Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1872-09-06
The Sick Baggageman.

The affection entertained by railroad
men for each other is well known. Rude
as many of them are, when pain and
sickness attack a fellow none are so
prompt and so generous to assist him, and
hands accustomed to hold the grinding
brake with the strength of giant, sud-
denly become soft as the fingers of wo-
man in works of charity towards the
helpless. A most touching instance of
this nature it is the office of the reporter
for the Democrat to chronicle to-day.
From the windows of the Democrat
Office all along Fourth street may be seen
numerous railroad offices, before which
constantly draw up huge transfer buses,
from each of which pours, like Noah's
family out of an ark on wheels, long
file of men in busters, and women with
bloated carpet-sacks and ankles. Express
wagons, too, abound, from each of which
is hurled, with crash like thunder an
avalanche of trunks. Yesterday, about
five o'clock, just as the heat Of the day
had ceased, and slight breeze PLAYED
along the street, small express wagon,
containing three men, drove up at a slow
pace One who got between and was
supported by the other two, had, it was
evident from his pallor, only recently re-
covered from illness his companions
were in perfect health. All three it was
clear, from their boards and the cut of
their clothes, were railroad men. The
express wagon stopped and the men got
out, the sick one with great difficulty.
His companions tsood by him, watching
him with an infinite solicitude.
"Well, Doc, old fellow" said one,
you'll be all right in a day or two
won't you +? Feel better now? Looks
like old times; don't it ? Hear Billy rat
tie them checks O, it's biz, it is, you
old son of thief"
"Well, Ed" replied the sick man,
YEARLY, cit does seem good, after being
in bed for two months, to see the boys
hustle them old trunks round lively; but
I'll never be the man I was before the
"heumatics took me. I'll never sling
trunk again, Ed"
eyes, you will, too" replied his COM
rade, cheerfully. Before the next
change in the time tables you'll be play
ing smash with them Saratogas The
doctor says SO, and he ought to know.
Try now Doc; he says it'll do you no
end of good if you can only get up your
spirits again. Can't you watt this little
oil-skin carpet-bag % he continued plead
ingly:
"No go, Ed" answered the invalid,
with touch of dependency in his voice,
1.-THE Doc. amt what he used to was, no
how"
"Well, but Doc, continued his friend,
"s'pose we get an ak and start that little
trunk there at the corner; couldn't you
bust it ? 1t might do you good"
Ere he could answer, a large express
wagon drew up before whole pyramid
of mammoth Saratoga trunks. Two men
leaped lightly from it, one with lamp
and a bundle of jingling checks; the other
pulled down with a crash a couple of
portmanteaus. The sight and sound were
to the sick expressman like the trumpet
to blind old war-horse. Forgetting his
illness and weakness, he rose, gained the
heap of baggage at a bound, and seized a
large Saratoga trunk, which three hall
porters could hardly move. Posing it in
the air, he hurled the huge mass through
the air as if it had been feather Seized
with perfect fury, he slung trunk after
trunk upon the wagon the pile melted
like platter of beefsteaks before an In
dian chief; the air was perfectly black
with Carpet-sacks, and not less than three
portmanteaus were in the air at once.
But the effect was too much for him, and
as the last trunk was landed with such
force that it burst asunder in mid-air, and
gushed forth socks, collar boxes, shirts,
petticoats, hair brushes, and things, as if
a bombshell had exploded in a hosiery
shop, he fell fainting to the sidewalk.
They sprinkled him with water, and
forced whisky down his throat and did
all that lay in human power to bring him
to, but vainly. At last, when every ex-
pedient had failed, one slammed a trunk
down at his ear and beloved, "Denver !"
The fainting man awoke, shouted, ''Show
me your ticket, and was borne away by
his faithful friends, who shed tears Of Joy
at his recovery.-St Louis Democrat.