Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1874-06-05

klpp; this for me this Tor old kIpp, and
this for me, and so on until he had diyid-
ed the pile in two parts. There happened
to be an odd sixpence. ''Shall / give this
to old Kipp, Or shall keep it," he said to
himself Old Kipp is a pretty good man
he shall have it. No, | guess not. It's
been hot day, and l want mug of ale,
and I'll keep it,"
Just then Kipp slid down to him.
'John," said he, you are discharged.
You'll never drive stage for me again. L
don't object to an even divide, but l want
you to understand that if there is an odd
sixpence, it's mine. Get out, you thief"
And the driver went his way sadly.
Speaking of
''KNOCKING DOWN."
as this kind of thievIng is called, it per-
vades almost all kinds of business. Anent
the stage drivers strike, had a conversa-
tion with street car conductor yesterday.
every body knocks down." was his
frank confession.
'But what stops you from taking all you
want ?" said l. THE money all passes
through your hands, and there is no way
of checking it.''
Averages do it," was his reply. "They
know what every trip ought to yield.
lake fair, cool day, and less people take
cars than in rainy or hot days. But the
owners know just how much money will
get into the car this day, and L return mo-
ney to that amount. If my return is less
than the man who has the car behind me,
l 60. The average is exact, and we make
it, You have noticed how anxious we are
to get passengers. That is to make a trip
above the average"
And the amount above the average P''
a significant cough was his answer.
"We hate to have new men come on the
line," he continued because they turn
over for the first week or two all that they
collect, and the company growls at the rest
of us. But we make 'em knock down to
to the point, or we make it hot for 'em.''
The conversation was interesting to me,
and wanted to continue it, but my con-
ductor caught sight at this moment of a
fat woman, two square off, who was max
ing a frantic effort to reach the car, and he
stopped for her, Her six cents was what
he wanted to help swell his average, and
he got it.
But you can see what chance there is for
man to keep honest under system that
compels him to be a thief in order to retain
his place. And speaking of
LABOR,
Don't let any young or old men come to
get work at this time. There is scarcely
any building in progress. Trade is SO
wretchedly dull that manufacturers are
discharging hands daily. This is true Of
all the trades and occupations. There are
more than $4,000 men doing nothing in
New York this moment, and the number
is increasing hourly. Keep away from
New York. Living is fearfully high
labor is scarce, and wages low. Think OF
the case of poor Adolph Leisure, yesterday.
He landed with his wife and two children
four weeks ago. He was skilled cabinet
maker, but could get no work They con-
sumed the little money they had, of course,
and Adolph begged. Finally, last Tues
day he got something to DO, and he went
home joyfully to his wife to tell her that at
least they had their bread assured. She
asked him what the wages were, and he
told her, and ran away to his newly found
work.
He returned at night, and found his
children crying and calling for their NAM
ma. Half suspecting what had happened,
he rushed into their wretched bedroom
and his worst fears were realized. On
their poor bed lay his wife, dead, pan Of
! charcoal explaining her death, and on the
stand a note addressed to him with these
words
DEAR ADOLPH The wages will just
feed and clothe you and the children. /
go. Farewell! MARIE.
And so it was The poor woman, low
ing her husband ard children better than
she loved herself deliberately embraced the
hereafter rather than to shorten their sup
plies by the amount that she should con-
sumo. Poor woman! Let us hope that
in the next world the crime of selfmurder
will be balanced by the motive that led to
it.
MODERN DRINKING CUSTOSIS