American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-09-25
A Practical Joke on a Railroad Agent.

SOME time ago there was an order is
sued from the General Superintendent
Office of the Chicago e. Alton Railroad, re-
quiring all agents and other employees con-
nected with the trains upon that road to
wear badges when upon duty, designating
the position they have, that the travelling
public might, without mistake, know who
TO apply to for any information or protec-
ton required. This order in due time was
sent to the different agents along the line
of the road, together with the badge they
were to wear.
Among the agents that received this Or
der and badge was Mr.. j. r. Madison, of
Washington, upon the western division of
the road, who Immediately carried out the
order. He was very much pleased with
The badge, as it was quite ornamental and
showed to every one the position held. He
thought it would save many questions as
to the rank he held upon the staff of this
large corporation, SO he wore it continual
ly-not only around the town, but to
church and other places of amusement
and when he took off his hat he would
place it in very conspicuous position,
that it might draw attention.
The young men of Washington began
to feel quite taken aback by the attention
given the young railroad agent, therefore
they set their heads together to get rig
on him, which they saw fully carried out
yesterday, to the delight of all the citizens
of the abovenamed city. They purchased
a very fine sword and belt down the road
somewhere, and then wrote letter pur-
porting to come from the General Super
intendent, informing all agents that in flu
ture they would be required to wear the
sword and belt, as it would add greatly to
the appearance of the leading official at
the station, as well as giving him some
thing with which to defend the patrons OF
the road from the confidence-men and
pickpockets that are always to be found at
a railroad station. This was taken north
and given to the train men, who, ON the
arrival of the train at Washington, deliv-
cred it to Mr.. Madison, who promptly put
it on, and yesterday he was seen prone
nading the streets in full dress, strutting
about as proud as Major General. The
novelty of the thing created considerable
laughter among the citizens, who
began to ask him about the cause of all
this display, whereupon he showed the in
structions. Some one told him that the
whole thing was a joke put upon HIM, and
that he had better see if the thing was
general throughout the line, so he re-
paired to the office and by telegraph asked
the agents at Lacon and Wenona if they
had got their swords, etc., to which they
replied they had, that they were the laugh
ing stock of everyone, but that they did
not mind it, as they would soon become
used to it. Getting the assurance that there
was no joke about it, he resumed his bust
ness without any further trouble.
Before night the joke had gone the
length of the wires on every division of
the road, and ripple of laughter was
continuous from Chicago, Louisiana and
Washington to Chicago, and probably has
spread by this time to every telegraph
line in the Union. If Mr. Madison ever
hears the end of it he may bless his lucky
stars.-Bzoomington (IU.) Paragraph