The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1890-03-15
The Indian and the Conductor.
HOW THE NOBLE RED NAN ESSAYS TO
BEAT THE RAILROAD COMPANY.

BEAT THE RAILROAD COMPANY,
"Pap" Richards, an old time conductor
on the Western New York and PepnsvI.
vania railroad, which runs through Corn
planter Indian reservation, on the Ale
/ cheney river, near Salamanca, has had
some experiences in carrying Indians on
his train that are worth relating.
Talking about dead beating on rail-
roads," said Mr.. Richards, "there is no
living, thinking being who gives IN
money with SO much heartfelt reluctance
as an Indian. / have BEEN carrying some
of them on my train every day or two for
the past fifteen years, and l long ago
made up my mind that whenever an In
dian boards my train Ihave a scheme of
some sort to contend ssth. / think it is
Pope who makes the sta laOpt that proud
science has never talgf fseo pdian's soul
/ to stray beYond the q a. 81 nj 8 =
/ way, but Tam willing. Gamble that proud
science never had aDything down finer
| than CoFnplanter hldian has the busi-
ness of bilking his way on railroad train.
Of course 1 speak of the Tagtag and bob
tail Of the CornplanteEs, for there are
many of these Indians who are good citi-
zens and pay their way accordingly.
''An Indians method of beating a con-
ductOr is strikingly original, Suppose
him to be going up the river to Salamanca,
ride of few hours from the reservation.
He buys ticket to the next station only,
perhaps at an expenditure of ten cents. |
But if you expect your Indian to get off at
that station, that is where you are weak |
on the Indian strategy. The train stops, |
but the Indian does noAobudge from his
seat. The hope that wells up in his heart |
j. that the conductor wiz think the Indian
who had the ticket for that station got of,
while the Indian who did not get off has a
through ticket Nearly sll these Indians
answer to the name of John, so | stop on
my way through the car and say:
John, you didn't get of at your sta
tion.'
'Injun go on to next station, ne will
say, and going down into his beaded
purse, he will fish out enough nickels and
pennies to pay to that station. Arrived
there, he will not get off, but sit quiet and
thoughtful or perhaps when the train
stops, he will make an ostentatiOus dash
through the car to the platform, making a
feint to get off, but will dodge into the
next car and take a sat. You come
around and find him sitting there as &C.
renely as if he had been in that particular [
seat for day or two.
"'Well, John, you didn't get off at your i
station, viii say. 7
"Injun go to next station, he will re- ]
peat again, and out will come the purse, {
and the reluctant pennies will be counted !
,ut. The same thing is repeated at the {
lext station, and the next, and still again /
1t the next, and so on during the run up /
o Salamanca. d
"The Indian never seems to think you
athom his game. He regards it as a a
most subtle piece of strategy, entirely too 8
Ieep for the beclouded mind of the white a
nan. ALI the conductors understand John v
'erfectly well, and ehas about one chance
a mil o.--ss01et, bFgs.ssz prefers 90 take d
nat one chance and p, snsiderable more h
rom alton to station ther than buy a e.
icket clear through, This refers to the il
rip up the river. Unless the Allegheny
, frozen over, we rarely have the pfivil- Il
ge of carrying John down stream. He c.
I'LL spend all his money in Salamanca, b
nd a couple of slabs and the broad bosom b
f the Allegheny will furnise him very
ongenial means of transportation home.
ut is q common sight to see John
board slab or two, complacently float
lg home after one cf these pleasure trips h
D Sslamanca."-N r World. Il