Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-29
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


nickel. said the conductor as he
turned it over in his hand obviously.
I've just had 4 row with 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 a strect-car.
Il hate to see a man make a fuss
about 4 little thing like a lead nickel. -
he continued. but some folks are
mighty small about such triiies''
"fes?" remarked the reporter IN
quiringly, seeing that the conductor
was inclined to be loquacious.
Now, there's heap of trouble all
read the papcrs-but mebbe Won
don't?' and he gave the rope a vicious
jerk as 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. Therei What did l tell You?
Seems rs 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. pleasci" and one of 'em rum
mayed through her pockctbook One
at a time, after carefully pokin' over
the contents. she fished out ten of the
most Observation-Disclosures penniA that
were ever dropped in :, beggar's cup.
Then one Of the women was little bit
thoughtful and saws:
go, ! wouldnt give him those.
Sarah; conductors don't like 10 take
pennies. Here, | have dime and
started TO hand it to him. The one
with the coppers grabbed her quick rs
flash and says in the most spiteful way:
They're plenty good enough for
him-they're too good for him. and
har .,,,-,,nl no
temptful way iIennery got a 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 ont into the street. NV,
wasn't that mad womanl She dasn't
say much, hut | tell you she looked
heap. The next day Ansome Hennery
gets summons from the downtown
Office. The old freak had reported him
for insolence.
What was the result?n
10. he went down and saw the chief
and told his story. but he had to
knuckie down, just the same. He was
Obliged 10 90 10 that woman's home
and apologize. Ii was mighty tough,
but il was either that or of went his
head
The company doesn't countcnance
of that kind. then?"
Not for minute. These low-down |
snobs that make a conductor position |
no sinnycnre are the worst trials we
have. Some of the boys brace up oc-
casionally and try 10 get back nj 'em.
like Hennery did. but it does no good |
in the end. There was another fellow |
that had Il little scrap with fresh |
Eighteenth Street, Hello. |
JIM CSC ahead. What's your num-
Der? s97. hey? Al right and he gave
a double ring 10 the man on the grip |
rs the green car was coupled on.
What were those numhers?" quer-
led the reportorial mind
''Why. Csc is the number of the grip. |
jim, there. on the Indiana. has to take |
the number of the grip that pulls him
down town, and | have to take the
Of his ear.
For what reasonp'
well. 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-iirst Street. logged out
N her very best frock and bonnet. In
went the conductor for her fare. and |
she was buttoning of her glove and
had laid the nickel on the seat Now |
he had been annoyed lots on the down
trip by some fool people. and he wasn't
feelin' Just first-rate. She didn't say
nothing when he called Fare please
but kinder pointed to the five. Well.
he refused TO pick it up. and says re-
spectfully:
III YOU can't hand me the fare.
it up from there
Then she bridled up and called him
an insolent puppy. and said she'd re-
port him. He marched ont of the car
and left the nickel living there, deter
mined not to be bluffed."
Ibid she make complaint
You bet she did! He was hauled
up for ii the very next day in great
shape. She hasn't rode on my car
since, though" he added absent-mind-
edly.
When the car reached Twelfth Street
half dozen unsalted youth of the dis
tinctively orally period boarded it. and
distributing themselves over the plat
form. began their inane chatter.
..Come. now" said the conductor,
..vor are not allowed to stand on the
platform as long as there is standing
room inside: move on. please, The
Cholleys and Clarences cast indignant
glarces at him for a moment. stalked
through the car and began TO struggle
with their paper cigarettes.
Have you that Kind of \ ruler IN
quired the reporter. who had become,
by reason of much practice. an expert
at wriggling through packed mass OF
humanity when escaping from car.
That's putting it leetle mite
strong" said the bell-ringer. Then.
opening his little book, he read the
rule. ..It directs us to ask passengers
to refrain from crowding the platform,
and we have had practically the same
rule for some time, but this was given
out to us few days ago to paste in
our books. so as to freshen our mem