Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-05-16
HIGHER THAN ORDERS.

The Conductor Tells Why He Has in His
Heart Soft Spot for Tramps.
''No, we don't bounce the tramps who ride
on the bumpers of our freight train," said a
freight conductor who has run to the west.
81 presume that we carry an average OF
dozen each trip, but if they remain between
the cars we pretend not to see them"
''But it is against orders" was urged.
ooh, yes; but there is a higher power than
general orders, even for railroad men. Five
or six years ago used to be hard on the rail-
road tramp I'd have the train looked over
at every stop, and if we caught chap he got
handled pretty lively. Nowadays I throw
out hint to the brakemen to shut both eyes,
and if the tramp don't presume too much on
my good nature, no one will disturb him."
''What happened to change your minda"
'tOh, little incident of no interest to the
public, but great deal to me. was married
in December three years ago On the third
night got an order to run out with an extra.
There was cold rain, which froze as it fell,
and one of my crew got hurt at our very first
stop. This left us short handed, and as we
could not supply his place I had to act for
him. We were back in the mountains run
ming strong to make time, when the engineer
whistled brakes for grade 1 climbed out
of the caboose with the brakemen, and had
set two brakes and was after the third
when q lurch of the cars threw me down and
I fell between two of them. l had just one
glimpse of the red checked bride at home,
Just one swift thought of her in widows weeds
and her heart breaking, when hand grabbed
me- I was going down head first, but the
strong clutch turned me over and my feet
struck the bumpers. I'd have gone then, only
some one put my hands on the ladder, flung
his arms around me from behind to hold me
there, and said
"Yo GU are all right, old man. Your nerve
will come back pretty SOON"
"And it was tramp, eh?"
sit was and he held me there until the
train reached it's stop, and then helped me
down, for the sudden fright had taken all
my strength and nerve away. But for him
l should have been ground up under the
wheels This is the reason keep soft spot
in my heart for the genus tramp, and why,
when I sometimes walk the length of every
train and find every bumper occupied,
look skyward and pretend not to see as
much as an old fur cap.'-New York Sun.
| The Cars Crown.
| TSs Russian crown and other insignia,
| together known Us ''the crown jewels" are
| valued at the enormous sum of $11 600 600
the crown itself being reckoned at $1,000 000
| 1t is adorned with hundreds of diamonds
worth all the way from few dollars up into
the many thousands. Besides the diamonds
there are fifty-four magnificent pearls with
out flaw set around the rim, with ruby Of
extraordinary size FOR centerpiece. The
crown was made by Pauzie, the Genevese
ieweller, and was first used by Catherine the
Great. The Orlof diamond forms the tip of
the scepter used on ell state occasions.-St.
Louis Republic.
| An Old Trick Revived.
A. Michigan exchange gives this advice to
its readers: "If a gray haired woman of 81
In moderately respectable attire is put off the
cars in your town because she can't pay her
! fare any further; if she almost Immediately
receives telegram urging her to come home
on the next train because her husband is dy-
ing, and if she tearfully and desperately, in
a plenty loud voice, announces that she is
going to walk home 100 miles, you let her
walk She and her confederate, who sends
the telegram, have worked the dying hus'
band racket in half dozen Michigan towns
ct net profit, it is figured, Of SIS a day.