The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-10-11
A MODERN HlGHWAYMAN.
IAE PORTER OF TIE pALAcecAR.
How he Makes Ills Victims stand and
Deliver 81, the Muzzle of busting
Broom or Is Hacking Brush
Never Thwarted, Etc.

The railroads arc the great highways
Of the present day. The h'ghwaymsn,
who he's left the slower thoroughfares,
nov appears as the porter of palace cars.
As you pass the ticket gate and come
alongside the long line OF cars standing
enginelcss, waiting tor passengers, you
will notice the porter waiting ~ the
steps Of the Pullman or Wagner, and a.
the crowd passes him no roiterates the
words:
"Chicago sleeper, sirf"
The quicilucss with which a car full Of
bcrths is made mp by aporter who UNDER
stands his business is something marvel
Gus. lnthe dim watches of the night IA
YOU slUcpleSsiy toss on the h9rdmattreSs.
while the shore OF the fat man rises So
uorously from lower 4 when the Jerk of
tho trains ~tuppage 1T some midnight
station wakels You from the half um-
bling semi conscious state into which
YOU have fallen you hear 1T the end of
tho car teady "sWiSh swish" This is
4 tho lonely porter's midnight solo on
your shoes, the one tangible hook on
which he bases his claim for robblnp
yOu in the morning,
TO try to escape the porter's levy or
twenty five cents Is g practical imposHi-
bility. Men have boosted that they had
tho courage 30 do 80, but no properly
authenticated case has ever come t.
light. II requires an amount of bravery
that the average American ~ not pos
sessed of, let him boast "a he may. The
highwaymau's veapou il not n sword
or y pistol hut little apparently limo
cuOus hrOom-a clothes broom. He
calls YOU ~ TO the captain's office to set
tie in the following manner:
"Brush YOU oN, sir7"
"Thtnk Won, brushed myself OFF a
moment ny
"Therc's n lot Of dust on the back OF
your coat yet, sir"
If y1u odil demur he takes your hat
and gives il a most vigorous busting of
gradually leading YOU or into the dread
ante-Chamhpr. Then he lays on Mac
duff. He dus's YOU OF with energy and
precision. lie puifs aud pants over il
and e1erts himself ve'y visibilv. Then
no stands cXpectaut and draws his
hand az OSs his heated brow "a if hc
rarely encountered so rough u job. It's
Sellum tNHf man is 81 hardened M I,
pass that stage without his hand autOm
atically seeking the quarter that lies
dormant IN his pauts pocket; but grant
for the sake fargumrut there j. a man
vino could calmly say, "th9ul, YOU,
and take his crimson seat in the e.
again. The next stage is after this fash
ion: The porter walks up and down the
aielo and At .rs heforo Won, saying:
"Did 'rush Won III, sin"
You di' o"
"Nh"o. hope you're satisfied, sir
"Pcrie Iy satisfied"
a \ pause.
"I'm clad you'c satisfi q, sir"
Another pause, diving which you fee
that the "v"S OF all the passengers ar,
on you aud That ven are becoming un
A pleasantly conspicuous.
"Were your boots BACKED tn suit You
sir?"
"rhny were well backed"
"Ym see, soun likes ono kind o
blacking aud somn auorhrr I gcner
ally give satisfaction, sir; least, nevc
see no geutlewau compl in"
Ify you mAkS n" move ~ this, the fina
catastrophe 6'rur5. The highwayma,
4 drops all pol.tepcss ~ thrown away ~
such a hoor, thru'tS his hand before yo,
while he holds the whisp under his LEI
arm, ard demands:
"Porter, plegso"
- Then he gets his qu1rter.-l Dotroi
Free Press.