San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-05-19
HE TOOK THE CHAIR.
How a Fresh Young Man Took the
Seat of the President of the
Road

a.
other truth telling ticket men OF
the various railways centering in
this vicinity were telling prize
whoppers when a travelling pas
senger agent from Burbon county,
Kentucky, who had dropped in
unexpectedly on the gang turned
himself loose as follows. "Boys /
know you all would never believe
it, but | once occupied the presi'
dents chair of the Helen Hen
road" "The Helen blazes you
did" exclaimed the pious, but not
mute inglorious Milton.
"That's what" replied Dave
Brady.
"How the mischief did you ever
become president of the Helen
HEM" interrogated LuptOn.
"Well, while Herman is putting
a little mint in mine | will tell
you all how | filled the seat but If
you ever tell any newspaper re-
porter about it | will shoot the
whole crowd. See? Well | was
only half past nineteen years old
then and was station agent, tele-
graph operator, baggage master,
and big Ike generally, at the depot,
at Blue Grass station, and |
not only felt the Importance of my
multifariOus position and tOted
dignity to balance it with, but |
unfortunately knew it all and had
airs enough to start several hotel
clerks successfully in business
with. Well, one day very meek
and mild hammered as well as
plainly attired individual, stepped
off the train and inquired if the
train coming in the opposite direc-
tiOn was on time.
Naturally as you all know
would have been at that period
my reply was: What's it to you?
The wild hammered and inOf-
fensive looking little cuss seemed
to be annihilated by my response
and looked very uneasy, but final
ly took courage enough to say. 81
do not wish sir to put you to the
least Inconvenience, but you will
do me great favor if you will tell
me when that train will get there,
as | have some very important
business to transact up town if
possible before it comes, so that |
can catch it and return this after
noon" |, of course, as the dignity
of or n dam n1nI mazda no
reply but tOyed a few minutes
with my telegraph key, tlirted
with the female operator fifty
miles away, until l got tired and
then leisurely got up and chalked
on the bulletin board. "No
sixteen south sound is three
minutes late, will arrive at
2:l1, it was then 80 and the insig-
niticant looking cuss started off as
rapidly as he could and came back
almost breathless just as the train
came in sight. | did not notice
then that he was accompanied by
the principal banker of the town
because | was too consumed with
my own Importance. Just as he
was boarding the train though, the
insignificant looking man said,very
ciVilly and | did not notice any
satire or irony in his tones: "Sir |
am very much obliged to you for
your courtesy to me during my
brief visit to your station and |
firmly believe that some day,when
you least expect it, you will be
called on to fill the chair" of the
president of this road. Now, al
though this compliment came from
what | then considered very hum
source it still tickled my vanity
and notified my feelings towards
him so much that | came very
near bribing the train butcher to
treat him to prize candy package,
but of course my good financial
Judgment came at once to my res
cue. Well day or two after that
received a large sized official
envelope, on which besides the
address Mr.. David Brady, general
agent of the Helen Hen company
Blue Grass, Ky also bore the
imprint of the president and di.
rector's department, when | read
the addres general agent at Blue
Grass, title by which | had never
before been addressed by the com
pany which heretofore had al
ways addressed me as station
agent simply. l began to fee
that the insignificant had been a
prophet and that my,promotion haC
been started with big jump from
station to general agent but whel
opened and read the letter,
was sure of it. The lette
read, after giving the general title
"Gou will proceed at once t,