The Portland daily press., 1895-07-25
GETTING INFORMATION.
Sample Conversations Of Ticket Sell
Ter With Prospective Travellers.

| Ch1cago OF any trunk line learns IN
short time to have that pleasant look
which the photographer would impart.
He learns to smother his feelings In
this age of travel this agent must meet
every sort and condition of men and
women. The old lady or man who occa-
sionally goes out Of town for a day must
ask as many questions as the man or
woman who is planning journey. There
is an organization of these ticket agents
which meets somewhere at some time not
known to the officers of the roads and
there they fall upon each others necks
and weep and groan over the trials and
tribulations of the day. And there they
join hands and swear to be agreeable. on
the surface at least, during business
hours.
The experience of city ticket agent is
like hash at boarding house-the same
yesterday, today and forever. The same
questions every day. Here is the history
of little visit to John Wright, without
any padding or essay coloring; and what
he sees and hears and says they all see
and hear and say:
| A sunburnt man asked the fare to
| Springfield, Mo. The agent told him,
offhand.
"What time does the train leave?"
| lone at II a. M, one at 2 and one at
ep; M"
train?''
81 don't know what you have to do
If you will go from here direct to the
depot you will have time. If you want
to go out to the ball game you won't.
"Yes; see. And if don't make the
IL a. m. train, I can go on the p. m ?''
| Yes; if you get there in time
"What time is it now?'
"Ten-thirty. +"
| ssThat railroad time, or city timee"
| "All time in Chicago is the same. -
81 don't t think can make the II a. m.
I suppose | could, though, if 1 hustled.
If I take the II a. H., what time will
get to Sent Looy?"
The agent told him the hour.
"And then how much time will have
in Sent Looy before the train for Spring
| field goes out?'
about five minutes" +"
"That won't do I want to see a
cousin of my wife's who lives in Sent
Looy, and will have to hunt him up.
If don't take the IL a. M. and go on the
2 p. m: what time does she get to Sent
| Looy?"
| The agent told him that
| The man ask ed to Il ok at a map.
els this the G. & App asked the little
woman with yalise making her lop-
sided.
eyes, ma am -
'tDoes your road go to Alton?'
"All trains on our road run to Alton''
''That's what thought. l mean that's
what / meant. How much is it to AL
toni"
She was tired-looking face. Few
women have learned the art of keeping
| cool when travelling. Having thought
| she continued Z" First class that means?''
''Oh certainly"
"Any parlor or chair car on the
train?''
"Chair car on all trains. Which train
do you want to talze?"
81 hadn't thought of that. I suppose I
don't II"
'tReally am unable to say"
"Can stop off at Springfield? I want
to visit an aunt who used to live there,
though we haven't heard anything about
her since the strike last summer. Her
husband was a railroad man. May be
you have met him. +"
POSSIBLY ma 'am."
''Short, heavy-set man, with full beard
and gray eyes. Deaf in one year.
II think have met him, said the
agent in manner that would have won
for him in North Carolina the title of
Opium Honey"
"But you cannot stop off at Spring
field on through ticket" said the
agent, thinking that he had made one
lap ..,,
time will get to Alton?'
depends on the train you take''
"Yes that's so. hadn't thought of
that; reckon as long as am going I
might as well go today"
With this decision she began to fish in
her reticule for her money.
Say" chimed in the man who had
been studying the--map, fthis here burned
thing is all Dutch to me. Don't your
| road cross the river goin' to Sent Looy?''
Certainly"
"I don't see no bridge on the map But
II you say it crosses here 1 reckon it does.
The last time crossed the river at Sent
Looy is was on the ice. 1t was the cold
! est winter lever saw. The wagon wheels
froze in their tracks. Well, make me out
ticket on the 6 p m. and throw in a
sleepin' car. I never could sleep much
on one of the burned things, but if a
feller sets up all night he's liable to take
cold. A neighbor Of mine went to Oma-
ha once, and thought he'd set up all
night, so as to save expenses, and he
caught cold in his throat, and the doctor
had to cut his tonsils out, and he never
was any good after that. He used to
herd cattle for livin', and when he lost
his tonsils his voice was all broke down.
and he couldn't drive cattle without a
voice. -
BThe agent made out his tickets and
handed him pen. GO Sign your name
here, and there and there,'' he said indi-
eating three blanks
"Well, I'll try; but amt had pen
in my hand since I cut my wrist on a
cythe in the summer Of 'S9 Not to
write with III bet you can't read it
when 1 write it,
"Don't think" said the agent. "that
because man has hayseed in his hair
and egg on his shirt front he is the only
one who takes up your time. Some city
people are as bad in their way''
He had not more than said it when q
well dressed, commercial-looking man
under straw hat with a cart wheel
brim danced up to the counter and
asked:
"How much to ST. LOUISE"
The agent told him