Wichita eagle., 1888-02-04
TIE TRAIN BUTCHER.
OBSERVATIONS OF THE TRAVELLERS
PEST AND HIS OPERATIONS.
A Youngster Who Represents Persistency,
Shrewdness and Guaranteeing Cheek.
A SanguinAry Titls-Tricks of His Trade.
Piece of COnsummate Art.

A Piece of Consummate Art.
/ Riding on the rail bt day would be one Of
the greatest pleasures of life were it not for
that peculiar individual, the train boy
! When the eyes, bewildered through constant
shifting of the focus on landscapes flashing
/ by, need rest, the traveller may lean his head
back on the cushion and indulge in day
dreams and reveries such as come not to his
busy mind in his daily haunts. He may phi
Josephine as he cannot at any ether time,
while he half consciously follows the rafting
of the wheels over the rail joints, keeping
time to some old tune or some fanciful phrase
fashioned in the idle mind. But just as one
has fallen into such blissful state, he is
aroused from his reverie by gust of cnder
laden wind through the car and the melan-
choly rasping voice of the train boy as he
calls out his goods for sale. The boy passes
through the car, and one may fad TO dream
ing again, but back he comes to drive the
pleasant fancles from the mind, and keeps
coming and going at intervals until all idea
of rest Is abandoned, and, to escape the mad
ness of ennui, one must occupy himself with
studying this strange creature who lords it
over all the train. An interesting study he
Is too, and any one who observes him goes
during a few hours through various stages of
feeling towards him
At first one curses him for pest This is
when considering him in his relations to
ones self. but when his operations on his fell
low passengers come to be studied he develops
into an amusing parsonage. Finally the
mind, escaping from the particular, proceeds
to consider the train boy in generalities: the
feeling one has for hun Is admiration He
represents persistency, shrewdness and an
overmastering cheek-the sublime character
istic of the enterprising American One for
gets that he is but the agent of company. a
corporation which reaps large profits from
bis pestiferous exertions, and finally finds
himself purchasing something just to help
the young fellow along. What a hard life
he must lead is question which springs I'D
at this stage of the story, and then the
thought that he is constantly liable to meet
sad end in great disaster! The sentimental
stage past. however, 1t is easy 70 perceive
that the boy can take care Of himself and
this is best evidenced by the failure 70 recall
in the records OF all the wrecks a single case
of the train boy being hurled 10 destruction.
He is reserved for a nobler fate
SANCTUARY TITLE
Passengers call him the train bow but
be disiains the title rs effeminatA and calls
himself butcher This sanguinary title
be is proud Of It's origin is unknown. bu. il
Is supposed 10 have its rise in the utter con
tempt he has Of the people who buy from
him, and that his sales each trip represent so
much slaughter of the innocents He re-
CARDS al people on his train as grays and
feels it his duty 70 sell 10 every one just what
they don't wan. ard at prices which fan lit
tie short If robbery. He is good Judge ~
men, and what Il much more rare. of women.
too. He Is a mine of information on railroad
topics r. those who buy and walking statue
OF ignorance 10 those who do not He is ali
the way around an interesting character
4 reporter riding on a train not long ago
had occasion 10 observe and speak to one of
these butchers and found him source Of
considerable interest and information The
train had just got outside the city limits
when the butcher made his first appear
ance He strolie.i leisurely through the car
sizing up the occupants critically ard then
disappeared in the car behind. In five min
utes be returned. making a second survey
and marking the probable victims he would
rurnber ther@in before the trip was over. A
little while and he was back again. this time
with wicker basket containing peanuts, on
which rested thick hot;orrled glass such a.
used 20 Ornament the steamboat bars, this
too, containing peanuts To guess tie
number Of peanuts in tbs glass were a
harder task than guessing the number OF
seesis IN ''punkiu.r for the sides Of the glass
and the bottom had great u.agnifying power.
II probably held nine peanuts, though =
mathematical travelling companion awerr-d
that II couldn't bold more than I've peanuts
according to the rule for measuring the coo-
tents of Gene The butcher wezt through
tee car a. a deacon GOES do-n the aisle with
. contributidh box he pgt tie BASKET before
TIE Is q s,fh So; nd 500 /, Xid