The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-08
WHY THEY BOUNCED SAM.
SETTLING FOR THE DEATH OLA MAN.
An Incident in the Life of the Genial Gen.
eral Manager of the Texas Trans-Con-
tinentaI Railroad-Rather
Ludicrous Mistake.
Texas Slftlnrsl


Texas journals announced not long since that
Sam Curtis, the genial and efficient general
manager OF the Texas Trans-Continental rail-
road, had severed his connection with that COM
pany, he having received more advantageous
offer from rival company. The real facts in
the case, however, warrant the impression that
Sam was bounced
One morning the president of the company
requested the presence of Sam in his private
office. Sam complied, and found the old man
in a state of mind, so to speak.
'Mr. Curtis, 1 have something very important
for you to attend to, something that will re-
quire the exercise of great discretion" said the
president
81 shall endeavor to do my best" replied
Sam.
perhaps you remember that one day last
week man was struck by one of our trains
near Lickskillet and killed."
'Yes, heard Of it."
swell, have been investigating the matter,
and find that the engineer was entirely to
blame"
That's my impression, too"
"And the worst of it is, the man was married,
and his wife has got a clear case against the
company. We are liable to be mulcted-yes,
sir, actually mulcted in heavy damages"
Very likely"
"And what is more, the people of Lickskillet
are fanatically opposed to railroads. Lick
| skillet jury would give that woman $4,000 as
| quick as they would a cent. They are down on
the Trans-Continental on general principles.
! And if we took an appeal. that would do MS no
| good for she has a clear case of damages. Why,
| Mr. Curtis, LickskiIlet iuries have given
| diets of $500 against us for running over
razorback hog worth dollar and quarter"
81 know it," replied Sam. What do you
wish me to do?"
/ 7 IIoNo, mid At
and get her to compromise, Luckily, the mat
ter has not yet got into the papers, and possibly
the lawyers have not yet tempered with her
| If one of them Austin lawyers gets on to the
case for a contingent, all hope OF compromise
is gone"
Il understand"
use all your persuasive powers TO get her to
compromise Here is $1,000 in cash. Ii you
can compromise the matter tor that you Will be
entitled TO the gratitude of the company. These
country people are an easy set to iool ana you
are the man TO fool them"
Next day Sam Curtis knocked at the door of
! a frame house In the suburbs OF LlcksklLet. A
! sharp-faced woman of about fifty years OF age
| appeared.
Good morning miss; I'd like to see your
mother, Mrs. Grigsby,' said Sam.
My name is Mrs. Grigsby."
"ImpOssiblel II can't be that so young girl
| as you is already married.
The hard lines faded out Of the wOman'sfacei
| and Sam was invited in.
Miss mean madam, I represent the Texas
| TranS-C Continental railroad. l came TO confer
with you about your late husband"
"My late husbands exclaimed the woman,
staring at him.
Don't become excited, madam. It's sad
affair. but | do not come here TO tear open the
healing wounds. On the contrary, l come as a
ministering angel"
ooh, you dc, do you? replied the woman
| pensively.
ayes madam, although the company is really
not responsible for the accident we do not de-
| sire any litigation"
81 read the other day where a railroad CON-
pany had to pay $4,000 for running over
| man."
THAT was probably a different case. Now,
| let us reason together. Suppose you bring suit
for S25, 600. 1t will be three years before the
case is tried, and by that time you won't have
| any case left. young and attractive widow
| like you will be married inside of year. That
would knock the stufing out OF any damage
| suit for killing your first husband"
But suppose / don't marry"
mot a supposable case. Now. hate to see
as beautiful aud intelligent a woman as you
wasting her sweetness on the desert air If you
lived in San Antonio, or Galveston, or Seguin,
| or some other Texas metropolis, you would be
| appreciated. Why. my dear madam, some
| years ago we compromised a case like this and
paid the widow large sum OF money. Like
| yourself she was gifted. mentally and physic-
| ally With the money she got from us she
! moved to Houston. She was able to dress fash
ionably, and in less than week she had nine
offers of marriage. She finally married a
statesman, and now she lives at Washington, is
the chum of cabinet officers wives, and drives
out with the foreign ambassadors.
"You don't tell me So"
| "Now that's what you ought to do, instead
| of throwing yourself away by living in this lit
tie one-horse town. Suppose | pay you $500,
| and you sign this little document"
| MAKE it 81. 800 and I'll think of it.
After some more talk Mrs Grgsby signed the
release, Sam paid over the money, and returned
! to the hotel in fine spirits.
! "In giving woman tafy you can't overdo
it." unused Sam. 81 guess the boss will raise
my salary for this"
Sans musings were interrupted by a big
man with a revolver in his belt
"Be YOU Samuel Curtis, the general manager
| of the TTans-C Continental railroadP
"Tm the man" replied sam.
"Then sarve you with this here paper"
"What is it?" asked Sam, In establishment
"Its a citation in a damage suit for S40,O00by
the Widow Grigsby."
"Some mistake, reckon. I've got release
! of all claim for damages, signed by her less
| than ten minutes ago..
81 reckon not. She is not in town. She is
! out on her rancho
| ing the document.
"That is not signed by the widow OF the man
| who was run over"
| "What" gasped Sam.
| THAT is signed by Lila GrIgsDy. Inc name
of the widow is Jane Grigsby. Eliza is the sis
ter-in-law of Jane. She is married to the
brother of the man your locomotive run over.
| Eliza hasn't got any claim, except she is named
| Grigsby."
"Pm robbed Pm robbed" howled Sam.
| "Oh, she is a sharp one. Jim Grigsby, the
brother of Tom Grigsby, who was over,
married her up north somewhere. She used to
be school-teacher. Hope you didn't pay her
| much"
"I'll have her arrested. She has obtained
money under false pretenses, the old bag. I'll
have her in the penitentiary," said Sam, jump
ing up and down.
'Did she claim to be the widow of the late
| remainsP
mo, she didn't say so, exactly. but took it
| for granted she was the widow and she didn't
deny it," said Sam, with sigh.
Sam went back, but he didn't go back to
| work for that railroad any more.
LAYING OUT THE TOWN SITE.