The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-22

dlSdaln and left the room and since that
time there is one episode in our life which
we never refer to. Hence the tide of our
days flows by in deep and untroubled Sc
renity.
PURLEY'S RAILROAD ACCIDENT.
Purely was drummer for New York
hardware house, who had the unfortu-
nate habit of visiting gaming places, and
the consequence was that he was fire.
quently compelled to raise the wind in a
somewhat crooked way. One day, while
riding on the Cleveland and Columbus
Railroad an accident occurred to the train,
and, upon Purlay's arrival in Columbus.
he was furnished by the anxious, com.
pany, together with all the other passen.
gers, with a free ticket to Cincinnati, al.
though he had not been injured at all.
This stroke of good luck was not lost up
on Purley, who resolved to turn it to &C.
count whenever an opportunity present.
ed itself. Such was the case q few
months afterward, when Mr.. Purley was
again in Cincinnati. There he woke up
one morning at the Gibson House with.
out penny in his pocket, he having lost
everything the night before at draw-pok.
er. Aud when he stepped up to the
clerks desk to see whether any letters
had arrived for him, there was handed to
him a telegram from his" employers in
New York, ordering him to proceed with
out delay to Chicago. The poor fellow
was at loss to know how to pay his rail-
road fare thither, and he mechanically
picked up morning paper. Almost the
first article upon which his eyes fell was an
account Of a railroad accident which hid
occurred at midnight, on tn Indiana Cen
trail Railroad, to train bound for chi.
cage, at short distance from Cincinna i.
Several passengers had been injured.
most Of whom had been sent back to
Cincinnati. Upon reading this, Purley
jumped up with a radiant face. "Eure-
ka!' he said to himself, "vhis is almost
providcntid. He then went back to his
room, and there bandaged his right arm
with two handkerchie(s and towels. and
put it into black sil6 sling. Then he
wrapped himselfin his overcoat, aid went
out. At neghboring drugstore he
looked in the directory for the private
residence of the president Of the Indiana
Central Railroad, and found that dig
nitary at home, it only being
eight o'clock in the morning. Assuming
most do]elul air, he said, s'Mr. Prcsi-
dent, l am one of the victims of the &C.
cident which occurred to the outward
bound train last night. You see broke
my right arm, and | am afraid l have
sustained internal injuries l mad to
walk all the way back to the city, suffer.
ing intense pain. What was most dis
tressing to me was that had lost in the
confusion my satchel, with all my money
and papers. have 10 be in Chicago TO-
morrow morning sure. What am 20 do
TO pay my hotelbill and fare!' So say
ing he groand again as if he were in great
pain. The railroad president had had be-
fore some unpleasant experience with
passengers injured on his line, and so
he thought he would get off very cheap
il he gave Purley free ride to Chicago
and some money to boot. "Of course
We will furnish you free pass to Chica.
CO. he said, ''and pay you reasonable
sum for your expenses. Will fifty dol
lars DO Mr.. Purley?' Purley chuckled
inside, bat outwardly consented but
reluctantly being turned off with so beg
carly ali amount. Still he finally accept.
ed the offer, and departed from the house
Of the railroad president with an order
on the ticket agent Of the line for free
pass to Chicago, and on the treasurer for
fifty dollars in cash. He received both,
and signed receipt in full with his left
hand. Then he went to a neighborine
saloon, took big drink. divested him.
self Of the bandages and sling, paid his
hotel bill, and took the next train for
Chicago. About two hours later Mr..
Suggs, hardware dealer, and director
OF the Indiana Central Railroad, went to |
the office of the company to enquire about
the accident. The ticket agent showed
him the list of casualties, on which was
also the name Of James Purley, CONNER
cial traveller, from New York. MIR.
Suggs was we'll acquainted with Purlev,
and so asked what sort of looking man
he was. The answer to his query fully
him that the pretended victim Of
the accident was no other than our New
York drummer, which astonished him not
a little, as he had seen Purley an hour
after midnight perfectly we'll at fashion.
able saloon. In order to make things
doubly sure, he went to the Gibson
House, where he ascertained that Purley
had no broken arm there either the night
before nor this morning when he started
for Chicsgo. Then the fraud which the
drummer had practiced dAwned upon him.
and he briefly telegraphed the facts to
Purley's employers in New York. The
next morning Purley was in Chicago, and
called upon the customer that he had
been ordered to see. The Junior partner
Of the house took walk with Rim, and.
after repeated drinks. Purley laughingly
told him how he had got free ride to