Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-03
THE OLD
A Back Platform Warm About
Jim and the Miserable
Spstter.
Philadelphia Time,.


There was a dreamy, far.away ex
preston on the Old Conductors fac.
IS he jeiked the bell-rope and called
Geerud avner' through the halt open
door. A very small girl with a very
arge basket got out aud then the
street car plunged along on its mad
csruor down town.
The Old Conductor Wiped a frozed
tear from. bis eye and said it was cold
this morning, very cold. Then he
stamped his feet vigorously, buttoned
his overcoat tight about his chin sided
up the car isle like a crab, collected
ave fares and rang the bell punch only
three times and came back to the plat
nrm with a puzzled look, as If he had
forgotten something and was trying
very hard to remember what it vas.
The Old Conductor said he we're sad
his mornin'-wery sad. Jim wouldn't
be with us no more, Jim wouldn't.
Jim we're gone, aud the Old Conductor
wiped another frozen tear from the
other eye and settled himself down
comfortable on the railing. Were be
dead? Nawl of course not. Bouucedl
Fired Phisi! Aud the Old Ceuduc
TOR raised himself upon his toes and
ierked his thumb over his shoulder
q a very mysterious way. A spotter
had done it-s mean, miserable, con-
temptible spotter. He said Jim were
not honest, which were a mean, mis-
cradle, contemplate lie, for there
want no more h~onester man on these
yere keysrs
Jim and me was chums,p said the
Old Conductor. Jim and me was /
have been conducterin' nigh onter
eleven years on this yere road and
<nowed Jim six OF EN-. Now.
wouldn't take advantage of nobody
continued the Old Conductor, and he
took up a qu ,rter from an old gentle
man who had lett bis s~pectacles a,
home and gave him four pennies, a
nickel and a dime with a hole in il In
return and forgot to ring the punch ia
his e%agerness to make the right
change Nov, Jim we're Just like
me. Jim were. and he onuldn't be
hired to cheat nobody. He ran the
keyar down ahead O. me. | seen
that spotter get outer Jim's keyar
out tlthe depot last Chewsday. but
didn't have no chance to tell Jim OF
il. Well, sir, will you believe it. sir
that there mean, miserable. contempt
IDLE spolter actually said that jim
had taken up a hundred fares and
only punched seventy Eve times
Now, whai do you think o'that?' ant
the Old Conductor gave the bell ROB,
savage jerk and rang again to "a
ahead before the old lady who wa,
ilighting had touched the lower stem
And the worst of it were" con
tinued the Old Conductor. taking n,
notice Of the old lady, who had ialler
in the street, THE worst of it wer,
that 10 another pocket they found 4,
dollar and a half in pennies anG
nickels. Now, how them nickel,
came in that pocket is moron Jim
can tell. If he'd kucwed that them
nickels belonged to the comply he'C
! turned EN- risht in; but he didn'l
even suspect It, Jim didn't, 1t wer,
all a mistake, Of course. Wher
a keyar is jam full O. people. ane
a dozen on 'em is a handin' n,
their fares to Wunst, and you ar,
a gettin near a crossin', you haint qol
no time to be pertickler about mock etc
have your Don't it stand 10 reason
that a conductor might throw IN,
money right into the pocket wha.
comes the handiestY It's more'n likel,
Jim done just that thing, but h,
didn't mean nothin' BY 1t. In N,
hurry Jim might have forgot to rim,
the punch now and then. But tina
hadn't oughter count agin him. for h,
done the best he know'd how. Beside
Jim has got an old aunt up on Win,
street somewhere, and she was might,
sick last Chewsday. Now, jim think,
a good deal O. that old aunt, and h,
were awful worried about her, jim
we're. He were distracted like vot
know, and p'rhaps he didn't mint
what We were up to. Anyhow, jim
don't know how them nickels came Il
that pocket. P'rhaps the old ann
put 'em there" and an innocent
childlike look spread itself over en-,
Old Conductors face, and settled
there as lift meant to stay for the res
Of the day.