St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-05-08
A CONDUCTORS TALE.
Curious People Met by q Nickel
Collector.
Mean Women Who Pay Their Fares In
Battered Pennies and Are Insulting
How English George" Was
Captured.

Captured.
II guess | won't give you that
Nickel said the conductor. as ht
turned it over in his hand obviously.
i've just had Il row with a chap who
who wouldn't take it,
The coin was not really bad-looking
and would doubtless have passed mus
ter almost anywhere but on street-car
Il hate to see man make fus:
about little thing like lead nickel,
he continued, .'but some folks are
mighty small about such trifles.''
.Yes?" remarked the reporter in
quiringly, seeing that the conductor
was inclined to be loquacious.
Now. there's heap of trouble al
along of some women. If you ever
read the papers-but mebbe you
don't?' and he gave the rope a vicious
jerk as a fat woman swung off back
wards.
The young man admitted that he did
well. then you've seen how it is.
It's been written up lots of times. just
~like that woman dropped. for example,
facing the wrong way. And now two
to one she'll start around back of the
car without looking to see if there is a
grip coming from the opposite direc-
ton. There. What did I tell YOU?
Seems as if they try to be awkward,
some of 'em-and that's useless. But
when women want to act mean they
are all there, every time. | believe
they'd rather keep conductor in hot
water then ride home in carriage
Now. there's 'Ansome Hennery -.
What? o, the boys call him that be-
cause he looks like Irving. the actor
You see, he runs on State Street, and
that's little the meanest run in the
business. He was coming down one
day with two crowded cars. besides an
Archer road on behind. and was nearly
four minutes late. About Sixteenth
Street in got two women disguised as
ladies, who sat right down by the door,
Hennery stepped in the doorway and
called out as politely as you ever heard:
Fares, pleaser' and one of 'em rum
mayed through her pocketbook. One
at a time. after carefully pokin' over
the contents, she tished out ten of the
most disreputable-lookin' pennies that
We're ever dropped in beggar's cup.
Then one of the women was little bit
thoughtful and says:
40. / wouldn't give him those,
Sarah: conductors don't like to take
pennies. Here, l have dime.' and
started to hand it to him. The one
with the coppers grabbed her quick as
flash and says in the most spiteful way:
'''They' re plenty good enough for
him-they're too good for him, and
her nose turned up in the most con-
temptful way. Hennery got little bit
. hot under the collar about that time,
but he didn't say nothing, and didn't
even stop to look at the antique collec-
ton. He quietly rung up two fares,
and. cool as an old griddle-cake, flung
the whole lot out into the street. NV.
wasn't that mad woman. She dasn't
say much, but tell you she looked a
heap. The next day 'Ansome Hennerv
gets a summons from the downtown
office. The old freak had reported him
for insolence.
''What was the RESULT"
20. he went down and saw the chief
and told his story. but he had to
knuckle down, just the same. He was
obliged to 60 to that woman's home
and apologize. 1t was mighty tough.
but it was either that or off went his
head"
The company doesn't countenance
anything of that kind, then?'
''Not for minute. These low-down
snobs that make a conductors position
no sinnycnre are the worst trials we
have. Some of the boys brace up oc-
casionally and try to get back at 'em.
like Hennery did. but it does no good
in the end. There was another fellow
that had little scrap with a fresh
woman-- Eighteenth Street. Hello.
Jim! CSC ahead. What's your num-
Der! S97, hey? All right" and ne gave
a double ring to the man on the grip
NJ the green car was coupled on.
hat were those numbers?" auer-
led the reportorial mind.
.'Why, CSC is the number of the grin.
Jim, there. on the Indiana, has to take
the number of the grip that pulls him
down town, and have to take the
number of his car"
s.For what reasonp"
.sWelI. l s'pose SOS to know what
cars composed the train in case of an
! accident. But as was sayin' bout
this other fellow. There was woman
got on at Thirty-first Street. logged out
ii her very best frock and bonnet. In
went the conductor for her fare, and
she was buttoning Of her glove and
Md laid the nickel on the seat. Now