The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-19
ooMMUrER,S XEu TRICK.
Use or an Alarm Clock b, n Sleepy Man Going
Home by Hail.

1.-THE men on the short hau! have much to
contend with that n gang on n through train
never dreams of. and | don't know but that It
does us good, !" said the conductor of Il suburban
train. I'VE meet all sorts OF men among the
commuters and some of them arc good and a
few are bad. II Is polite to know them all by
sight, because it saves trouble in looking at
their tickets. A man turned II now wrinkle on
me last week just as ! was thinking that there
was nothing new in the business.
He goes in with me on the so every morn
ing as wide awake as any one on my train, and
he returns on the $50 every night all worn out
and sleepy. | don't know what he docs, but |
think that. he is IA stock broker. Anyway. he
has a habit of stretching himself out in his seat
and going sound asleep. Usually he would
wake up just before reaching his station, but on
two occasions ne slept clear uD into Connecticut,
and his language the first time WAS something
awful. He called nc and said:
"'You blooming idiot. here you have been
taking my ticket day after day and you didn't
know enough TO put me or at my station. Why
didn't y on wake Inc upf
"Hc might have boon the President of tho
road. and then again he might not, SO l took
chan ces and said:
"'Now, look here, sir, you are talking like a
fool. We don't run a sleeping car. Hereafter
you must either keep awake or send yourself
lllblE u W.. bN .iNlllbbo I'N hhEN' ~ NNh Ep as VA
press ,we will dump you of at your station every
lyon are dead right, ho snid. and il was all
my fault. ofcr an apology.
harm done, said |, and there IL Gnded.
Just u week later he went sound asleep on
my train coming home. and again he woke up
twenty miles from home. llo swOre softly 10
himself, but he said nothing to me. When he
boarded my train the next night | NOTICED that
no carried a small grin In his hand. j iidh't
| reach his car until wc had crossed tho Harlem
River, and, Ms suOn as ] did, ] suspected some
thing was up. Tho plssengers were all stretch
! ing their ncCks to see - man in tue middle OfthC
asleep us usual. On the window sill beside him,
however, stood an alarm clock, fastened Sc
CuTely. never saw anything like that in all my
experience. Ten minutes before we reached hIs
GialIUn ] went into his car where he Was sound
/ asleep. inst five minutes before We were due The
boil ON that alarm clock began 10 ring. The
sleeping man turned half over In his seat
shouted An right; III be down in n minute,
and tncn he woke up, loOka ed out OF the windON
and, grabbing his alarm clock, rushed TO the cal
platform, Tho otnCr passengers Laughed unit
some of ihom cried, but my man didn't mind
He had caught his station. Every night since
then he has placed his alarm clock beside him
scheme seems.
THE might before last n friend Of his hap
pCnud 10 be IN the seat behind him and ho pul
the clock behind about eight minutes. The
sleepy man woke up between his station and
the one three miles beyond. lie was thorough,
to throw IL out OF tho window his friend who
WINS enjoying the joke in the scat behind leaned
over and explained the trick, and promised e
take him back to his station in his cart. No
sir, ON the whole, that alarm clock game isn't q
bad one for sleepy men to play"