Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-23
TOLD ABOUT TOWN.
The Street Car Conductors Lot Other
Events Of the Week.

uS1S bAOOOV
The Street Car Conductors Lot Other
Events Of the Week.
Anyone who considers the street
car conductors duty aloof from un-
pleasantries should listen to the
abuse he has to contend with at
the hands Of passengers boarding the
wrong car through their own negli-
geucs. And the smile he gets from
the woman for whom he don't halt
the car in the middle of the street is
encouraging. as is also the euiogy he
receives from the mother whose l6-
year-old daughter he refuses to let
ride for half fare. The lady who be-
comes so absorbed in 3 new novel as
to pass her destination several blocks
Of course has q pleasant word for
him. The person forgetting q pack
age or pocketbook or something else
Invariably praises him for his watch
fulness about luggage-and innu-
merable incidents in connection with
the conductors duty tend to show
the inspiring gratitude of street car
riding people. The lady with red
hair and spectacles couldn't under
stand why her l7-year-old daughter
should be compelled to pay 5 cents.
Nonsense with you and your
orders!" she exclaimed in Lightning
grammar. When that little child
used to ride to school four years ago,
she always went for half fare. You
conductors are getting too smart
lately. and the old company is a rob-
Der. I'll walk after this! Take
your old nickel" This was pleas
ing to the conductor before a car
load of people. Certainly he had No
business regarding instructions. He
just did it because be felt that way
the lady thought. The travelling
man who boarded red line car at
Nineteenth street without asking
questions and heard the Davenport
change announced at Twentieth ex-
pressed his gratitude 10 language
and threats toward the conductor
that would have given the fellow be-
low nervous prOstration. And yet
the conductor is an unaccommodat-
ing fellow who has nothing to do
but ride around and enjoy himself
Stroll along prominent avenue
in the business district in the neigh
borhood of midnight when the sa-
loonkeepers have commenced an
nouncing the closing-up hour and not
infrequently some interesting sights
are noticeable. esp cially the youth
full sport who meanders along NUT
tering to himself and imagining all
sorts of things under the influence Of
a few drinks. In this condition he
remembers all his troubles and new
ones incidental to the nights JAM
boree. SO he imagines. He is usual
ly exceedingly sociable and DESTROYS
of unloading his sorrows to whomso-
ever he may come in contact.
He started out with q delegation of
jolly good fellows and now he is
alone. They have been traitorous
and took advantage of him, he re
lates. The boy counter jumper was
in such a mood the other evening.
Stopping a couple of gentlemen
whom he was in no condition to
recognize he began, half crying:
''Fellers, l don't know you; but, say
I amt getting a square deal. Course
I'm little drunk. but l know YOU
will not see me get the worst of it.
There's a gang of fellows trying to
do me up. They have kicked and
beat me already, and want you to
help me out. Won't you, eh?''
Then he frightened up somewhat,
the liquor having evidently began
working in another direction. but,
say, you ought to have seen me lick
them. There were three of 'em.
Just showed them Indians they
couldn't throw me down. Beat
them-why l knocked 'em si.lyr'
And then the policeman who knew
his failing took him by the wing and
ushered him home. Aud that's the
way it goes.
This is bad give away on at least
one druggist. Late one night gen.
tleman thinking of instructions from
his wife to have a prescription filled,
stepped into a drug store just in
time to find the clerk preparing to
close up.
what will you charge 10 fill that
prescriptions" inquired the customer.
handing over the bottle.
o"Twenty-flve cents; but you'll have
to wait Is minutes"
well. never mind: I'll call in to-
morrow"
The following morning the man
had the proprietor fill the order.
Wrapping it up and answering an
inquiry as to the charges. he replied:
'Fourty-five cents"
"Great Scott" exclaimed the Gus
toner. "medicine has gone up in the
past II hours. Why. your clerk told