Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-10
A TIP FOR TRAVELLERS
That is Especially Applicable During the
Hot Weather.
An Experience In n Railway Car Dur
ing the Dog Days-A Story
With a Moral.
Written for The Evening Star 10y cy warman.

Written for The Evening Star 10y Cy warman.
Copyright. 1897. by 5. s Mcclure Coz
The local stood at the station in the quiet
little town of st. Thomas the other day,
and when the big locomotive. with a rush
and roar. came tearing down the track
bringing with il the express from New
YORK, understanding man swung down
from sleeper and entered the rear car of
the local train, bourd for LONDON. Can.
He had about him an air OF case and COM
Tort, In his hand red rose and in his hair
the mist of Niagara. IL was a warm ard
dusty day. but it was not hot The shady
side of the car soon filled up. 4 man with
Scotch-lrish accent and a reef of red
throat whiskers that made fence round
his face, took a seat on the sunny sid.
threw up the shade and raised the window.
other passengers came in. took seats and
began TO jam their windows up also
stout woman with slim child took a place
at one of the windows, and the train i,ull-
ed out.
VIII You kindly close the front door,"
asked the red rose man of the news
butcher. The Peanut exchanged smiles
with the monkey-faced man. walked to the
front of the car and shut the door with a
bang. Then, thinking, perhaps that he
mad done too much good for one day. he
pushed spring and let the top half of the
glass drop down. The fireman was raking
his fire, and now the dark yellow smoke
sucked In through the opening in the ooor
and filled the car with foul fumes as thick
as London fog. The wind we had was
neither head nor beam-it blew bias
1t swept the dust and gravel under the
tram and brought IL up line with the
open windows, where IL met and mingled
with the smoke, SCOT and cinders that were
blown above the top Of the train. People
began to cough.
will you be good enough to close that
window in the front door," said the man
Q, the mist to the conductor. "Bedad.' said
the monkey-faced man, that felly must
come from hot place" and then ne smiled
smile at the Peanut that threatened 10
break the fence down. He's a fool the
dude with the rose" said the fat woman as
she damned her window up as far as it
would 90. The pale child in her lap
nearly suffocated by the smoke that mad
been pouring in through the opening in the
coor, but now, she held 1t in the open
window where the eddying wind swired
and swept the smoke and dust in, IL fairly
gasped for breath. Other passengers saw
this, and out of the goodness of their hearts
went sympathy for the suffering child and
cut OF their ignorance hatred for the mod
est traveller with the mist in his hair.
BY this time all the windows the
sunny side were wide open, and the smoke
was so thick that you could not see cars
length.
Il don't wish to run your train" said the
stranger to the conductor; but If you will
close all the windows. 1 agree TO jump or
at full speed IL the car is not reasonably
clear and comfortable at the end Of ten
minutes"
Three or four voices said mo" The fat
woman looked at the traveller in disgust.
The red REFER turned square round In his
seat and faced the stranger, but the
stranger never fiinched. He knew what he
was talking about he had seen IL work,
he explained afterward. In the Mojave
80, lan
black porter on the Sante Fe had said.
you all must keep yo' windows closed.
Yo' can stan de heat. but yo' can't stan de
dus'. De alkali git in yo nose and hut yo'
it git In yo' th'oat and choke yo'. tell
yo' now. yo' all can't stan de alkali." The
passengers to the Pacific had taken the
porter's advice and this traveller had re-
mcmbered how all the people in the train
were Indebted to Mr.. Pullman's employe for
a pleasant Journey across the American Sa-
hara- But these flag-station tourists OF the
north knew nothing of sunstrokes and Sa-
haras. and were Inclined to protest
against the absurd suggestion of the man
with the rose. The conductor knew that
the modest man was right. The brakeman
knew II, too, and at a nod from the cap
tain began to close all the windows.
That FELIX'S a fool" observed the red
man. You be quiet. old brandy and soda"
shouted the conductor. 'or I'll ditch you"
Now the fat woman gave yell that
caused every one to look In her direction.
faced man. "Bedad, I'll break the windys
on his face" and he made rush at the
traveller who had caused all the commo-
ton. By this time the conductor working
from the front and the brakeman from the
rear, had closed all the windows, and now
as old brandy and soda dashed down the
aisle the brakeman tagged him. The man
struck at the brakeman, and the latter hit
him under the ear. Ali the people stood
up along the walls of the car, while the
trainman and the irate passenger ~alloped
each other up and down the dusty aisle.
Women screamed. men stood up in their
seats and shouted Hit imr And both
combatants took the advice-or tried TO.
In the meantime the fresh air came In
through the transoms, and swept the
smoke and dust out through the door at
the rear end Of the car. while the battle
went on in the open. The fighters clircned.
and fell heavily to the floor The brake
man was on top. You old chimpanza,"
said the trainman, breathing fast. "I'H
disiigure your features If You don't cool
down."
The conductor and the man with the red
rose pulled the actors. or rather the pugi-
lists apart, and the bewhiskered voyager.
with a bad eye. sank into seat almost
exhausted. Nobody said a word now. The
brakeman busted of the knees Of his
trousers and went forward. The modest
man. who now sat facing the defeated
fighter, opened his hand grip and passed
leather covered flask to the man who
had wanted to break his face" a few mo-
ments before. The red-faced man took
the bottle and tried to pull the top as he
would cork, but the democratic owner of
the flask unscrewed IT for him, and he took
a good, long, strong pull. He breathed
some more now. very distinctly, and took
another drink. Up to now not a word had
been spoken by anyone in the car, since
the cessation of hostilities.
Would yez leave me give me pardner
a dbrop?" asked the vanquished. leaning
over toward the tourist. Sure" said the
rose man, and the other pressing his HAND
over his wounded eye, went forward to
look for the brakeman who had given him
such a delightful fight.