Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-10-09
A DIVIDED DISCOURSE.
A pRumMER,s REMARKS ON THE PLUG
HATS MARCH INTERRUPTED.

The High Hat Marks the 'i"h
Civiltzntion-The Cowboys No Longer
shoot at It-But the Old Water Tank
Recalled Cruder Methods.
ssNo sir" said the drummer, there Is
not a 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-
s'Tbe cowboy still occasionally drops into
tho saloon and shoots the lights out; he
likes now aud then to shoot the insulators
off the telegraph poles, and there are other
eccentric and sometimes boisterous forms Of
amusement that still find favor with him,
but it is no longer considered good form any
where 10 evince disapprobation of the wear
ing of a plug hat by shooting il 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 a 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, unas-
summing stranger who had persisted in wear
ing white shirt had an arm a. big around
as an oyster keg, muscles Of steel. the
heart Of a lion and the tigers suddenness
of movement, there arose a feeling that
possibly the shirt question was dehatable.
and some men went so far As 20 say openly
80
white shirt if be wanted 10, and when
the quiet man had in quick succession
knocked out seven supporters Of the mega
tive side the change OF sentiment was so
great that it amounted practically to a re-
versal of public opinion, and by common
consent he was permitted To wear his shirt.
THE fact is that although men are as
infeXibie as ever on vital questions and rs
ready rs ever 10 fight when the cause is
really worth fighting for, the great major
fty 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
uttng 10 this broader enlightenment have
been the gradual settlement of the coun-
try, the more extended and frequent
means of communication and the cOnse-
quent general spread of civilization You
see
The speaker was New York drummer
who had Travelled the country over and
again from one corner 10 the other His
discourse was delivered in the smoking
room of sleeping ear on n far western
railroad. His sole auditor was the report
er. The drummer's discourse was tenn
Dorarily interrupted by the gripping of the
air brakes aud 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 il We recognized il a. place where
some time before "A train had been held ND
by robbers IL was a 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
IL was not long after nightfall when we
approached the station, but the night was
very dark. As the train passed slowly
through the pine woods il seemed as
though the great gaunt trees were moving
together for "A companionship that might
prove less gloomy than standing alone.
Naturally our talk was of train robbing
We agreed that the modern way Of rob
bing the express and mail cars only was
more in keeping with the general growth
Of progressive methods, and that it was
undoubtedly pleasanter for the passengers.
The train halted with the engine along
side the tank. It did seem as though il
took the engine a long time TO drink, but
IL was big engine. Now the train starts,
and we begin to settle down to continue
the Journey when the brakes grip again.
and the train stops suddenly. Now our
- a.
which the robbers had emerged We sur
vey it from the dripping spout in front as
far around "a the eye will reach. but in the
most casual manner, just as we might have
looked at a shed or a fence anywhere else.
FELT A LITTLE CURIOUS"
1t was little curious. of course. that the |
train should pull up suddenly at that par |
ticular spot after having once started. but
beyond the commonplace Wonder what's |
up nowY' neither of the passengers in the
smoking room betrayed any particular in
terest in the situation. The brakeman
went out. Everything around seemed very
still, but the drummer and reporter con
tinued in easy conversation. What under |
current of thought there might be in the |
drummer's mind the newspaper man didn't |
know, but he found time himself to think |
that il the stop did mean robbers it might |
be that they were men who still pursued |
the cruder methods Of personal robbery.
When the trair. had started again, as il |
did veLSfsoon, and, quickly gathering head |
>fhad left the water tank and its dismal |
surroundings far behind the two men still |
talked on in the same quiet manner. though |
close observer might have noticed In their /
bearing just trace of added buoyancy, |
which almost approached animation when
the conductor came in. Without being in |
the smallest degree foppish, the conductor
was distinctly natty Ia appearance, and he
was also quick, self reliant and energetic
man. 1t was, perhaps, his breezy activity
of movement that stirred the two passen-
gers, for they ceased their conversation,
and both asked in the same moment:
What did we stop for'"
IL was simple enough. The conductor
had stood at the tank for a moment after
giving the engineer the signal 70 go ahead
and had taken another glance at the for
ward cars they slowly passed him. On
the forward platform OF the baggage car
he saw tramp. He jumped OH the rear
platform Of the same car, and pulled the
bell cord. The engineer stopped the train.
The conductor was on the platform with
the tramp before the train stopped If the
tramp had given any reason " ny he should
De permitted 70 roe IL Is possible the con
ductor would have carried him As it was
he simply lifted him OFF and stood him ON
the ground without a word, and then he
pulled the he'll cord again.
The train was now running at its ordi-
nary rate Of speed The regular beat of
the wheels as they measured off the rails
betOkened the beginning of long stage OF
the journey. The drummer placed the
camp stool at the right distance To support
his feet comfortably, relighted his cigar,
settled back and continued:
You see"--.--New York Times.