The morning call., 1891-02-11
HIS MISSION FAILED.
Story From Waiting. Room Of
the Southern Pacific.
The Man Who Taught General Manager a. ".
Towne to Set Up Brake Pays His Old
Friend Brief Call

The big clock in the General Managers
Office at Fourth and Townsend streets
was striking . The almost incessant
stream of humanity. composed of men in
every walk of life from car-greasers to bank
presidents, which daily flows through an
outer Office on lis way to the room of the
man who presides over the destinies Of the
greatest railway corporation in the world
had for the moment ceased. There was
lull in the storm OF visitors
big cat came down from the restaurant
on the fifth floor. filed claim with the of
fce-boy for a nest and was enjoying an after
dinner nap on Tile of way bills in one cnr-
ner of the little room. The sleek youi5 man
who takes IN your Card and ialer on writes
your name on bit of pasteboard with seal
brown conditions on the reverse sle-prO-
viding you have seen Stow-diyided his brief
interval of rest between an incipient mus
tache and an ink stain on new crayat.
THE AGED VISITOR.
He was waiting for another caller, and
had not long TO waif. for at that moment the
door opened softly and an old man entered.
He was apparently about 90 years OF age, a
man on whose face misfortune, unaided by
vice, had drawn her cruel and indelible
lines. His hair was long and white, his
clothes Of cheap texture, worn uhreadbare,
and his form hnyved and feeble with the in.
frmities Of age. was half-suppor;ed bv a
otort ,yallIinc s+ict held in bis yvitharad
80 - 71r.f.a.;,-o r,or,a,,+ ~ 49,
door, he directed his totter ing steps toward
the desk of the outer guard. Il should like
to see Mr.. Towne," he said, removing plug
| hat of the style worn in 1885, aud wiping the
| persplratlon from forehead 1urrowed with
| the lines OF age.
THE MAN WITH TIE CARDS
The Young man at the desk. who had been
| partially aroused from his ink-stain reverie
| npon the approach of a caller. arose from
! his chair, smiled cynically, and mechanically
! reached for little bundle of blank cards
| LYING in tha coroer of the desk
s.Yonr name and business?' said the earn.
| 10"' H"'-" 'NN ''iu s"0 S'sau-
ies %. Nv nar,e" ranl;a5 tho old mo, ga.
| NY ndne, lePAou INC otd HAL 10
2TSacPn = h,ooKeI, my business Is Win MI
will see ne If Won vii h.. me ina si dfs nc
| take my name in. We have, heen inti1nate
| friends in the years cone py. In faet, mS
boy. eorfir;. !, . the cid nla,,, liking pair d
.steai-gray e., es on the astonished waiter. g
taught a. n. Towne how to set up brake
We were bTakemen together"
But" protested the now thoroughly
dumfounded Office man, 81 must know the
object of your yisit-my Instructions, you
know; orders, old man, orders. You know
what railroad order is, if you have been in
the business"
sIDE-TRACKED.
Indeed / do" responded the oId rail,
roader ~ remember one night in the fall
Of 1872, [ was running a train at that fine
on the Chicago. Burlington and 0uinrv we
had orders to side-track for a snsciaI at
!" This oi,',t eo.;.,a' ioi SpeciS1ei ~
rupted the other. taie ma INV so o
| Iii find ont if he will see Won - ''''
| Well &" said the visitor 81 u,on+ ~ o1.
Mr. To1,ne to indorus ~, ~, " ant W d f
work and he drew from his panI, a. Ioi
| fnIiv foi1jed ~ ~. i - Hio pocket d Ca e
| i1iiS toiueu sneet VI eSaI cap. gu might
| also take THIS along, and he handed the
I'D sod .nan ahothef document, creased
nanar ~ - ~ letter written on the official
Tbis ;, s'e ooutheIn racine company.
written shortly altar M Iowa. WAC
pointed General SUPERINTENDENT of the sue
TEN. You Will notice, if you read. that he
invites me TO call on him if l should eyel
come 10 California"
BITTER DISAPPOINTMENT.
Hastily running his eve over tho nanar,
the clerk left the room, In few mamept:
he returned and stood before the vis;tnr
| who for tile first time since enfering thf
| building smiled family. Hone Iong do.
| ferred was abont tn he reaiized rTbae iror
! hand of fate was RELAXING IFS boid TIA
web woven by unkind circumstances was
| abort m ha on, 100 frSa iil was "as
stood erect and into the deen0set grav eVea
| there crept light-the light of vonJt, and
"Mr Towna I" haoa,, tho ,,assorc,or hat
tatinglv az thnnrb he draodad =, -, mIoi-
| he nnOst an ST teAIo W soy "hdI