on the
road in two weeks. Everybody called me
Dick. There were scores of places where
J could drop in for an odd meal. | began
to doubt whether they were my unces and
cousins or not. Besides, a man here, after
Fifty, has no other business but loafing All
the old fellows got free passes over the
road, and forsook their corners by the tay-
ern-ire for the baggage car. There they
smoked day after day, and tod queer
stories of their neighbors' families for the
benefit of anybody that choose to listen.
| knew all the gossip by heart directly.
1t was just when the peaches were in
bloom, too, when | went ON the road, and
| soon was punching open buds with my
thumb nail, and talking learnedly of Early
Blush and Morris White with the rest. It's
curious sight to see that pink flush, above
the early spring mud, from one end of the
State to the other, and to think that crop
is the one matter of life and death to the
people.
The peaches had come and gone, though,
when one day, about month before
Thanksgiving, an old fellow came on
board with his family, who had pass for
two down to st. Georges. | saw at a
glance he was one of my usual dead head
squad. \ thin wiry old man, white head
ed, but as active as a boy Of sixteen, and
with the true Delawarean knack of finding
friends and showing himself friendly. He
was reporter on some Philadelphia penny
paper and had his note book out every
minute pumping me about the Wilmington
whipping post, Sloan ti.hbrceding expert
ment, and the condition of the freed ne
groes.
Makes items, makes items - he said
. Pushes the paper wonderfully into local
circulation"
lie had been doctor or a lawyer, for
get which, in New \ ork, and was starved
out, he told me, and so took up journaliz-
ing. lie did not impress me Us a man OF
ability; and besides, the poor old fellow
was worn out. 1t was high time for him
to lie 10y and loaf with the others in the
baggage-cay.
Newspaper work." lie said, 'pays
handsomely, compared to my own profession
We get on quite comfortably on my salary
qnite comfortably"
| noticed, however, that both he and his
women folks were thInly and shabbily dress
ed. | did not pay much attention to the
women, but there was boy, Dan, the ole
man. grandsOn-a little chap Of four that
| took an odd fancy to from the first llt
had an ugly face, but think one Of the
most honest and lovable | ever saw.
Tanncr-that was the old man name
told me that he had brought his wife and
daughter down to keep Thanksgiving in
this village, where they had lived years be-
fore 1--WE were all younger and cheer
fuller then than now" he said, "and
thought may be, with the old place, would
come back some Of the old feelings. There
are other ways Of keeping the feasts than
stufing the stomach, you know
| thought to myself it would be as well
if the stomach had its share of rejoicing
Tanner, cheerful and chirruppy as he was,
looked meagcr and hunger bitten. -Four
[ people COtill llOJ SION 'ii t!E 1T tiO4Idie
a week, which | found was his salary. lie
hired house for month. There 1T is
that one beyond the hill The family went
to housekeeping in some sort of way II
it, and he used to run up on Friday even
ings to stay with them over Saturday
which is the newspaper man : Sunday, a:
YOU know. We grew to be very friendly
fell into the habit of watching with him
for Dan, who always came out on the
porch to wait for him, his mother holding
him by the hand. | used to wonder if the
poor little widow ever let go Of the chile
day or night, and once | remember think
inc what she would do if the child SHOULD
die. One has those queer, idle fancles
you know. But Dams mother was one o.
those women who seem to have no life out
side of the one or two people they love.
Well. Thanksgiving eve came, and Tan
ner was aboard going home, but | had NJ
time to talk to him, as the train was crowd
ed with people who had been up i'll vii
mington laying in supplies for the holidays
Even the passenger cars were heaped will
, baskets and bundles. Tanner had his lit
tie pack .ge, toO-something for Dan.
saw him peeping into it with his eyes twink
ling once or twice. / remember how plea.
ed he was when | brought him a monster
turkey for Mrs. Tanner. The old lady, al
though she had only seen me on the train
: as it whisked by, bad taken an anxious in
terest in a sore throat had, and sent me
2 bottle of myrrh tea by the old gentleman
! | don't know whether it was because
: had come from part of the country wher
q they never kept Thanksgiving, or becaus
t of the horror that followed, but | remembe
: that afternoon as one of the brightest an
: cheerfullest of my life. The air was col
> and crisp. There was red-mist over tn
:. hills; in the cars and stations there wa
: nothing but good humor and friendly goo
p wishes. | don't think much Of seriot-
:. things; yet it seemed to me that day, tina
the people came with one accord nearer t
: God because of Thanksgiving One oil