Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-20
COLLECTING A FARE.
He Didn't Pay the Money, Still He
Didn't Make the Trip.

He Didn't Pay the Money, Still He
Didn't Make the Trip.
81 had an odd experience cnce in the far
vest" said a Chicago. merchant to Star
man in the hotel lobby. II was at that
time travelling for the house in which am
row a partner. and my business took me
to the Rocky mountains. There were two
or three stores up in the mountains at the
terminus of a branch road they were
building to some mines, and I had to take
them in. There was a tremendous grade;
presume as much as a hundred feet to
the mile for twenty-five miles, and the
two trains a day that passed over the
road with passengers were not the finest
en- the continent. However, they were
good enough, and beat a mule train all to
pieces.
There were not more than dozen pas
sengers in the single coach. very print
tive affair, indeed, when we started, and
there We're only two of u.s. and one Of them
had come on at the last station. He was
equal to all the other dozen. though, for
he was just drunk enough to be ugly, and
was terror besides. He had two big
guns In his belt. and knife to keep them
company, and when the conductor asked
him for his fare, he simply gave him
cursins.
when the conductor insisted on his pay
ing, he told him if he didn't get out lie
would I'll him full Of lead and tap him with
his knife, and the conductor retired, but
in no good humor. AS he sat down in he
corner where l was, by the stove, l asked
him who the passenger was, and he told
me he was the worst man in the noun
tains. and had killed N an for every finger
he had on his hands. He had at one time
shot 4 hole through the conductors hat,
but the difficulty had been patched up
temporarily.
II could see the conductor was feeling
sore. and when stopped asking questions,
be C1Yyf Ia n ole nj
self to profound thought, every now and
then looking over his shoulder towards
his unamiable passenger. Some time later
" hen We might have been five miles from
our destination, the conductor asked me
if wouldn't please take my bag and step
into the caboose that served as a baggage
car. l did SO, and took my seat on one of
my sample cases, the conductor shutting
the door of the car behind me- and leaving
me there. minute or two later l felt the
train start forward, as If part of it's load
were gone and In a minute or SO more the
conductor came In. l asked him what the
matter was, and he pointed to the door. I
got up and opened 1t, and, instead Of find
Ing the passenger car where I had left 1t,
it was flying back down the track at break
neck speed. : In another minute 1t had
whirled around a curve and was out of
sight.
"'How did that happen? 1 asked the
conductor in horror.
Got loose some way he answered
Where's the passenger We left there?
He's there yet, guess
":Well, aren't you going back to do what
you can? The whole thing will be smashed
Wouldn't be surprised
Then he stepped to the forward door Of
the caboose and told the engineer to re-
verse the engine and go back. Five miles
down the track We found the ramshackle
old passenger coach in a million pieces at
the bottom of gorge hundred feet be-
low the track. We couldn't get to it then,
SO we went on to our destination, where
the accident was reported and the coroner
notified. He went down next day, but
couldn't find enough of the terror to hold
an inquest on. and returned a verdict in
accordance with the facts, and gave the
revolvers to the conductor for future refer
ence."
Did the conductor cut the car loosen"
incurred The Star man.
That's what the coroner asked me-" re-