The Republican journal., 1896-02-06

A TOURIST GETS THE BEST OF A TRAIN
NEWSBOY.
Written for The journal. I

he was young man, Il louflSu eNlueHI-
ly, and there was distinct air of pessi-
mism about him. AS he alighted from
| the train at Oakland Pier, a waiting friend
greeted him and the two at once betook
| themselves to the ferry boat. While the
peerless Piedmont was ploughing her way
across the bay to San Francisco, the
| follows
II tell you what said the tourist, ~
am dead sick of Pullman car porters.'
eff the Baron can afford to furnish EN-
free, at the price he charges for his stuff
ed pigeon holes, then he surely should
furnish a schedule, adjusting the price
of chose wisp brooms.'
'As it is now, you see, the thing is left
to the Judgment of The coon, and he puts
in his best work on those whom he thinks
will stand the most milking. Pretty often
| he blunders, and it's hard on the coon S
nerves and bad for the neglected passen-
GER
| iititi W VAIN On i!lt utCh ol lllt POI
| ter in our car this morning. and he begged
pardon and confessed that he was on the
coast to get rid of malaria. Why, you
see, last night some of our people got off
at Reno, and the mig had chills while he
Was brushing en- off, and the elegant tri-
ple-tonguing he did with that corn broom
was Just great, but this morning, when
/ we arrived, he d gotten over the ague and
was having fever, so by the time he got
along to my section he didn' dare use the
brush for fear lie wouldn't have strength
left to pocket the silver See?''
ooh yes ! N always in trouble, and be-
fore l -ell you what happened last week |
want to ask a straight question. 'Do l
| look like a consummate jay? Would you
take me to be man who couldn' tell an
oyster stew from ham sandwich? Would
you pick ME out as a fellow who would
revel in moral corruption?'
"Why no, indeed, said the friend with
playful sarcasm, nothing OF the jay at
all, but with those siders, why probably a
theological student.
Pathological student, chi well | ike
that, it so much worse, You see came
out of Chicago on the c. b. & Q. About
noon we went onto new division, and
got interested in the new news agent
was up late the night before and hadn t
felt like reading, and | couldn't find any
fun like a kid, in looking out of the window
at corn fields, so | was watching the peo-
pie. Lots of folks like to visit menag-
erie, but get the same enjoyment watch
ing humanity that others get in looking
at animals with more legs
''This news boy was great show for me.
He was about SO and wore a silk cap and
a poXmarked counteuance trimmed with
a yellow moustache. He looked as if he
had been laid away damp and had become
widowed, and also as if moths and car
pet bugs had gotten into his hair. The
train was long and crowded and he was
hustling for business and had the all of
responsibility and importance that YOU
see in farmer boy who comes in out of
the country and goes to work driving a
delivery team for a cheap market
''At length he Slid into the seat beside
me, pulled book from the bottom of his
arm fuIl and said in stage whisper:
Here Just whatyouwant. It's hot stuff. j
Keep it dark. L d get pulled for selling it.
you know. OF course | was mad, but
only sneered and said | didn't care for it.
and at the same time glanced at the title
page. saw at once it was very reputable
translation from the French and bore the
imprint of well know II Chicago publishers.
| was astonished al his gall and wondered
just how big jay he took me to be. He
said of course | wouldn't want to keep it.
but that although he sold one for s.. 90
ne allow me to read it for 81. 90 and in the
morning when had finished it. he would
exchange for copy of Stanley Woods
cover the Range free. That was so
rich | gave him my dollar Immediately,
and he left me after saying 4 may be to
sleep after running all night, but you'll
find me up in the smoker on my box in
the morning Well, you see, l was 60
ing to buy cover the Range at Denver
anyway, and it costs s1.5O, and it struck
me | could teach this fellow something
that would prove valuable to him"
II read my book. 1t was not bit crustv.
of course, but just a good story and we'll
worth so cents, the regular price"
''The conductor informed me that his
run ended AT B., where we were to
arrive at 6 p. NJ, SO at about five O. clock
l had finished my novel and promptly
ambled forward into the smoking car.
where | found, just as l expected, my
man in street clothes, his train box pack
ed and locked, and all ready to leave at
the station. | said, "All right, old man,
Pm done with this; you can give me over
the Range now.' He looked me over,
hesitated a moment, then thought better
of it and slowly unlocked his box and
made the exchange without a word. Then
| left him with tear and in my opinion
he must have experienced some very queer
emotions, for instead of getting rid of a