Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-17
SOME TRAIN TALK.
A Place Where the Chestnut hell Is
Ever Silent.

Two men sat vis-a-vis in the smoking
car OF Northwestern train. One was an
alert, bright man, whose eyes eagerly
watched every movement made by the
passenger sitting opposite. The latter
had queer, white face, and queer, dull
eyes, whose gaze was now blank and
aimless, and again lit up with a strange
fire. On these occasions his hands moved
nervously about, and his lips washed the
end of the tongue like those of an animal
in suppressed rage. The twain were a
Sherifi's deputy from Chicago and an in
sane patient, en- route for the Northern
Illinois asylum at Elgin.
eyes, | know him." exclaimed the
travelling man in the rear end of the car,
pointing to the unfortunate; 81 have
known him for years, and he is the last
man ever expected to see in q state like
this. Why, when / went up to him a
few minutes ago and spoke his name and
my own, he seemed to have no recol
lection OF either. He clutched away with
his fingers, made that peculiar motion
with his lips and tongue, and his eyes
began to flash like a headlight in a rain
storm. Then the sheriff told me | had
better go away and not excite him. Poor
jim; he was a good friend OF mine, a
first-class salesman, and an honest man.
You have no idea how grieved am to
have this misfortune come upon him."
''Do know the cause OF his trouble ?"
the travelling man echoed to another pas
senger's inquiry, after moment or two OF
silence. Eyes; know the cause OF his
arrangement, and it makes as sad and
as queer story as ever heard. Gather
around me, boys, and I'll tell you briefly
and with no attempt at the descriptive
how my poor friend there met his fate.
'In his day Jim was a great story-teller.
He was knownwherever he travelled as the
best man with story travelling the Rock
Island road. But he had one weakness,
and that was he had always heard every
story that anybody tried to tell him,
while he managed in some way to always
have story to tell which nobody else
had ever heard. His efforts were hugely
enjoyed by everyone, but his intolerance
of others and his invariable hold up
there, now-I've heard it before used
to give offense to many persons.
in trade--a fellow named Jacobs-who
ties which made Jim so popular. He
fly, and when he heard Jim's praises
sounded all along the road, and found a
good many jolly merchants saving their
orders for the appearance OF the jovial
Jim, his heart was filled with envy and
his brain set on fire with schemes for
revenge.
"About three months ago Jacobs start.
ed out and went over the road. On this
occasion he had a story to tell He told
it to every man he met, and took pains
to call on all OF Jim's customers and to
relate to them the story he'd spent two
or three nights learning and practicing on.
1t was really clever story, and Jacobs
got so he could tell it very we'll Natu-
rally he made many friends and ac-
quaintances, but he was not satisfied
with this. He had darker and more
wicked plans in his heart.
"'Don't fail to tell the story to jim
! Sturgiss when he comes around, he said
to everyone he met, and added, 'Of
course Jim will say he has heard it
| before, and ask you to stop, but don't
| you do it. | know he has never heard
the yarn, and it is nothing but envy that
makes him break in and stop everyone
else telling story. Be sure and tell it to
him from start to finish-it will be a good
| joke on jim
"a week or two later Jim followed
Jacobs over the route. The first customer
OF his he called on, in the first town out
of Chicago, called out as soon rs he saw
him;
"Pve got new story for you. You
never heard how Mr.. Hooligan April.
fooled Mrs. Mulcahey, did you?'
"'Oh, yes, I've heard it," Jim replied
but the merchant wouldn't believe him
and, with eyes twinkling with delight
went on to describe at great length how
Mr.. Hooligan April-iooled Mrs. Mulcahy
jim was too polite to offend a customer
by refusing to listen, and so he heard the
story through, sold bill Of goods, anC
went on to the next merchant.
"HellO, Sturgiss = the second customer
exclaimed, sit down while | tell you {
rafting good story. | know you never
heard it; it is about the April fool Mr.
Hooligan gave Mrs. Mulcahey.'
GIN vain Jim persisted that he haC
already heard the story; he had again Il
sit and listen to the whole recital.
"Half an hour later he called on thirC
customer, only to find Mr., Hooligan ant
Mrs. Mulcahey waiting for him. At the
hotel the landlord told the same story be
IL. a.