Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-09

6hCOICO1y US0A ldItl1C1 IIOlI Cudll
Hobbs Holler or Bowling Green
meetin' house in all her life, and was
most afeared to trust herself out O.
sight of her own home.
Well, the company kept their word,
and run up two story, four room
house for Betsy Ann-sech as it was.
She declared twas nothing better than
a shanty, wouldn't keep out the sum-
mer's heat nor winters cold, and was
liable to be blown away by the first
high wind that came along. The COM
pany said they hadn't stipulated for
the exact way the house was to be built,
and they'd done the best they could af-
ford to do, and she ought to be satisfied.
way she had of her own when She
made up her mind to something she
didn't choose to talk about jest yet.
At last the road was finished, and
one day every body turned out to see
the mime for the fust time come tear
in and screechin' up to Cross Keys.
Betsy Ann Simcoe, she looked on with
O. smile of triumph, for all the world s
if the hull concern belonged to her.
Every time the train passed she came
past and looked at 1t till she got used to
seeing it and hearing its unearthly
noise. And one day she tuck her little
white help along, and got aboard the
cars and rode to the next station, as
she said, to see how it felt and how she
liked it. Next week she went ag'in as
fur as Cloverdale, and little while ar
ter made another trip, long with her
cousin, Luc1ndy Parks, clear up to the
city.
Purity soon she got to be known to all
the railroad folks along the line, and
there was no end to the jokes about her.
'By gosh p says old Mr.. Potter to
one O the conductors one day, "Im
thinking you'll hev to fix up car for
her speshal 'commodation, if it goes on
this way much longer"
'Oh !" answered he, smiling, s'it's
novelty to her at present, but we don't
objec'. AFTER awhile, when her curl
oslty's gratifed, she will be content to
settle down at home again, and talk
over her travels"
Well, she did stay quiet for week
or two. and then took ag'in to riding on
the rail. First she went to Cloverdale
to buy TIN kittle for ten cents, which
she said was a saving of five cents from
gittin' it at Cross Keys.
Then she left her gal at home and
tuck Lucindy Parks along all the way to
the city to sell her eggs and buy calker
gownd and so it went on all the summer.
ooh, never mind" says the conduc-
tor, smiling a hard kind of smile,
She'll get tired of travelin' arter
while"
But she didn't seem to get tired. On
the contrary, she took to making reg
ular trips, taking along one person and
then another, until the conductors got
the fremen and enjineers scowled or
otfnH limo G no MT
ance.
One enjineer used to let off fearful
screech O. the b'iler whenever he seed
her coming; but, after the first scare,
she got used to it and tuck no notice.
And once, when she was late, and the
conductor started the train just as she
and Lucindy Parks was about climbing
aboard, she threatened to sue the COM
pany if it happened agin.
They knew she'd keep her word, SO
they was all obliged to be on their good
behavior to her.
So she kept it up all the first year or
two. Her way was to get aboard with
her female companion, whoeveri it might
be for the time, and jest fix herself COM
Portable near the stove or at window,
'cordin as it was summer or winter, and
thar sit and knit the whole journey
through.
She'd carry one woman up, maybe,
and bring another down, and at last it
came out that she was maxim regular
business of it, with folks that wanted to
visit the town or country, they paying
her half or quarter the regular 1are on
what was passed off on the railroad
folks for free trip.
The company interfered then, and
said something about stopping it by law;
but she lowed they hadn't stipulated
bout any business matters O. hern, and
she was keeping to the letter of the
agreement.
Then they tried to buy her off, but
she said she was satisfied as things was
clear that she was not only making
money for herself, but keeping the COM
pany out of it.
There was one lnjineer named Wells
on one of the trains, and bimeby, when
this had been going on matter of four
or five years, Betsy Ann Simcoe noticed
that he always fetched his cap and
looked at her in soft, spoony sort %
way whenever he seen her
One day, when she was standing on
the bank, he flung bokey of pinks and
bachelor buttons TO her feet, and an
other time pitched her pound O. can
dy.
Then he handed her a newspaper
with some verses in it marked with
charcoal something about his heart be-
ing captivated by lady cover the way"
that he'd never spoke to; and at last
came a letter, saying as how he'd been
interested in her ever since he'd seen
her SO often on the cars, and he was
sure she would make him the good,
clever, sensible wife he'd always want
ed, if she could only bring herself to
fancy him as he did her.
Well, she answered the letter, and
meeting was fixed; but meantime one
O. the railroad chaps stepped in and
told her that Wells was. getting so dis
sipated that the company talked of dis
charging him, but that she might be
able to save him by stiperlating that
she'd marry him only on condition
that he'd give up going to bar-rooms.
He considered of it and said he would
if she'd promise likewise to give up her
railroad travelling and stay at lone and
make it comfortable and agreeable for
him and her.
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