Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1873-10-11
A Female Traveler---Autobiography
of One of Her Victims.

"M. Qnod took charge of alady," on
railroad car the other day, and thus details
his woes: Perhaps the man meant to dome
a favor when he came up to me at the depot
with spinster hagging his arm, aud wanted
to know if wouldn't take charge Of her from
Chicago to Detroit Many men think a rail-
road journey rendered really pleasant by the
companionshp Of an unprotected female. She
insisted in counting her baadbox and travelling
bag as VIC got seated. She counted. There
were just two connted and made no more
nor less. Then she wanted her parasol put
into the rack, her shawl folded up, aud her
baudbox counted again. | counted it. There
was Just exactly one banlbox Of it. As VIC
got started she wanted 70 know if | was sure
that we were on the right road to Detroit. |
was sure Then she wanted her traveling-bag
counted | counted it. by this. time she
wanted the window up, and asked me if il
wasn't a hot day said it was Then she
felt for her money aud found it was safe, though
she was sure that she had lost it. While
counting it she related how Mrs. Graf, in going
East, five years ago, lost her purse and S3.-
She wound up the story by asking me if II
wasn't hot day. | said twas. Then shs
wanted that banlbox counted, and | counted
/ him. He was still one bandbox ~ There was
/ a pause Of five minutes, and then she wanted \
drink | got it for her. Then she wanted to
know if we were on the right road to Detroit
[ assured her that was positive Of the fact
The brakeman here called out the name of "a
station in such an ndistnct manner that the
lady wanted me to 90 and see what the name
really was. went. 1t was Calumet. She
wanted to know il / was swe that it was Cali
umet, and put my hand on my sacred heart
and assured her that would perish soonertban
deceive her. by This time che wanted the
travelling bag counted and counted her
She figured up as before had just finished
counting when she wanted b know If didnt
think it was hot day. told her did Wo
got along very well for the next half hour, as
got her to narrating story about how sho
but as soon as she finished it she wanted 10
know if was sure we.were on the right road
T. Detroit. told her that | hoped to perish
with the liars if We were not, and she was sat-
isfed. Then the parasol fell down she want
me to change ten-cont piece, and the window
had to 60 down. When we got down to Mar
shall she wanted to know if the lace wasn't
named after court-martial, and whether il
wasn't barely possible that the station was
Niles instead of Marshall The babdbox was
counted again, and and be was inst one Then
the window went up, and she asked me if, in
my opinion, /. wasn't ia bot day. replied
that it was. Then she related a story about
her uncle, another about a young LADY who had
been deaf several years. During that day |
counted that bandbox three hundred times
raised the window thirty times; said it was a
hot day until my tongue was blislered ar
ranged that parasol tweDiy-one times got her
sixteen drinks Of water, aud inquired the names
Of thirteen stations She said it was 50 nice 10
have a man in whom stranger could place
confidence, aud dared not reply for fear Of
bringing ont another story. When we reached
Detroit couated the things three times over,
helped her Of the cars, got her hack, direct
ed her to hotel, told her the street, price,
name Of the landlord, head waiter, porter, and
cook; assured her she would not be robbed or
murdered that it had been hot day that
Detroit had a population Of 100000 that the
fall term Of school had commenced; that all
Detroit hack drivers were honest aud obliging
Poor woman hope the landlord didn't get
out Of patience with her ar,less ways.