Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-08
LITTLE DAVE

+ have Photographed No. IN the newspapers
before now, alluding somewhat sarcastically
TO its peculiarities: but these illusions have
had no effect So far as can see. The ram
shackle old car rattles right ahead as usual,
/ displaying its peculiarities at every crossing
and at every curve One moment its move
ments seem TO De an aggravation OF smooth
ness. Ii giides along without jolt or Jar,
but, Just as the sensation becomes pleasant,
it breaks into gallop, then subsidies into .
trot, and so on To the end. There are other
peculiarities which | viii not mention for
fear that unimaginative people viii SAY that
am somewhat eccentric myself. Those I
have referred to can be felt and appreciated
by all men.
Why not rlake it a point, then, 70 avoid
No. 4, perhaps you will ask Wei, some ir-
ritable people do but for my part l. prefer
No to any other car. Its individuality IS
worth studying. Even its drivers are in
teresting Kit Shelton drove It q mouth or
more, but he was transferred 70 another car,
and Dimmick took his place. DiEnmick was
a character in his way. A more accommo-
dating man never drove on the line. AS the
country advertisements put it, he studied to
please He was not alwt s cheerful. but be
was always good humored. No matter how
( irritable the passengers might be, he never
/ lost patience He was always ready TO ex-
I plain or apologize, and yet he somehow man
/ aged 70 impress people with the idea that he
was not man To be imposed upon. DIM
mick was Il responsive person, too smile
/ or kind word would win hirn az once
/ 1t has long been my habit, when the
/ weather is favorable, to ride on the platform
with the street car drivers, and in this way l
came to know Dimuick very well He was
a great talker when once started, though he
rarely talked about himself. He had had
very wide experience in the north Georgia
mountains and once he told me be had been
/ to Albany in the state of New York, fact
that struck him as very important. And no
doubt it was TO DimmIck. for it was easy
enough in his case TO conclude that he had
/ visited Albany as the IN willing guest of the
/ United States government. Such things have
/ happened before now, and they viii proba-
bly, happen again.
/ One who has been riding on the street cars
/ four times day for seven years or more, is
+ apt to notice every little incident, whether
odd or commonplace. Ii was therefore no
motive of curiosity or inQuisitiveneSs that
/ led me to remark what seemed to be one of
Dimmicks peculiaritics. No matter how
/ busy he was in making change. no matter
whether he was behind or ahead of time, no
matter whether the sun was shining, or
whether the rain was falling, he would
always stop his car when he came to par
ticular corner, and look anxioCsly up the
cross street. Sometimes the street would be
empty, ard then he would turn Oft the brakes
in a hurry, whip up his horses, and proceed
to make up the time he had lost. But, at
other times, when a thin legged negro nurse
was to be seen trying TO steer fat, webbing
baby along the pavement, Dinmick would
kiss his hand at the couple and break out
into hearty laugh.
Occasionally the thin legged negro nurse
and the fat baby would manage to DC near
the crossing, and at such times Dimmick
would stop his car stock still, reach down for
the fat baby, and kiss it all over its face and
eyes, a proceeding which the youngster
seemed to enjoy Immensely, for it made n
point of laughing heartily whenever this
event occurred And the negro girl laughed
too, ia sympathy, 50 that the person who
stood on the platform when the baby was
drug on board q employ Dimmick's Ian
guage) had the pleasure of beholiing a very
happy trio. Which was the happiest on these
occasions / shall not undertake to say, but
my impression is that Dimmick's enjoyment
was the keenest
One day just before Christmas was driv-
ing the car while Dimmick ate bis diuner-i
am very good driver, If do say it myself
when all Of a sudden beard him slap the
top in his little tin bucket, and the next mo-
ment he was By my sids, putting on the
brake.
Whats upF said /.
''There's the boy said he, aud. sure
enough, there on the pavement, with the
negro nurse trying TO keep him steady, was
tie little baby that Dimmick had been in the
habit of stopping for. The nurse was grin
ming and the baby was smiling, but I OBJ
served that the little fellow was not AZ plump
as he had been, and when Dimmick lifted
him up to kiss him noticed that he cougheti
and wheezed when he tried to laugh
What youngster is thatf inquired, as
the car went swinging down the bill from
Cooper street.
"Thatm exclaimed Dimrnick; "that's bis
pappy's boy That's little Dave, and a
mighty peart chap at that"
'Then he's your boy" / said.
''Wen, sir, yeu hit 1t that time He's
mine, an wouldn't have airy other. Amt
you been noticin' how cute be Isl / don.
rightly see how you could a missed il, bekase,
whether he's here OF OF yandor, he's in about
the banginest chap you ever laid your two
eyes on Why, thought you knowed Little
Dave. sir. Here you've been seein' me pick
him up day arter day, an here you've been q
hearin' me boiler at him, an yit you didn't
know be was Little Dave. It's mighty funny.
know Little Dave so mighty web myself,
that I've sorter got il into my bead that ever.
body cughter know him.
Seeing that I was entirely sympathetic,
DiInmick grew confidential He told ne his
history, and / cannot do better than repeat i,
in his OWN words, as near as / can rsIasraber
them
Il tell you what said he, "you ne me a
lauzhin' an gsine On, bat it's ell on accoun;
er Little Dave I've had my ups an I've bad
my downs, but the downs Is upYermost
Christmas is mighty cl0se on os-so close that
i; makes the cold cbiils TT1n up my back II
used TO BE- mighty bag day with re all, an
It's mighty big day yit, bg. If brunx ma q
heap Of trouble one way an another. II va,
s-cor1in' on last year jest ike IL Is DOW, an
nothia' would do the boys tut we must rsaks
run Of spPle brandy. Wei, sir, IL fell u
ne TO make e, an oue night whilst / was q
settin' By the Sill, thinkiai os Why an LittIs
Dave, which be VAN. as big as . good saz
kitten, Ia walked a man With q gza- Ths-
| n cone another uxn With Gun, and -,
mex. thing snow.d they had haDiru1s ar
rse, az b. TIE tine ! got usy eJss rsbeec
god. they hsd ne en- the cas- s-s-sDs 20
Atlantv
Wen. sir, TIA: was ssors eco1Eh t'o1bs@,
/ hekaze knord TIA. Way an Little Dsss
was -ettin' up by tho Ere s-wsii4a' fsf ne.