Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-27
obiec'. After awhile, when her curiosity's


gratifed, she'll be content to settle down
at home ag'p, and talk over her travels
Well, she did stay quiet for week OF
two, and took ag'n to riding on the rail
First she went to Cloverdale to buy tin
kittle for 10 cents, which she said was q
saving of five cents from gittin' it at
Cross-Keys.
Then she left her gal at home, and tuck
Lucindy Parks along, all the way to the
city, to sell her eggs and buy calker
gown; and SO it went on all the sum-
mer.
"Oh, never mind" says the conductor
smiling hard kind o. smile. She'll get
! tired of travelin' after q while"
But she didn't seem to get tired. On
| the contrary, she took to making regular
trips, taking along first enc person and
then another, until the conductors got
| toI looking as glum as bears; and even
LATED every time she put in an appear
apce.
One ipjineer used to let off a fear
| seed her coming; but, after the first
scare, she got used to it and took no no
| tice.
conductor started the train just as she
and Lucindy Pa-ks was about climbing
aboard, she threatened to sue the COM
pany if it happened again.
They knew she'd keep her word, so they
was obliged to be on their good behavior
to her.
So she kept it up all the first year or
two. Her way was to get aboard with
her female com e,anion, whoever it might
be for the time, and jest fix herself com
Portable near the stove or at a window
| 'oOrding as twas summer or winter, and
thar set and knit the whole Journey
through.
She'd carry one woman up, maybe
and bring another down; and at last il
came out that she was maxim regular
business of it, with folks that wanted to
visit the town or country, they paying
her half or quarter the regular fare, on
what was passed off on the railroad folks
for free trip.
The company interfered then, and said
something about stopping it by law; but
she lowed they hadn't stipulated bout
any business matters O. hern, and she
was keeping to the letter of the agree
ment.
Then they tried to buy her off, but she
was satisfied rs things was and wanted
no change. Still it was clear that she
was not only making money herself, but
keeping the company out of it.
There was one injineer named Wells on
one of the trains, and bimeby, when this
had been going on matter of four or
five years, Betsy Ann Simcoe noticed
that he always fetched his cap and look
ed at her in soft, spoony sort o. way
whenever he seen her.
One day, when she was standing on the
bank, he flung a bokey of pinks and
bachelor buttons to her feet, and another
time pitched her pound O. candy.
Then he handed her newspaper with
some verses liz it marked with charcoal
something about his heart icing capt.
waited by lady "over the way" that he'd
never spoke to; and at last came letter,
saying as how he'd been interested in her
ever since he'd seen her SO often on the
cars, and he was sure she would make
him the good, clever, sensible wife he'd
always wanted, if she could only bring
herself to fancy him as he did her.
Well, she answered the letter, and a
meeting was fixed; but meantime one %
the railroad chaps stepped In and told
her Wells was getting SO dissipated that
the company talked of discharging him,
but that she might be able to save him
by STIMULATING that she'd marry him only
on condition that he'd give up going to
bar-rooms.
He considered of it and said he would
if she'd promise likewise to give up her
railroad travelling and stay at home and
make it comfortable and agreeable for
him and her.
So they both put it down in black and
white, and got witnesses to it, and took
oath to keep their words, and then they
were married.
OF course Betsey Ann Wells stayed at
home now, and sat about doing all she
| could to make it pleasant fer her hus-
band. She had plenty of time to do 1t
III, for he didn't make his appearance
there once month, skeersely; and at
last she found out that it was all put
up job of the company's who'd bribed
Wells with $500 to marry her and get
her off the road for good.
He was a reckless sort of a chap, but
not bad, and had always been as sober
and free from bar rooms as a Judge.
Betsey Ann was awful cut up when she
found it all out, for she'd set her heart On
hilIs 90 Oad hhioc olC npu w SOu UhOtI
hearts on the first man that purtends to
keer for 'enl.
She didn't say nothing even to Lucin-
da Parks, but went rig hit along doing the
best she could to make it pleasant for
her husband whenever lie came to see
her.
And at last, when he met with an acci-
de2t from collision on the road and
had to be laid up for weeks before he
got well again, she had him home from
the hospital and pursed him as tender
and keerful as a mother does her ailing
baby.
Ane would you believe it, that in time
she brought the man round to be asham-
ed of the trick he'd played her, and to
be jest as steady and easy going hus-
band as any in Cross Keys?
Betsey Ann Wells never went on the
rails again, except once or twice with her
husband, paying her own fare.
And once she told the conductor that,
spite of everything the company had
done, shell got the best of the bargain
6 good husband and money enough to
make him and her comfortable for life.
INSPECTING INDIAN SCHOOLS.