Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-03-09
"WeI, I don't smoke says

morning.
"Perhaps Mr.. Wells does" says
the conductor. Now l really don't,
you know. "But they'd like to
have a talk with you, any way
Our president thinks he met MIR.
Hayward once mp north.
That settled Parks.
"'m much obliged to the gentle
men for their politeness," he said,
"but the fact Is l amt feeling real
well, and cigar smoke always makes
me faint"
am sorry,' says the conductor.
"They'll be disappointed. You'll
come, Mr.. Wells 2"
| followed him ont into the smOk-
ing car, but / tell you | felt shaky.
The conductor introduced me to the
president and the superintendents.
They were prominent men from At
lanta. Any other time I'd have
been glad to meet them, but | did
not just enjoy it then.
They wanted to know all about
our road, and they asked the most
outlandish questions about things
| didn't know anything about. |
had to make up facts and figures as
[ went along; bat | wasn't going
to let them think the north was
running behind, so ! generally put
them high.
The president asked if we'd built
any new road this year.
"Ah, yes" says /.
GLOW many miles have you
builti' says he.
hadn't the fainest idea, but ]
said:
"About 1900 miles"
81 want to know" says he, and
they all looked pretty well laid out
at that.
After a while thepTesident asked;
"Between what points did you
build this new road you speak ofY'
"Between Kalamazooand School
craft" says l..
remembered, as soon as I'd
said it, that those places weren't
more than twelve miles apart. But
| had to think quick, and gave
the first names that came into my
head.
They were just getting out a map
to look up the route, when in comes
the peanut boy and says:
"Is Mr.. Wells in here2 Cause il
he is there's a man in the other car
wants to see him right away
went back and found Parks
reading a paper. He showed the
paper into my hands and said:
"Read that
read:
ESPECIAL DIsPATCH-A warrant
is issued for the arrest of Giles Hay
ward, president Of the Lake Shore
road, and Hezeklah Wells, secretary
of the same, they having skipped
the country with large sums OF
money belonging to other parties.
A reward OF $50 is offered for in.
formation Of their whereabouts"
| looked at Parks and Parks
looked at me.
"What does it mean y gasped l..
at means that we've got to get
out of this mighty quick" says he.
We got out Of that.
We shot of the train at the west
station, just as the real presidents
prav hat was seen coming through
the car door.
Twas a little place called Dusen-
berry Corners. We hung around
for couple of hours till the in
habltants began to take ne for sus'
picious characters. SO we made
ont that we were going to start a
real estate boom, and then they
took us in carriage and drove us
all over the village. We as well as
bargalned for half the corner lots
in the place.
At last a freight train came alongr
and we cot on and went back to At
lanta.
We we're dumbfounded that Hay
ward and Wells should cut such q
caper. Parks said they might at
least have waited till we got back
But he said:
at shows that you can't trust
anybody nowadays.
We struck ont toI home aftel
that, and you can bet we paid oui
fare the rest Of the way. W.
bought a couple OF new hats in AT
lanta so that we should not be rec
ognized by anybody that met u
going down. And We packed Hay
wards valise in a box and sent /
home by express, for fear it shoul'
be found IN our possession.
But, would you believe it, tn
first person we met when we 60
home was Giles Hayward, and th
next was Wells. And it turne
out that that whole story abou
their skipping the town was a pu
up job. Somebody'd done 1t t
make us trouble. Parks bet 'twa
that Kentucky conductor tina
knew Hayward, but never foun
out for certain.
"Did Hayward ever hear abor
e. that notice in the paperp aske
some one when Mr.. Blossom ha
finished.
. "No," said Mr.. Blossom, "v
,ovar told him We were afral