The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1888-03-24
TRAVELLING on A PASS.

1t was one day last week and group
of men were attending to business" in
Deacon Evers' office Judge Gould had
just remarked that he was opposed to
railroad passes on principle.
81 haven't got any scruples against
travelling on pass" said Mr.. Blossom,
"only if it's somebody else's pass I've
got tscruples against getting caught at it. -
"I shouldn't like to get caught at it, r"
assented Mr.. Hawkins cautiously. "I
think such thing might hurt body S
standing in the church."
''It would be liable to hurt his stand
ing with the conductor said Mr..
Gilkey, facetiously.
81 had rather curious experience
once riding on pass" began Mr.. Bios
som, as if there were more to follow
Everybody looked interested and Mr..
Blossom saw that he had the floor. So
he continued:
1t was in 81, when Hayward was
president of the Lake.Shore road. John
Parks and were going to take trip
down South and Hayward said to US {:
"Now see here, gentlemen, if you
two are thinking of going South this
winter III tell you what I'll do for you.
Here's my vallse 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 railro d fare"
Well, you can imagine that Parks
and | clapped on to that valise pretty
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 Man
vile. We say it wasn't going to do to
let him into the snap, SO when he came
along and said, Good morning, Mr..
Blossom; good morning, Mr.. Parks. /
suppose you are bound for the South ?"
we said yes, we were headed that way,
but we'd only take tickets to Chicago.
We wern't quite sure what road 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 for our
ticket Parks handed out a pass and
said, as big as life:
"You'll find my name on that pass
as president of road up in Michigan,
and my friend Mr.. Wells is secretary.
We are taking trip through your part
of the country, and if you ever come
out our way we'd like to have you
travel on our 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 some three
or four conductors and it took like a
charm. You know Parks IS sort of an
imposing looking man you could easily
take him for president of a road, and
he wore his silk hat and swelled around
considerable.
Well, we got down into Kentucky.
The conductor SAID "Tickets, gentle
men," and Parks handed out the pass
with the usual lingo. He looked at the
pass pretty sharply, then he looked at
Parks.
"Your names Hayward, is it?" he
said.
"That's what I'm called" says Parks.
swell, by George Hayward" says
he, ''you've changed since | saw you
last"
81 don't recall you," says Parks,
tbut 1 suppose I've changed some. We
all do as we grow older"
you've changed more than most
folks" says the conductor, sarcasti-
cally. Your hair and eyes amt the
same color that they were when | was
conductor on the Lake Shore road ten
years ago. You aren't Giles Hayward
any more than | am.
"Fm sorry to dispute you,' says
Parks, politely, but | have the means
right here to prove it.
And he dragged out Hayward S
valise, with ''Giles Hayward stamped
on it in big letters. My vallse had my
own name on it, SO | gave it a push
with my foot and sent it under the
next seat.
81 don't know how you may have
got onto that sachel," says the conduc-