Evening journal., 1897-12-30
JoLLYrNG OLD AuNTIE.

less of creed or color"
JOLLYING OLD AUNTIE.
The car stopped and an old colored
woman got on. She carried a large
bundle, and her patriarchal husband
followed her. They were negroes of the
old school. The woman handed the
conductor 80 cents. He put it in his
pocket and paid no more attention TO
her. But she paid considerable atten-
tion to him. She looked at him suspi-
ciously a number of times, and then
her eyes began to blink ominously. /
Her husband also had a mad and wor-
ried look, but he left the matter to her
for adjustment
'Lookee yahr, Mr.. Man, did'n' | glib
yo' a 50-cent ha'f a dollah?" she asked,
picking up courage to voice her senti-
ments.
Yes" replied the conductor That's
all right-you've paid your fare and the
old mans fare, too"
Oats all right; but what / wan ter
know is. amt i titled to no change
frum dat 50-cent haf dOllah?"
She had probably worked hard over
the washtub and ironing-bOard to get
it, and valued its purchasing power ac-
cordingly.
But you have the bundle" said the
conductor indicating it with a wave OF
the hand.
bundle, hit aint nuthin' often yO
close-line"
Her eyes began swapping more fire.
quently and fiercely than before.
You don't expect the company to
carry that big bundle for nothing, do
you?" asked the conductor.
Hits bin a-doin' hit" she said.
well" said the conductor, "a new
rule has gone into force since then,
and now you have to pay for it. This
fifty is all right"
The conductor turned and winked at
the Wayfarer, and the old colored man
. saw him do it.
He threw himself back in his seat
and began laughing.
YAH yah, YAH" he went, and the
car rang with his merriment.
His wife turned upon him, and there
was fight in her eye.
'W'Ot fur yo' laf, yo' lazy, no count
niggah?" she demanded.
Yah, yah, yah" and his uprOarious
laughter ran out afresh. Hannah
chile, dat white mans only foolin' wild
yo'. Go long, honeyi"
After the laugh had died away the
conductor gave her her change, and
she tied it up in one corner of an old
bandana handkerchief which she car
ried. At the next corner they got off,
but as long as the passengers were
within hearing they could hear the old
man going, Yah, yah, yahl'
As. for the conductor, he was voted a
peach.
PICKPOCKET'S CLEVER WORK.
In France the training of pickpockets
is carried on as industriously and sys-
tematically as any other line of busi-
ness more lawful, but perhaps less re-
muneratiye, considering the amount OF
capital invested Bright children are
taken from the slums by the master
pick-pockets. They are placed in a
room in which there is a lay figure with
bells hidden in the garments. The least
clumsiness of touch rings one or more
of these bells. 1t is the object of the
teachers of this nefarious business tC
give the children such delicate touch
that they can take anything from the
pockets of the garments worn by the
lay figure without evoking the slightes
alarm from the bells. When they can
do this they are capable of working on
the streets, and are reasonably sure OF
immunity from detection by the per
sons upon whom they are operating.
The older they get the more expert
they become, ana the police have to b.
all the more careful to protect the pub
lie from their depredations.
A prominent official of the Water
Department in this city tells a gooS
story of a clever piece of work perform
ed by a Philadelphia pick-pocket whit
must have received his training il
France, for he was certainly an exper
rascal. This Water Department Off
cial and two friends, one of them
prominent citizen of one of the larges
towns in the lower part Of the state
were in Philadelphia. They boarded
car, which was crowded, and stoo
upon the platform. After riding sev
eral squares they got off, and then
was that the prominent citizen froI
down the state discovered that he ha
been robbed of a valuable diamond pi
which he wore in his shirt front.
was an ornament with all modern safe
ty appliances, but they had failed {
battle the covetous wretch
The victim was asked if he felt tn
pick-pocket when he was fumblin
around his shirt front. He replied ths
he did not, but recollected that ono
when the car stopped to let off som
passengers he was jostled rather rough
ly by two or three young men who weI
leaving the car The three Dplawarl