Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-05-11

powder rag. Sometimes it also con-
tains q costly robe de mutt, when 90
not forget and leave said robe IN the
sleepino-car or hotel. am not over
drawing this matter, however, when l
say honestly that the shrin cry OF nre
at night in most any hotel in the United
States now would bring to the flre es,
cape from one to six employees OF said
hotel wearing these costly vestments
with NV brief but imperishabie name
engraved on the bosom.
This little traveling-bag, which Is
not larger than mans hand, Is rudeiy
pulled out of my grasp as enter the
inn. and it has cost me twenty dollars
to get it back from the porter Be
sides, I have paid 1886 for new nan
dies to replace those that have pee"
torn off in frantic scuffle between: use
porter and myself to see which would
get away with it.
Yesterday was talking with . re-
formed lecturer about this peculiarly
of the porters. He said he used to
lecture a great deal at moderate prices
throughout the country, and after ten
wears of earnest toll he was enabled to
retire with a rich experience and nine
dollars in money. He lectured on
chronology and took his meals with
the Chairman of the lecture commit
tee. In Ouray, Col, the baggageman
allowed his trunk to fall from great
height and SO the lid was knocked OF
and the bust which the professor used
in his lecture was busted. He there
fore had to borrow a baldheaded man
to act as bust for him IN the evening.
After the close of the lecture the pro-
lessor found that the bust had stolen
the gross receipts from his coat-tail
pocket while he was lecturing. The
ONLY improbable feature about this
story is the implication that a bald
headed man would commit crime.
But still he did not become soured.
He pressed on and lectured to the gen.
tie janitors of the land in piercing
tones. He was always kind to every
one, even when people criticised his
lecture and went away before he got
through. He forgave them and paid
his bills just the same as he did when
people liked him.
Once a newspaper man had done
him great wrong and said that the
lecture was decayed and that the pro-
lessor would endear himself to every
one if he would some night at his hotel,
instead of blowing out the gas and
turning off his brains as he usually did
just turn off the gas and blow out his
brains" But the professor did not so
to his Office and blow holes in his
viscera. He spoke kindly to him
always, and once when the two met in
barber shop, and it was doubtful
which was "next" as they came in
from opposite ends of the room, the
professor gently yielded the chair to
the man who had done him great
wrong, and while the barber was
shaving him eleven tons of ceiling
peeled off and fell on the editor who
had been so cruel and so rude, and
when they gathered up the debris a
dav or two afterward it was almost i'm
possible to tell which was ceiling and
which was remains.
So it is always best to deal gently
with the erring, especially if you think
it will be fatal to them.
The reformed lecturer also spoke of
a discovery he made, which I had
never heard of before. He began, dur
ing the closing years of his tour, to no.
tice mysterious marks on his trunk,
made with chalk generally, and so dur
ing his leisure hours he investigated
them and their cause and effect. He
found that they were the symbols of
the Independent Order of Porters and
Baggage-Bursters. He discovered that
it was a species of language by which
one porter informed the next, without
the expense of telegraphing, what
style of man owned the trunk and the
prospects for touching him, as one
might saC.
MYSTERIOUS SIGNS.
The Professor gave me few of these
signs from an old notebook, together
with his own Interpretation after years
of close study. reproduce them here
because I know they will interest the
reader as they did me.
This trunk, if handled gently and
then carefully unstrapped in the own
er's room, so as to open comfortably
5~