The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-12-20


ductor was, if possible, more imperious
than the guard. He said the ticket was
"good for nothing" and peremptorily
ordered me not to go on board the cars.
told him l thought the ticket was
good, and that was accustomed to use
| coupons in that way upon all other
! roads over which ! travelled. He re-
| Piled that "it was no such thing he
| travelled more than | did and knew all
about it )" and concluded by saying that
| if | "attempted TO get upon the cars
he "would put me off" Severe re.
marks were made by several gentlemen
standing near TO the conductor during
this time to the effect that this was an
other manifestation of the general spirit
| of insolence and meanness towards pas
sengers for which that road was noted.
| then purchased ticket to Providence
via New Haven and Hartford, and got
on board the train. felt irritated at
the treatment had received, and hav.
ing constitutional objection to being
brow. beaten, | determined to ascertain
why the practice with regard to tickets
on this road was so unlike that upon
other roads. Having had time to re.
cover my equanimi.y somewhat after
the cars had started, and supposing the
| conductor might be still angry and un.
reasonable, | determined 10 put the
case to him, as one gentleman would to
another, and to exercise self.control,
that my manner should be quiet and
| give him no cause for offense. Accord
ingly, as he approached me in taking
! up his tickets | said, "Mr. Conductor,
there is no use for you and me TO quar-.
rel about this ticket This is a plain
business matter, an affair of dollars and
cents only. The case stands like this /:
| am travelling nearly all the time and
being frequently compelled to diverge
from the route that | intended to take
in starting l am left with unused cou-
pons. These coupons all cost me
money; and by the end of the year they
would accumulate to such an extent
that they would represent too large a
sum for me to lose" The conductor
replied, "That coupon is good from
New Haven to New York, but it is not
good from New York to New Haven.
My directors ordered me three years
ago not to take such tickets, and | shall
not do it," then said, My position
is this: have paid this road certain
amount of money for a certain amount
of service, whether my face is turned
east or west. You say this ticket is
good from New Haven to New York,
which is seventy-four miles, | think it
is good from New York 10 New Haven
which is also seventy.four miles and |
cannot understand the distinction which
you make" A gentleman who sat be
fore me remarked at this moment, " II
there is any meanpes5 which has ever
been discovered upon a railroad, it is
sure to be found upon this one, for it is
the meanest railroad ever laio out Of
DOORS" | replied, "lf this is so | hope
they will make an exception in my case,
as all | require are the common courte.
sizes of the road and an equivalent for
my money" The conductor said Il
see you are all linked together to make
me trouble" And he went along. The
gentleman who had spoken to me re.
quested to see my coupon, and remarked
that he had never heard the question
raised before, and certainly had never
heard the case put in that way. He
further remarked that "whether it was
law or not, it was common sense" A
part of the Board of Trade delegation
of Boston was in the car, returning
from the Philadelphia Convention.
Several of these gentlemen, who had
become interested in the discussion, re.
quested to see the coupon, and they
took the same view of the matter that
did. AS we were approaching Siam.
ford the conductor again came to me
and said in very abrupt manner,
" Well, sir, how shall we settle this mat
ter 2" | said, L" just as before there is
the ticket, and | wish to 20 to New
Haven the circumstances have not
altered in the least" had determined
to take the matter quietly. The con.
ductor saw that it was useless to attempt
to frlghten me by his i'm perious manner,
and he then began to demonstrate, say
ing, \ GU have no business to make |
me disobey my directors and make me
lose my place upon the road have to
get rny living in this way, and it is mean
for you to do So" This was a new as
pect of the case, and ! replied, THAT |
Is the only embarrassing question which |
has arisen in this discussion. | have no !
quarrel with you, and | would not do
you personal injury upon any consld.
GRAFTON but you and | both have tray.
eled long enough to know that this
matter is wholly within your discretion.
You can take this coupon and turn it
in at New York, where you turn in your
other tickets, and no one will know
it is taken going east or going
west, and no one will care" NV mean.
ing was that, as no injury was done. no
injury could be known. He took the
the other way, and said in a
sneering tone, evidently for the benefit
of the other passengers, "You might
just as well ask me TO steal ten dollars
from the Company, because they would
not know it," | replied, "Theoreti
cally, that may be true, but practically
it is nonsense. You very well know
that ! have no intention to defraud this
road, but in order to relieve you or all
about your position |
will make you proposition. Here is
my address, and these gentlemen know
that | am responsible. You take the
ticket and turn it in, and if you are
even reprimanded forit by your directors
write to me and | will send you the
money for the ticket, upon your prom.