Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-06-14
AIN,rTHIs STEWARDS CROSSING
BY BAY STREET BUMMER.

Formerly we could never tell why so
many good things were related by
steamboat captains and clerks. We
understand in our elder days, and can
readily see how contact with all sorts
of people naturally bringing awkward
positions to those frequently brought in
contact with all manner OF characters.
Gradually the good things arc now fall
ing to conductors; railway travel having
almost brought steamers to the banks.
And OF the conductors of the Georgia
railroads, it seems that those on the 5.
w. X. r., while they have poss!bly,the
most pleasant general run, suffer more
from outlandish folks, travelling south
ward to see kin-tolks, than any class
which | have noticed. Some days since,
lust before the train ran from the car
Shed III Macon, ] was disturbed while
reading the morning paper by the en-
trance of an old lady, who was slightly
deaf, wondrously fussy, and fearfully
made; in fact, very fearfully made for an
old lady. Chignon, pannier founces,
and all those indescribable things which
the younger of Fashions devotees so
patiently bear, were hung around her
in prolusion rare. After the train NOV
ed out the conductor appeared at the
door, and Tickets came reverbcrating
down the aisle. | took advantage OF
the occasion to find out for what point
Mrs. Joiner was bound, aud saw the
ticket she handed the conductor was
''from Macon TO AmericuS, but she re-
quested the conductor to let her know
when the train arrived at Stewards
ing, which is about four miles above
Americus This he Of course readily
agreed TO do.
! engaged the old lady in conversation
and found that she had been married to
Nr. Joiner about two months, that she
was his third wife and he her second
husband. Furthermore, / fornd she had
some relations in one Of the lowercoun-
ties. and that visit to them was the
object Of her journey. She seemed anx-
ious to make as good impression on
them as possible, as she told me in tho
innocence of her heart, because they
were not as well pleased as they should
have been at his third marriage, especi-
allv as he married rather an old lady.
We chatted pleasantly until we reached
Jackson-about the third station from
Macon, / think, when | left the old lady
to her meditations. The next station
was PowersvilIe, and when the train
reached that point she called the con-
ductor to her and asked if that was
Stewards Crossing. He replied that it
was not, and told her to give herself no
trouble as lie would tell her when they
reached Stewards Crossing. In fact,
that as it was not regular station, he
would come to her before they got there
and let her get ready in time. | would
see, however, that she was nervous, rest
less and excited. The train stopped at
Fort Valley when she grabbed her reti-
cule, and calling the conductor, wanted
to know if that was Stewards Crossing.
His reply was very brief, but to the
point:
at is not, madame
Off went the train again, and as the
whistle sounded for Marshalville the old
lady again grabbed the precious reticule
and called the conductor
'.Mr. Conductor, is this Stewart S
Crossingr
'No, ma'am, l will tell you when we