The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-24

one that in a few strides he was in
front of the bagga gerOom.
A box of medium size with Stats nailed
over the top was sitting at one side of
the baggageroOm door. AS soon as the
man saw this he seemed relieved and
turning to one Of the yard men who
happened to be standing near he asked:
How often do the cars run to this
depot?''
Every u minutes. One just now left
for town. the yard man answered.
The man pulled out his watch and
glanced at it. Cant wait that long"
about nine minutes He'll be needed"
And then aloud to the yard man,
''Where'n I find an express wagon?"
Right there, if there was any," said
the employee, pointing to the accustomed
place for such conveyances, but there
amt one here just nOwS'
The devil" calculated the man. mo
car, no express wagon; must take a
hack guess; seen one as I came, down., -
and turning on his heel he STROBE hur-
riedly in the direction of the hack stand
at the other end of the depot.
There was but a single hack on the
depot stand, and inside the driver was
lounging half asleep on the cushions.
The click of the door as the man open
ed it awakened him and he sat up.
Have you any objection carrying
pig in your hack?" the man asked in a
tone which plainly showed that he was
in a hurry.
his eyes at the man in an endeavor to
work the sleep out of them
Il said had you any objection TO car
rying a pig in your hack said the
questiOner raising his voice with each
word, in the manner usual with people
rushed for time who have to repeat or
explain questions, until at the last 1t
was a high treble.
What kind of a pig is it?" Queried
the driver in a manner exaSperating to
the man at the hack, as he continued to
blink his eyes.
''Why a pig with a human face and
five sets of legs, of course" said the
man out of sheer irritation. And then
he added: Just a nice, clean little
black and white pig with pink nose"
rs he loose" said the hackman, step
ping out of his hack
mo, no, my dear sir, he's in box;
will you carry him or will you not?
said the man in a most determined tone,
again pulling out his watch. In just
five minutes he'll be needed atthe Craw-
ford theater, so come, what do you
say2'
IF carry him III have to charge you
a quarter extra said the driver at
that no other hacks were in sight.
''An right" shouted the man as he
started across the platform toward the
baggageroOn. In q, minute he returned
with the box that had been sitting by
the baggageroom door and stepped into
the hack.
The man was the stage manager OF
the "A Bunch of Keys company. A
few minutes after he stepped in the
hack the audience at the matinee per-
Torrance of the farce comedy both
saw and heard the identical pig as he
was carried across the stage by
''Snaggs."
His pigship is carried by the com
pany and travels in the baggage car
along with the scenery and properties.
The company arrived in this city from
St. Joe at IL o'clock Saturday morning,
but in unloading the baggage the pig
was forgotten and allowed to remain
in his box in one corner of the car. The
car was switched in the yards, and he
was not discovered until an hour later
when one of the yard hands went to
the car to sweep it out. In the mean
time his loss had not been noticed.
It was not until the stage had been
set for the second act of "A Bunch of
Keys in the afternoon that the alb
sence of the pig, prominent character
in that act, was discovered by the stage
manager. He hurrfedly made inquiries
and found that the pig had not been
taken out of the car. With this knoWl-
edge he lowered himself from the rear
of the Crawford stage and started for
the depot.
1t was probably the first time in the
history of Topeka that a pig was ever
the occupant of a carriage.