The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-06-16
TRAVELLING on A PASS.
BY HERMINIUs COBB.

business Ill OedCOu GVeTS OuCe,
Judge Gould had just remarked
that he was opposed to railroad
passes on principle.
II haven't got any scruples
against travelling on a pass" said
Mr.. Blossom, "only if it's somebody
else's pass I've got scruples against
getting caught at it,"
II shouldn't like to get caught at
it," assented Mr.. Hawkins cautious
ly. II think such a thing might
hurt ones standing in the church. y
"It would be liable to hurt his
standing with the conductor" said
Mr.. Gilkey facetiously.
II had a rather curious expert
ence once riding on a pass" began
Mr.. Blossom, as if there were more
to follow.
Everybody looked interested and
Mr.. Blossom saw that he had the
floor. So he continued:
It was in 81, when Hayward was
president of the Lake Shore road.
John Parks and I were going to
take a trip down South and Hay
ward said to us:
"Now see here, gentlemen, if you
two are thinking of going South
this winter I'll tell you what I'll do
for you. Here's my valise just full
of passes and papers showing that
I'm president of the Lake Shore,
and they've all got Wells name on
as secretary Of the road. Now you
two gentlemen can take this valise
right along with you, and by just
showing these papers you can 60
all over the South and it shan't
cost you cent for railroad fare. "
Well, you can imagine that Parks
and / clapped on to that valise very
lively. Hayward said of course he
wouldn't like to have it get out that
he was doing any such thing, but
we could just hold our tongues and
nobody'd be the wiser.
When we boarded the train here
who should happen to be conductor
but Hayward's son-in-law, George
Manville. We saw it wasn't going
to do to let him into the snap, sc
when he came along and said
"Good morning, Mr.. Blossom; gooc
morning Mr.. Parks. I suppose yor
are bound for the South?" we saio
yes, we were headed that way, but
we'd only take tickets to Chicago
We weren't quite sure what roac
we'd take when we got there.
When we pulled out of Chicago
there was conductor We never had
seen before, and when he asked fol
our tickets Parks handed out pass
and said as big as life:
"YoulI find my name on that pass
as president of a road up in Michi
gan, and my friend, Mr.. Wells, il
secretary. We are taking a triI
through your part of the country
and if you ever come out our way
we'd like to have you travel on oul
road"
The conductor was too gracious
and smiling for anything. He said
"That's all right, gentlemen" and
after passing the time of day with
us went on.
We worked that racket on three
or four conductors and it worked
like a charm. You know Parks is
sort of an imposing looking man
you could easilyitake him for a pres
ident of road, and he wore his
silk hat and swelled around con
siderable.
Well, we got down in Kentucky
The conductor said 'Tickets, gen
tlemen," and Parks handed out th'
pass with the usual lingo. He look
ed at the pass pretty sharply, ane
then he looked at Parks.
"Your names Hayward, is it?'
he said.
"That's what I'm called" say
Parks.
"Well, by George! Hayward,
says he, "you've changed since
saw you last"
II don't recall you," says Parks
"but suppose I've changed some
We all do as we grow older"
"You've changed more than mos
folks" says the conductor, sarcast
ically. "Your hair and eyes ain
the same color that they were whel
Twas conductor on the Lake Shor
road'ten years ago. You aren't Gile
Hayward any more than l am"
II am sorry to dispute you" say
Parks, politely, ''but l have tn
means right here to prove it."
And he dragged out Hayward
yalise, with Giles Hayward stamp
ed on it in big letters. My wallis
had my own name on it in big lei
tiers. SO ] gave it a push with m,
foot and sent it under the next seal
81 dot know how you may hav
got onto that satchel, says the cor
ductor, kind of puzzled, after he'
looked at the papers and things.
1--WE may have stolen it," say
Parks, sarcastically.
stranger things have happened,