Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-07
WHY COLLEGE MEN FAIL IN DAKOTA.
The President of a Railway Tells His Ex-
perience with a Brakeman.

Why don't college men do we'll out
in Dakota? Because the country's too
big for 'em; they can't fill up the room
out here. I'll tell you one reason why
| the natives don't take to 'em. We
built a railroad out there, me and Bill
Slearey-we're a progressive crowd
out in DakOta-one of the finest roads
you ever saw. 1t was only 100 miles
long, and 100 miles amt much in Da-
kota, but it was railroad from top to
bottom. We'd made pile o. money,
me and Bill, and we about owned Zero
Valley, and when the country began
to get settled up we said we'd give 'em
a railroad, and we did. That railroad
cost sight O. money, but it was worth
it. We didn't stop at nothing to make
it first-class. ''The Zero Valley & Ice
borough Railroad we called it. Cars
all inlaid and veneered, yellow plush
cushions on the seats, everything tip
top. I wanted to have silver mount
ings on all the seats, but Bill wouldn't
have that. He's thinker, Bill is, and
/ he thought that when train-robbers
stopped the train they'd tear the cars
to pieces, so we let it go at nickel.
Well, l wanted a regular Eastern
road, with brakemen to call out the
stations. They don't generally do that
in the West, you know. l sent East
for brakemen, and / ordered college
graduates. for | was going to have
everything the best. l had 'em sent
out there all trained up ready for the
first trip. They was as fine a looking
set of boys as you'd want to see. When
| got 'em into their blue uniforms,
with their gold buttons and silver bad
ges, they did look encouraging. /
was pleased, now | tell you, and / said
to Bill the morning we was going to
pull out on the first trip: "Bill, this
is a great country; we beat the world
on everything we tackle"
Bill wasn't so cheerful. He amt a
feather-brained man, you know, and
he don't often let his feelings run
away with him. | never knew him to
warm up over anything but Injuns.
He did used to get a little worked up
over them critters in the early DAYS.
Well, he said he hoped everything
would turn out all right, but he wasn't
going to yell before he got out o the
woods.
We had crowd on the first trip.
Everybody was there. Everything
worked we'll when we started. But the
thing | wanted most was to hear the
brakeman cali out the station. That
was what [ was waiting for. I had
white posts put up just where | want
ed him to open the door and shout out
the station. I began to get nervous
when we got near Bee-at-riss. '.Bea-
trice" some people call it. don't OBJ
ject to that if people like it, but we
always pronounce it Bee-at-riss out
there to rhyme with mattress, you
know. Bee-at-riss. We named it that
after Sheriff Bowie's little girl. AS [
said, began to get nervous when we
got near Bee-at-riss. | was afraid he'd
forget about the white post, and I
didn't want to have the whole thing
spoiled.
But he remembered it, and my heart
just jumped when he drew the door
open suddenly. Then that Internal
college dude screamed out ''Bay-a-
tree-chay! Bay-a-tree-chay! This sta
ton is Bay-a-tree-chay"
went into the telegraph office and
telegraphed down to Friezedale for the
lynching party. And that's why you
see so many college mems graves out
in Dakota, young man.-NeO York
Tribune.