Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-22
TRAIN SKETCHES.
SOME AMATEUR BUT QUITE NATURAL
GLIMPsEs OF HUMAN NATURE.
An Observant Young Lady Tells What
She Noticed on Trip From
Valley to Sea.

In travelling, were you ever amused by
interesting yourself in the maneuvers of
the people with whom you are thrown
into contact? Perhaps, thoughtful reader,
you and l are sacrificed on the altar of the
constituencies critic; but in ignorance
there is bliss. A ride of ten or twelve
hours will suffice to present numerous
types of humanity, and seated in luke
warm car at the principal station in a
central county, let us take a few observa-
tions during twenty-minute wait for the
hurried matutinal hash, which will sow
the seed for dyspepsia broadcast.
We gaze through the notified car win
dows at the back porches of the houses
adjacent to the depot, and watch the
servant maids, in curl papers and Mother
Hubbard wrappers, swapping news over
the back fences, and the fiirtations be-
tween the curl papers and milkmen.
The signs of liver exterminators and
gopher cures are read and re-read, and at
last the "B-o-a-d" of the conductor, ut
tered with an accent at an angle of 45 de-
grees, breaks the reverie
The sky is dull leaden color, and raw
wind walls around the corners of the
brindle depot, playing havoc with the
work of the bill-poster, and decorating the
neither extremities of the shivering
passers-by with scraps of paper, straws and
miscellaneous objects picked up in its
career down street.
A trio the eve first lights on in the car
suggest remnant of a country Board of
Supervisors let loose for noon. Their con-
versation is confined to fence laws and
roadways, and the language is at intervals
more forcible that elegant WREN mention
ing the victory of some brother with his
pet measure. One of the honest tillers of
the soil is resplendent in new derby hat,
perched on a shock of curly hair that
plainly told tale of having cheated the
local barber out OF many an honest shill-
ing. The chin resembles an unburned
stubble-feld. Over the weather-beaten
overcoat hangs a grizzled beard, while
around the velvet collar, which shines like
a mirror, runs a reef of dandruf that has
rained from his 22-caliber head. Down
the back of this head runs perpendicular
part, the hair being carefully brushed
-awaY on each side. This style
OF barbering is now obsolete.
HiA boots are blackened to an astonishing
derreS of darkness; the corduroy pants
stunsds in them disclosed an expanse OF
boosieg as wrinkled as the hide on the rhi-
nocert In combining his interest to his
boots obliterate the traces of tule mud,
ne Ma overlooked the corner lots OF
choice ''dobe" land that cling with death
grip 10 his long-tailed coat.
Over the manly breasts of the three
iovial friends the juice OF the filthy weed
that little Robert Reed eschewed runs in
little foam-fecked rills, and as the CONVEX
sation grows more animated, the faster the
rate of speed of the mahogany-hued mo-
lars.
Here, too, is the newly married couple
YOU have all seen them in transit, In all
stages of the blissful honeymoon. She
wears her bridal toggery, the conventional
dove color, with bonnet of the same
gentle hue jauntily set on her drab locks
She carries a bouquet of hot-house bios
SONS a bouquet, credulous reader, that
must have been built with the aid of a
sledge, wedge, square and compass, so COM
pact is its exterior and so methodical its
arrangement.
He carries a shoe-box full of cake, REM
nants of the wedding supper, of which the
local papers will say, "An elegant repast
was prepared for the occasion, TO which
all did ample justice" and the poor fell
1or,'e 70 OF N his Nctnrf
clothes is to be admired rather than
pitied. Both are radiant, both are obliv'
ious of the existence of any one but
'1ovey" and "dovey," and are as happy as
you and l would be over finding six bits
or more. The dun-colored bonnet invol
unfairly approaches the lapel of the coat
of the S27 suit, and with "Kiss-me-J ock'
expression in her larboard eye, it (the
bonnet) sinks gently upon the broad chest
and she listens to the tick of the Water
bury time-piece in the intervals between
his soulful murmurings.
The peanut eonductor-that harmless
and necessary nuisance-looms up and
drawls out his wares, and ''lovey's" appe-
tite being in excess of her listening quail.
ties, she exacts of "dovey" the purchase Of
some of the dainties. He draws from the
depths of a capacious pocket a purse
knitted and beaded, miracle of reds and
sky blues, donation from Birdie" by his
side, and with bring mountaineering
don't-mind-th the. expense" gesture to the
maple-wax fend, they twitter and gush.
But you have seen them SO often, why
elaborate? The fawn-colored suit and the
green bridegroom will be fixtures on the
train as long as the world swings round in
its orbit.
There is the young lady travelling alone,
who is in mortal dread of missing her
trains, and who bores all the passengers
and railroad officials with persistency
that is truly appalling. She besieges the
grim conductor, that animated timetable
in calico shirt and white collar, who
pours into her anxious ears a dissertation
on dates and hours as long and interesting
as delinquent tax-list.
These observations are broken off
in the middle by the shrill whistle,
announcing the entrance to the capital city,
and under the arched roof of whose depot
are gathered kinds and colors that it
would be tedious to mention. Tripping
along the platform comes small process
sion Of two well-dressed Cinnamon, bloom
ing in stif-rimmed black hats and 50 many
old coats that the top one stands out liks
ballet-dancer's skirts The long claw
fingers are concealed in the roomy sleeves /;
stockings as white as snow-drift and
pointed toed pontoons that click on the
cement floor as they step by as neatly as
could goat. The long queues are braided
to painful degree of neatness and glisten
with grease as they tangle around their
heels at each step and describe figure the
shape of fsh-hook.
The baggage of the twain consists of two
carpet-sacks, stuffed to gospel measure,
and the value they place on this plumber
is second only to the store they set by
establishing themselves in the favor of
teeir Josh.
The colored ladies, who are com
panions and confdants, are GER
tainly glad they came. The terra Gotta
coats and green bonnets intensity the pc
culiarity of saddIe-colored skins and the