The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-09-05

A DIVIDED DISCOURSE
A DRUMMER'S REMARKS ON THE PLUG
HATS MARCH INTERRUPTED.

enooe at At-bot Sne OIo w alter rank
Recalled Cruder Methods.
mo, sir" said the drummer, there is
not place in the country now where
man who behaves himself can't wear
plug hat don't mean to say that there
are no lively towns, but there is practically
no frontier such as there used to be.
1.-The cowboy still occasionally drops into
the saloon and shoots the lights out; he
likes now and then to shoot the insulatOrs
off the telegraph poles, and there are other
eccentric and sometimes boisterous forms Of
amusement that stin find favor with him,
but it is no longer considered good form any
where to evince disapprobstion of the wear
ing of a plug hat by shooting it of the
head of the wearer.
ACCEPTING THE WHITE SHIRT
"In some places this pleasing condition
of affairs has been brought about by the
active work Of q single man, aided in
measure, doubtless, by the natural fair
ness of men when their feelings are prop
erly appealed to. For example, in one
camp after it had been discovered by the
man who conveyed the remonstrAnce Of
the older inhabitants that the quiet, unss-
Stunning stranger who bad persisted In wear
ing white shirt had an arm as big around
as an oyster key, muscles of steel, the
heart of lion and the tigers suddenness
OF movement. there arose q feeling that
possibly the shirt question was debatable,
and some men went so far as to say openly
that a man ought to be permitted to wear
a white shirt II he wanted TO; and when
the quiet man had in quick succession
knocked out seven supporters of the mega
tive side the change of sentiment was 50
great that 1t amounted practically to n re-
versal OF public opinion, and by common
consent he was permitted to wear his shirt.
THE fact Is that although men are as
inhexible as ever on VIAL questions and as
ready as ever to fight when tho cause is
really worth fighting for, the great major
ity are becoming more and more disposed
to concede TO each citizen the free enjoy
ment of his personal rights. In these re-
moter parts the principal causes contrib
uting to this broader enlightenment have
been the gradual settlement Of the coun-
try, the more extended and frequent
means of communication and tbe conse-
see
The speaker was a New York drummer
who had Travelled the country over and
again from one corner to the othT. His
discourse was delivered in the smoking
room of a sleeping car on a far western
railroad. His sole auditor was the report
er. The drummer's discourse was TEN
porarily interrupted by the gripping of the
air brakes and by the passing Of the con-
ductOr through the car at the same mo-
ment. We both asked what station we
were coming to, and when the conductor
named it we recognized it "a plAce where
some time before train bad been held up
by robbers. 1t was q little place where
engines stopped for water. The robbers
had boarded the engine as it stood at the
tank and overpowered the engineer and
fireman, and after another fight they had
robbed the express and mail cars, but they
had not molested the passengers
1t was not long amer nightfall when we
approached the station, but the night was
very dark As the train passed slowly
through the pine woods it seemed as
though the great gannt trees were moving
together for companionship that might
prove less gloomy than standing aloha
Naturally our talk was Of train rohbing-
We agreed that the modern way of rob
bling the express and mail cars only was
more IN keeping with the general growth
Of progressive methods, and that It was
undoubtedly phGssanter for the passengers
The train halted with the engine along
side the tank. 1t did seem rs though 10
took the engine long time to drink, but
it was big engt1e. Vow the tEain starts.
and we begin tn settle down tn confSnus
the journey when the brakes grip again,
and the train Stops suddenly. Now our
car IL just abreast OF the tank from behind
which the robhars had emerged. We sur
vey It from tho dripping spout 10 front as
far around as the eys will reach, but in the
most casual manner, JI1s1 AZ we might have
looked at shed or a fence anywhere else
PEIT 'IITTLE cgEIoUS"
1t was q little cRzrious. Of course. that the
train should paLlup suddenly at that par
ticular spot after having once started, but
beyond the commonplace Wonder what's
up noEyP" nefthar of the passengers n the