Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-02-16
AnTmproved Method.

Inc Jrssin nau just pulieu out
louisville when the conductor entere
the car in which had taken seal
Just as ne opened the door, he stoppe'
and exclaimed:
1.-The very first one!n
Then he stepped up to drunken
man who, asleep on seat, was snoring
loudly.
Here Shaking him), give me you
ticket Come now Shaking him vigor
ously) give me your ticket, or I'll pu
you off,"
The fellow, an enormous specimen O.
Kentucky's physical greatness, did moi
open his eyes, but after fumbling in his
pocket drew out u twist of long-greeu
tobacco and hel d it up.
ssHere, don't want your tobacco.
want your ticket or your fare. Look
here, / am not going to fool with you
much longer"
The fellow continued to snore- l'I'n
have to resort to it." said the con-
ductor. He took phial from small
side-pocket, and. uncorked it, held the
phial nnder the fellows nose. Within
second he was on his feet, wide awake
and snorting. like an excited horse.
What do you wantPn he exclaimed,
glaring at the conductor.
II want your ticket
Here, take it. Say, what was that
you jolted me with? IN be dinged eff L
didn't think my head was gone. Cap'n,
you may have anything I've got. but
fur the love NV Moses don't Jolt me
thater way agin.n
When the conductor had gone through
the train and returned, I asked him
what was it that he had held under the
: fellows nose.
Ammonia" he replied. al hate to
resort to it, but it is the only thing that
viii work. Six months ago it was i'm
possible to collect fare on this road.
Sometimes at least one-third Of the pas
sengers would be drunk and asleep. 1t
is hard to fill up Kentuclian, but when
he is filed up he is helplessly drunk,
and, when he drops off to sleep, which
he is sure to do, it is impossible to
awake him by the old fashionable
method of shaking. Now, the company
provides each conductor with bottle
of ammonia, and it is common thing
to see a conductor going through train
with a ticket punch in one hand and
with bottle of ammonia in the other
Shortly after the ammonia system was
adopted by the board of directors, I had
for passengers. one night, forty mem
bers of the legislature, and, before I
got to them, they were all asleep. I
exhausted the old method-here is our
card of instructions. Read this para
graph"
He handed me printed card. Tread
the following:
Before using the ammonia bottle,
conductors must do all within reason to
arouse the passengers. Passengers are
requested to report any neglect of this
rule
well, sir" the conductor continued,
II could not arouse a single one of
those Legislators, so hauled out my
bottle | never did see tickets come
out so fast, and men who had failed to
procure tickets were actually eager to
pay their fare. The speaker of the
house was the last man that shifted the
bottle After he had paid his fare he
took me to one side and said:
Must have been hid out during the
war;
What do you meanp asked.
What must have been hid out?'
THAT ticker you hil' under my nose,'
he replied.
THAT was not ticker.
Now, here, cap'n, don't try to fool
me. 1t was Ticker, and Ticker of the
right sort, too Let me try it,
'I couldn't get out Of it, so / handed
him the bottle He took a drink, wiped
his mouth, and said: Little raw, but
it'll do in pinch
'Who first introduced the ammonia
system?" I asked.
IAN inv entive little fellow from Con-
necticut," the conductor answered.
''After making his first trip as con-
ductor, he swore that he would rig up
something to do away with so much
shaking, and he did"
lis he still eonductor7'' inquired.
BLESS you, mo- The revenue OF the
road grew SO in consequence Of his
method that he was taken into the
general Office He is now the assistant
superintendent "-Opie p. Read.