The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-04-24
Rich Car Conductors.

Less than twenty years ago, tall,
-boned fellow, who had not yet
reached the halfway pole in the course
OF human life, applied at the
Office of the Fulton Street Railroad
Company for position as conductor. 4
He was an Irishman. He had nothing
to recommend him but big hole in his
coat sleeve and the fact that he was out
of work and hungry After the usual
questions regarding his ability to stand
fatigue and temptation had been asked
by the inperious official and answered
by the applicant with some misgivings,
which were subdued before they had
time to effect his facial expression, his
name was placed on the listof ''extras," !"
and he was instructed to report for duty
at four o'clock the following morning.
To say that this man was first inclined
to seek elsewhere, in the hope of securing
more desirable employment, cannot
be denied but on second thought he
banished the fear of remaining poor,
and after passing the night in the sleep
which comes from inertia he proceeded
to the stables and reported his arrival
| to the ''starter." For the first three
weeks his duties as ''extra'' were simply
to get up very early in the morning and
| go to bed very late at night. This
| monotony was broken only once during
that time, when he was called upon to
make a trip for conductor who
| was suffering from an acute attack
of gout. His fourth week on the road
found him the regularly appointed con-
| ductor of car No. %, which made its
first trip from the stable in time to re-
turn with that portion of the citizens
residing along the route who had been
up all night and who were anxious to
get home in time to have at least an
hour S sleep before breakfast time No.
% made its last trip at night at the
hour the above mentioned citizens
should have gone home. The conduc-
tor was nicknamed Emmett From
1864 to 1881 he collected fares on the
cars of different companies in the city.
Then he retired. He informed the
superintendent that he was about to
give up railroading He gave the coat
| with the worn elbow to the driver of his
ear and bade the boys goodtby. That
was three years ago. Now he can be
seen almost any pleasant day spinning
through the park behind team Of
bays. His stables in one of the streets
which cross Bedford Avenue, Williams
burg, cost Sc, 500. He owns a number
of shares of Western Union Telegraph
stock and has summer cottage at
Orange, N. j. He is prominently iden-
titled with politics and was spoken of as
candidate last year for county office.
It is eight years since s'Sandy,n who
was a driver on Myrtle Avenue road,
| left his car. He had worked seven days
in week, thirty days in each month
and twelve months each year for a
decade. He threw off his tattered gloves
one night in June of '76 and said to the
conductor that ''he'd got enough The
next morning hewent to New York
and, as he says. s'togged himself out. :"
When the Centennial Exhibition opened
at Philadelphia he secured suit of
rooms at the Continental Hotel, and for
the first time in. many years played
"gentleman" His home on Cumber-
land Street is q modest brown-stone
dwelling. When the reporter called at
the house a few days ago the four-year-
old boy was trundling toy horse-car
on the seam of the carpet. He called
it the ssra'ro' track. y A little French
clock was ticking merrily on the mar
BILE mantel and an air of comfort per-
vaded the place. ''Sandy" is occa-
sionally visited by reporters who. have
been sent to obtain the opinions of lead
ing matters'of public interest. He is
said to be worth upwards of $50, 900.
The former conductor of the car or
which SANDY drove, being unmarried
hna arr{c OF ~ lo fol lschY
in Henry street. He is interested in q
hotel atConey Island and also draws ar
income from investments in grain,
"Jack,n or more properly "Old
Jack, who was once in debt six hun.
dred dollars, with little prospect of evel
: being able to liquidate it, after being
employed as driver and conductor or
the several lines of one-horse cars il
now living in South Brooklyn on hi:
t money. He was a great favorite on the
road. His taste for making money wa
} acquired from his uncle, who for year!
, was a conductor on an emigrant traiI
? on the New York Central Railroad
When the reporter asked in the neigh
T borhood concerning e'Jack's'' wealth
+ three brick dwellings and several yacan
! lots were pointed out as belonging tx
| him. t Gti.54a4 HG1 sG
A German, who was known, by tn
l artistic name of '..Slop," retired aftel
eight years service on a hofse-ea
worth twenty thousand dollars. HI
says that he made the money by stric
J attention to business. Shortly afte
New Years Day .'Fritz'' was marie,
2 to the daughter of a collector. for
gas company of this city. ti'i 4'a
"Hunier," who was called the mos
reckless driver on the Court. street lin
l ten years ago, is now rated in the com
/ mercial reports at thirty thousand dol
!; !ars.. He admits that some of his none,
7 was made in the restaurant business. :
n NJ + World. 1;s.y5g 4ef sra