The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-22

Gus story about an imaginary man who
wanted to work out his subscription as
assistant editor of my paper. He then
inquired if l knew his friend Brands of
Sioux City, and received my assurance
that / did. He asked after all the de-
tails of his health, family and business.
! BY mereSt chance, it happened that
had heard of Brands, and l made some
wild stabs at answering the questions.
! The genial conductor assured me that
he was glad to meet a man who was q
| friend of his friend Brands, and if |
/ knew Brands, of course knew Stick
/ ney. Oh, yes, l knew Stickney. Great
! the story about the time Stickne-r fell
in the river? Oh. yes, indeed-hun-
dreds of times. Funniest thing 1 ever
! heard. Have often been tempted to
print it. Well I'll see you later, Mr..
/ Willis; / must go through the train
/ again now, but l want to see you about
some more of the boys in Sioux City
Then l set there and wished some
thing would happen to that conductor
| before he could get back to me again.
/ had successfully STAYED, him off 50
far, but there was no sort of telling
how soon I should run up against a
awful snag, for as a matter Of fact 1
knew very little about Sioux City or
the people in it, and we were hundreds
Oh miles from chicago Win Z cOIuuclOT
very much inclined to gossip. How 1
lived through the long hours of that
weary afternoon 1 shall never know.
That loouacious conductor came and
sat by me about once every 30 miles
and began to ask questions about
Sioux City and various and sundry
Toms and Dicks and Harrys, and / sat
there in a cold Precipitation and parted
him with a skill that I cannot now
nd fhOnCdnd
times that the pass was far away and
that l had paid my dollar like n man
and could enjoy the ride and the
scenery like a Christian.
Might came as a boon to my suf-
fering soul, and l retired very early
with my troubled conscience, to dream
of being thrown off the train and every
change conductors during the night;
but no, the same genial fiend was up
and he was extremely solicitous as to
how Mr.. Willis had slept.
About s o'clock I hailed with great
Joy the confines of Chicago. and was
just beginning to congratulate myself
upon my release from torture when
Mr.. Conductor came in, dressed in
citizens clothes. and took a seat be-
side me.
"'where do you stop in Chicago, Mr..
Willis?'
Il told him that 1 had some friends
up on the south side that l should stop
with them for time. A few more
pointed interrogations as to Chicago.
and then leaned over toward me he
smiled and said: Well. my friend,
when you send that pass back to Willis.
tell him that Jim Nolan said he gave
it to a - good man. It's all right.
my boy; I've known Willis for 20
years. But when a man knows how to
use a pass 1 like to carry him on it,
and he's welcome to his ride. But let
me tell you it takes an artist to work
a pass on old Jim Nolan's train
'I held out my hand to him aud as
sured him that there was not the
slightest doubt in the world about the
truth of that statement. We smoked
upon it, and 1 duly delivered the mes
sage to Willis when I sent the pass
back. and since that time 1 have paid
my fare; but Jim Nolan is my friend
for life