The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-08-14
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.

THE CONDUCTORS STORY.
Good arabic? Yes, sir +; and il
you look at it in the way of scenery
| it's as pretty bit of land as you'll
find in Kent county. That stretch
now ahead. By the way, there was
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 railroad
| ing. 1t occurred in this way; III
have time to tell it, / reckon, We
have to switch off at the next station
and lay by awhile and wait for the
express.
This branch road was built for the
local peach business. l was put on
as conductor of the first train that
was run. By George how the en-
gine woke the country up. The
Delawareans are genuine Southern.
ers-lazy and hospitable. They
were hospitable to the very train, in
a way commercial people could not
understand. 1t wasn't matter of
business it was a home affair to
them like their church or their
darkies something to chuckle over
or boast about. The stations were
crowded with young fellows with
fiashy neckties, and their sweethearts
nice, modest little girls, loaded with
cheap finery, who had made up par
ties and came down from the interior
to see the train go by. Every old
farmer on the route thought he own
ed the engine (the General Jackson
It was) and knew each separate car
as we'll as he did his own cattle.
They'd treat their wives to few
miles ride, as you town people run
over to Europe with yours.
Of course, sir, was at home here
on the road in two weeks. Every
body called me Dick. There was
scores of places where | could stop
in for an odd meal. l began to think
they were my uncles and cousins.
| Besides, man over fifty, has no
other business here but loafing. All
the old fellows got free passes over
the road, and forsook their corners
by the tavern fire for the baggage
car. They had smoked day after
day and told queer stories If their
neighbours families for the benefit of
ybody that chose to listen. 1
knew all the gossip by heart directly.
1t was just when the peaches were
in bloom, too, when l went on the
road, and / was soon punching open
buds with my thumb nail, and talk.
ing earnestly of Early Bush and
Morris Whites with the rest. It's a
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 mat
ter of life and death to the people.
The peaches had come and gone,
though, when one day about month
before Thanksgiving, an old man
came on board, with his family, who
had pass for two down to St.
Georges. I saw at glance that he
was none of the usual deadhead
squad. A thin, wiry old man, white
headed, but as active as boy of six
teen, and with the true Delawarean
knack of finding friends and making
himself agreeable. He was re-
porter on some Philadelphia penny
paper, and had his note book out
every minute, pumping me about the
Wilmington whipping post, Sloan's
fish breeding experiment, and the
condition OF the freed negroes.
snake items, make items !" he
said. "Pushes the paper wonderful
| ly into local circulation" Es
He had been a doctor or lawyer,
forget which, in New York, and was
starved out, he told me, SO took up
journalizing. He did not impress me
as man of ability aud besides the
poor fellow was worn out. 1t was
high time for him to lie by and loaf
with the others in the baggage car
Newspaper work, (" he says, "pays
handsomely, compared to my own
profession. We get on quite com.
fortably on my salary; quite com
fortably."
| l noticed, however, that he and
his women were thinly and shabbily
dressed. / did not pay much atten =.
ton to the women, but there was a
boy, Dan, the old mans grandson-
little chap of four. that took an
odd fancy to from the first. He had
an ugly face, but think one of the
most honest and loveable I ever saw.
Tanner-that was the old mans
name-told me that he had brought
his wife and daughter down to keep
Thanksgiving in this village, where
they had lived ten years before
eve were all younger and cheerful
er then, than now," he said, "and
thought, maybe, with the old place
would come back some of the old
feeling. There are sother ways OF
keeping the feast besides stuffing the
stomach, you know" -
I,thought to myself it W, uld be az
well if the stomach had its share OF
rejoicing. Tanner, cheerful and
CHR. uppy as he was, looked hunger
bitten. -Four people could not gel
| fat on eight dollars week, which
found was his salary. He hired q
vacant house for month. There i,
is-the one beyond the hill. The
family went to housekeeping in some
way in it, aud he used to run dowr
Friday evenings and stay over Satur
days, which is the newspaper 9ea,
Sunday, as you know. We grew te
be very friendly. grew into TIE
habit Of Watching with him or Dan
who always came out on the porch
to wait for him, his mother holding
; him by the hand. / used to wonde
; if the poor widow ever let go hel
hold on the child, day or night, ant
once remember thinking what sh,
. would do if the child should de-
One has queer idle fancies, you know
But Dams mother was one of thos,
people who seem to have no lite out
side Of the one or two persons they
love.
Well, Thanksgiving eve came ant
- IL L