San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-04-19
DANGLARS AND vAMPA.
A Story Of the International Railroad
ToxAs Siftings.

Texas sftings.
No doubt many Of our readers have
read Dumas great work of men
dacity, the Count of Monte Cristo.
Those who have done 80 will doubt
less remember M. Danglars, who has
neither character nor principle, but
who, nevertheless, is one of the prin-
cipal characters in the book. The
reader may also remember while trav-
cling near Rome in his carriage, and
in the next chapter to the last, Dang
lars is captured by the celebrated rob,
Der chief, Luigi Vampa, and confined
in the catacombs of st. Sebastian.
Although not an editor, Danglars had
a large sum of money on his person.
The robbers did not attempt to take
any of Danglar's money, and treated
him with every possible kindness and
attention, even furnishing him with q
cellall to himself. Besides being a
regular double-dyed, star-route kind
of a fellow, Danglars was somewhata
glutton.
Luigi Vampa, the robber chief, was
as polite as pie to Danglars, but did
not give him morsel to eat, and af-
ter a while Danglars minated to the
guard that it was about dinner time.
To cut the story short, Danglars was
told he could lave fried oysters,
broiled chicken, ham and eggs or any
thing else he wanted by paying forit.
He ordered q broiled chicken, but be-
fore he was allowed to take any IA
miliar liberties with it, Vampa re-
quested him to pay in advance for it.
On asking the price, Danglars was
told that fowls were high, and before
he could call the one in front of him
his own he had to pay 100000 francs.
Danglars said it was tough, but
vampa, thinking Of the chicken, re-
piled it was spring chicken, and, on
Danglars refusing to pay, the fowl
was removed to a place of safety.
It is our private opinion, public
ly expressed, that Jay Gould OF who
ever gets up the bill of fare on the
dining-room cars, borrowed the idea
from Luigi Vampa. We, ourselves,
do not object to paying 35 cents for
a cup of coffee, as we are only too
glad to have an opportunity to get rid
of the wealth Teras SYtings accumu-
lates, but it is hard on people who
have to travel on the cars on an empty
stomach. The hungry man on the cars
is as completely at the mercy of the
dining-room fend as poor Danglars
was when he had nothing but the old
horse blanket and an inaccessible ray
of light with which to stay his stom-
ach.
When the early train leaves San
Antonio on the International road,
the cars are full of starving Danglars.
We saw one who almost made us
weep. He was an ugly man, with a
turn up nose, from Austin. He look
ed very much as if he had never had
enough to eat. Presently the car
door opened, and Luigi Vampa, wear
ing a cap suggestive of the United
States navy, entered. He was polite
and smiling, as are all robber chiefs.
He approached Danglars, from the
corner of whose mouth the moisture
was tricl1ling down, and asked him if
he was hungry.
Eyes, I am hungry, very hungry.
well, colonel, all you have to do
is to order whatyou want" said YAM
pa, with a smile.
81 think Ill try broiled chicken. "
"A whole one?"
"Of course"
"a whole chicken" said Vampa,
consulting his bill of fare, cost two
dollars and half"
"You can go to the devil" howled
Danglars, you do not know with
whom you have to deal. I'll starve
to death before I'll allow myself to be
robbed by Jay Gould and his mil
lions, and the unhappy Daglars threw
himself in the corner of his seat and
glared at the cattle feeding on the
prairie near Davenport station.
Luigi Vampa touched his cap, and
proceeded to the next victim.
Just as the train was crossing the
Cibolo, Luigi Vampa again entered
the car, and, tapping Danglars on
the shoulder, asked:
Can 1 do anything for you, colo
nel?"
What does boiled egg cost?"
Vampa looked his bill of fare over,
and replied that they cost one dollar