Evening star., 1896-01-11

One of the seemingly contradictory in
cidents of animal nature can be seen in
Washington. AS is well known, cats and
dogs are instinctively enemies. A we'll
known citizen owned a cat and also a very
fine setter dog. The cat had family of
kittens, all of which were drowned. At
about the same time the dog became the
mother OF some puppies, and day or two
after the drowning of the kittens, the dog
ate a piece of poisoned meat, leaving the
puppies orphaned before their eyes were
opened. The cat was inconsolable for two
or three days at the loss of her kittens, but
one evening the owner noticed that she had
the puppies around her, and ever since that
Tune she has taken the part of mother to the
little dogs, which have now opened their
eyes, but are still as fond of their foster
mother as though she had given them BIRTH
x
mo, I never knew a Chinaman to try to
beat u.s. said s. T. Ernest, the veteran
transfer clerk of the Washington and
Georgetown railroad at the intersection of
7th street and Pennsylvania avenue, but
the people of every other nation on earth
have tried to do 50, and thousands of them
have carried out their purpose. I do not
Know that 1t Is because the Chnaman is
more honest than others or whether he is
more afraid that he will get In trouble
He was talking to Star reporter of what
he has seen and heard during his seventeen
years experience as transfer clerk
Il guess" he continued, in a musing way
between the intervals of handing out the
tickets, that / have seen as MANY men,
women and children as most any man.
see them by the thousands every day, and
have seen them by the thousands every day
Tor many years. From presidents and
princes to tramps and beggars have ridden
on our cars and have secured transfer tick
ind T =,
only the noblest but the meanest men; not
only the purest but the vilest women; not
only the richest but the poorest people on
earth, have passed these windows and gone
their way doing good or evil. 1 sometimes
wish that 1 could write intelligently If
mad been scholar could have written
hne book by now"
Just then there was rush Of passengers
from 1th street car for one on the ave-
nue, and the faithful old clerk dealt out
tickets IN his ninble way, while the re-
porter leaned against the tree which stands
lust in front of the east window of the
ticket office and watched the hurrying
throng.
DO many people beat US? Yes. hun
oredS of them You know there Is
mania for beating a railroad of any kind.
Splendidly dressed and wealthy men and
women. occasionally ministers of the Cos
pei, and down to the vagabond play tricks
are that if we have any doubt about a
man to give him a ticket. In many cases.
however, we catch up with the sharpers
and they get exposed before a crowd. We
nave never had any arrests made, as the
Sharper always sneaks away in a hurry"
Inc Old transfer clerk says he has no
IDEA now many tricks are worked to do"
the cars One of the favorite ones how
ever, Is for man or woman To stsEd at a
convenient, and, if possible, secluded place
and wait until two crowded cars come to-
gether. Then the dead beat makes his way
INTO the crowd which leaves the cars and
riRIyh
Jump on car a block away and keep out
OF the way of the conductor until the trans
Ter place is reached.
x
1 was talking to a well-known attorney
the other day. and he told me that many
case is lost in court by long speeches,
fnstancing one in which he appeared. Il
was retained to defend man accused of
burglary he said, land made an hours
speech in his behalf My client was con-
vfcted and sentenced to the penitentiary
Tor five years. it being in Illinois, where
tne jury likes the length Of term under the
statute / spoke for an hour and a half.
and got new trial, at which 1 exhausted
myself IN two hours speech, at the end
OF which the jury brought in a verdict of
seven years. If had spoken half an hour
longer l am confident that he would have
peen sentenced for ten years"
* X
L have friend, the wife of a newspaper
man, by the way, who is very ingenious in
contriving ALL sorts of articles of wearing
apparel, from wraps to bonnets, making
as her husband proudly declares, ian i'm
ported something out of nothing" Only a
few of her friends know of her capabilities
In this line, or guess how many PENNIES
she saves her worthy spouse with her clever
fingers. I discovered Eer secret in this
wise: We were shopping the other day, and
in Irot tah rih in,
q store my friend felt her cape lifted, but
thought some one had brushed by rather
carelessly, until voice asked close to her
ear.
Lady, did you buy your cape ready
nader
Now, Mrs. Newspaper Is little, but, oh
my! and she turned, as I expected she
would, to annihilate the in0uisitive per-
son with look, but she met the broad,
rosy face of an old country woman BEAM
ing with good-natured kindliness and en-
tirely innocent of having insulted the pro-
prieties. little Mrs. N. lost her stony stare
and smiled, too, she replied courteously:
'.No. madam, 1 made it out Of an old
coat"
Did you really, though? Well, now,
amt it pretty?' appealed the old woman
to the shop girl who was listening to the
conservation with condo scending hauteur.
Miss Snopgfrl elevated her over-penciled
eyebrows and admitted that the cape was
really quite pretty" when the old woman
continued, still handling the cape and peer
ing under it to get a better view of the
lining:
But you bought the pattern, didn't you.
ma'am?"
Yes"
'Cust Won a quarter, didn't ft?"
Yes" replied Mrs. Newspaper, by this
time thoroughly amused and wondering
what would be the next question.
Where did you get the pattern, 1ady?'
'At 50 and so's.s said Mrs. N.
''Linin' cost much?'' continued this walk
ing interrogation point.
mo. not much" replied my friend, "just
a dollar and seventy-fiye certs.''
"Well, now, you don't say, Such a pretty
thing and only two dollarsp'
With this remark the old woman dropped
the cape reluctantly and gazed at it linger-
trgly as she passed on.
Mrs. Newspaper turned to the waiting
girl behind the counter, who smiled in a
superior way as she said:
We'll! that old thing has more curiosity
than monkey. / wouldn't have answered
her questions to save her life"
"Oh, yes, / think you would" said Mrs
N, gently, as she received her parcel for
you know inquisitiveness Is only imperti-
nence when 1t comes from one who knows
better NV probably coupht her