Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-09-24
UPPER FIVE.

Why | left the Pullman car service at
IL O'Clock at night at a water tank in
Middle Arizona will also explain why,
although am not yet thirty-tive years
old, my nervous system is shattered, my
health wrecked, and even my mind so
elected that now and then my ideas get
uncoupled in curious way and 90 run
ming wild all over the division anu break
ing into sidings VIII re they have no bus
mess to be. The doctor says must have
had bad fall some time and perhaps
taken too much bromide of potassium
since, but know better. 1t is all on ac-
count of "upper five" was cond c.
tor on the Southern Pacific system at the
time it happened, and my run WIS from
Tucson, Ari., to Los Angeles. Old tour
lists will remember my car. 1t was the
Grenada. Most men say the business is a
dogs life, but own rather liked it. A
sleeping-car is proscenium box in the
theatre Of life. S ngle acts of every
bOdy's little dramas are continually
played before me. eople become
naturally unreserved and communicative
on train. You get down beneath the
surface, their peculiarties are laid bare,
their oddities stand out like bumps, you
see their hopes, disappointments, pre- u
dices, likes and dislikes, and feel before
the end of the division as if YOU had
known them for years. This was par.
ticularly true of car load we carried out
of Tucson one certain day in August. I
remember we had bridal party on board,
two or three drummcrs, a couple of stock
men from 1.-THE Nat on" and-what
especially recollect-a portly old gentle
man named Bliss and widow named
Paxton, who was travelling with her in
valid daughter, young lady of about
twenty.
Mr.. Bliss was MT in good health him
self, and was full OF querulous complain
ing. He had dusty voice, little eyes,
with large pads of fat under them; and
can see him, sitting exactly in the mid
die of his seat, growing and gasping,
with his collar unbuttoned in front and
the two ends sticking up like horns on
each side of his face. Mrs. and Miss
Paxton were, on the contrary, accom-
plished travellers, and made the best of
everything. The mother was pleasant,
grave, old fashioned lady, and the
daughter, sweet-faced, holloway
patient little feather of a girl, who
could not have weighed above eighty
or eighty-five pounds at the most.
The weather was scorchlng. The des-
ert of white sand was simply big re-
fector that threw the sun back into the
lower air until, when it stirred, it was
like breath from a furnace. Every
body was tattooed with the fine black
cinders and hoarsc with the dust. The
bride was sight to behold, and the cat
tlemen swore like pirates in the smoking
room. Bliss cursed the management of
the road, root, tree, and branch, and
grimy perspiration poured off him in
streams. Toward night the heat was
still excessive, and l believe it was about
9 o'clock when the porter began to make
up the berths. The Paxtons had section
five. There is difference of opinion
among travellers as to the comforts oil
lower and upper berths in summer, and
good many hold that the uppers are the
best, as being nearest the ventilatine
windows. This was the view the ladies
took of it and when the berths were made
up l lifted tie invalid girl in my arms
into upper five. remember hearing hel
say goodnight to her mother, and telling
her she would sleep well.
About half an hour later old Bliss
came tottering and swaying into the
smoking room, where l was counting my
tickets. He was furious. His berth
was lower seven, next to the Paxtons,
and he wanted to know why the uppel
berth had been let down.
'"There is nobody in it," he sputtered
''and it is all foolshness to make it up
1t just makes mine as hot as bake
oven"
explained to him that the rules re.
quired all disengaged berths to be made
up to accommodate possible local travel.
"But nobody's going to get on in this
desert" he insisted, testify. "Why
can't you just push that one up7'
II can't do it." replied little net
tied, ''unless you pay for it."
He abused the road myself, and every
body else incoherently for a while, but
the upshot of the matter was he paid fol
the upper berth, and asked in a surly
voice that it be put up at once. BY that
time l was pretty mad, and hurryine
back into the car, | larted the curtains,
unlocked the tao wires that hold
the upper berth down, seized it By
the edge, and with one violent
push swung it up in place.
heard the spring locks click, threw tn,
curtains together, and returned to thu
smoking room. Meantime Bliss and ont
of the cattlemen had got into political
discussion, and it was near II O'Clock
before the cd fellow became too indig
nant over some statement as to the civi
service to continue the argument and
went staggering and putting out. H,
returned almost immediately
Conductor" he wheezed, with a sort
of forced calmness, II thought bought
that upper berth in my section2"
$50 you did, " replied
"And you told me you put it up3'
eyes, sir"
"You did no such thingp he ex
claimed, suddenly bursting into rage
''thc Internal thing has been down al
night, and is down now, and my bertf
steaming like sweat box. Give me my
money back"
"You looked into the wrong berth,
/ replied. II put that upper back my
self and nobody's touched it since"
II looked into section seven," he said
furiously. II don't believe you eve
touched it."
81 just want to show you that you
don't know what you're talking about,
! answered, leading the way back int
the car. Here is your section. See.
At this threw back the curtains anC
stopped dumbfounded. The upper bertl
was down, and, what was more, the wire
did not appear to have been touched
Bliss started to CAV snrn ethinn in ranlu