The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-08-07
THE LOST HAT.
How a Telegraph Operator Rode
Across the Country on a Dollar.
New York Times.l

new lOIk IlhicS.l
The room In the great Western Union
Building in New York city was almost quie
when few mornings ago an ex-operator
walked in to renew some old aesuaintances
Notwithstanding that a dozen years had
passed since ne had been seen by many Of
the men on duty, he was recognized by a half
dozen whom he had met In various parts Of
the country. In the first group he encount-
cred were "Les" Bradley, of New Orleans I;
"Jud" Thompson. of Omaha; Harry whalen
of Philadelphia, and "Aleck" Morrison Of
Salt Lake City. The ex-operator. like the
rest of the group, had been a traveller" and
the four 0ld-timerS, whom he had met in
widely separated oficss of the company,
jumped up to greet him. The greetings over
the party. OF course, began exchanging remin-
iscences.
do you remember, old man." said one,
"the time when old Jim D0Ody travelled first
class from Omaha TO New York on dollar?
The older men had heard the story, but the
younger ones who were listening had not,
but wanted to, so the speaker continued:
1T was by means Of the lost hat trick
which Jim invented for the occasion. Jim
and lot of us were working for the Atlantic
and Pacific Company In Omaha in 1877, when
consolidation Of the Western Union and
Atlantic and Pacific Companies was effected.
As means Of economy the Western Union
Company ran the Atlantic and Pacific wires
into its own Office and discharged all of the
Atlantic and Pacific operators. We were
making big salaries then, but we lived well
and when the discharge came some of us
were badly left out in the cold. We were
half way between the Atlantic Ocean and the
Pacific Coast, and we all found out then what
IL meant to be busted and long way from
home After week or so we all managed
to raise money enough to carry us to tine
large telegraph offices In other cities, but Jim
got discouraged, acted trifie unwisely, and
got broke again before he could get out of
town. He awoke one morning with just 81
in his pocket. His relatives lived In New
that severely agitated Jim's mind. Finally
he evolved q scheme, desperate but clever.
He was we'll dressed, and looked as neat and
gentlemanly as could be. Going into the
York The clerk took one out, stamped it
and handed it over. Jim looked at 1t mo-
ment, then suddenly remembered an engage
ment to be kept before leaving town, and
rushed out Of the office.
''In this way he found out what a New
York ticket looked like. Next, he secured
an old calendar, printed on paper somewhat
resembling a l0ng-distance sectional railway
ticket, and from this he cut strip Of proper
width. This strip he folded in such a way
as to represent the various coupons, and with
this absurd counterfeit Of a ticket he pro-
posed to reach New York. 1t cost him soc
to cross the United States transfer bridge be-
tween Omaha and Council Bluffs, so his cap
ital was just that much less. Jim reached
Council Rufus just before dark with his
satchel in hand, and waited for the night ex-
press eastward. 1t was late, and before the
start was made the night became very dark.
While the train was waiting at the station
Jim boarded the last Of the passenger coaches
and prepared for his grand bluff" Putting
his silk hat in a rack. he took soft travel
ing hat from his satchel. In the next seat
was an old gentleman and his wife. With
this couple Jim entered into conversation
and soon made himself very agreeable. He
casually mentioned that he was going to New
York. and made great display of putting
his ticket in the band OF his hat, remarktng
at the time that long distance tickets were
terrible bulky affairs. Then he talked with
other people in the car, taking particular
care that everybody should observe the ticket
in his hat band. When the train started Jim
opened the car .window and prepared his
trap. He assumed sleepiness, rested his arm
on the window sill, laid his head on his arm
in such a way that he could either hold his
hat on or let 1t fall of, and awaited develop
ments.
''The train was running at high rate of
speed when the conductor came through. BY
that time jim was fast asleep. Tickets,
called the conductor, but Jim did not hear,
and the official could not see the bogus TICKET
for Jim had turned his hat around so that II
was on the other side of it. Then the con-
ductOr gave the sleeper shake, but II tailed
to arouse him. Another shake followed, and
still another, when at last the conductor lost
patience, and while he exclaimed Here,
wake up there gave Jim a rougher shake
than those preceding. Now was the critical
moment. Jim jumped up raising his left
arm as he did so, which caused his hat 10
fan out Of the window. half sleepily he
began to tumble in his pocket for a ticket.
when the old lady in the next seat yolnn,
teered the information that Jim had put his
ticket in his travelling hat. Jim looked
around for his hat, and new the Kind oid
gentleman came to the rescue by saving that
he had seen the hat fall out Of the window.
Jim then took turn at the conductor. sCon
found IT. he exclaimed, my ticket for New
! oIk was In my hat. IL you hadn't tried to
snake the lie out OF me my hat wouldn't