St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-04-19
The Conductors Story.


The Conductors Story.
BY REBECCA HARDING DAVIS.
Good arabic? Yes. sir: and if you
look ut it in the way of scenery, il is a$
pretty Il piece of land us vou'll find in
Kent county. That stretch out ahead.
BY the way. there WAS Il queer thing
happened on the track just there. three
Years ago come Thmksgiy aS queer
as ever came i'll my WAY since I've been
railroadin%. 1t occurred in this way :
I'll have time to tell it. | reckon. We
have t" switch of for the express at the
next station, and lie hy awhile.
This branch road. Nou see. WAS built
for the local peach business. | WAS put
on aS conductor of the first train that
waS run. BY George how the engine
woke the country up, The Della
WarcanS are genuine SouthcrncrS-lazv
and ho>pitHblc. They were hoSpitahlc
t" the very train, in Il way commercial
/ people couldm't understand. 1t wasn't
Il matter of business it WAS IL home
affair 10 them. like their church or their
darkicS: something to chucklr and yos-
sip over aud boast about. The stations
used to he crnWdcd with Young fellows
III iHSliy nccl>tic-. and their SwcctheartS
nice. modest little girls. loaded with
cheap lincrN. who had made up parties
and come down from the interior to see
the train go by. Every old farmer on
the route thought he owned the cngiuc
/ tthe General Jackson it was, and knew
each separate car as well as he knew
+ his own bulls and sheep. They'd treat
their wives to IL few miles ride. aS Won
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 | could drop in for an odd
meal. began to doubt whether they
We're my uncleS and cousins or not Be
sides. Il man here. after fifty, has no
other business but loating. All the old
fellows got PASSES over the road. and
fnr>ook their corners by the tavern fire
for the baggage car. There they Smok-
ed day after day. and told queer stories
OF their ncighhors' families for the hene-
tit of any body that chose to listen.
knew all the gossip hy 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 learn
edly of Early Blush and Morris Whites
with the rest. It's Il 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.
/ fhnIn nh HH-bnr, DIV .,ln,rt /,
before Thanksgiving. an old fellow
came on board with his family. who had
Il pass for two down to It. Georges. |
SAW at II glance that he was none of my
usual dead-head squad, but active aS Il
boy of sixteen. and with the true Della
warean knack of finding friends and
showing himself friendly. He WAS u
reporter on some Philadelphia penny
paper. and had his notebook ont every
minute. pumping me about the Will
mingt"n whipping post. Sl"m's fish
breeding experiment, and the condition
of the freed negroes.
Makes items. makes items :" he said.
Pushes the paper wonderfully int"
local circulation."
He had been Il doctor. or Il lawyer.
forget which. in New York. and WIS
starved out. he told me. 80 he took up
.i"urnalizimg. He did not impress me
H. Il man of ability: and he>idr>. the
poor old fellow was worn ont. II WAS
high time for him /" lie 10y and loaf with
the others in the baggage ear.
"NcN>papcr work." hr said. '.pay>
handsomely. compared To my own pro-
fc~>ion. W" get on puit,. comfortably
"u my SALARY quite. comfortably.
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