The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-23

last straight stretch the pencil scratched
Well, l says. the 80 don't kalsomine NO
blue sheets. It's a good 10 minutes run over
there with this train, and won't try it. see?'
So all the while we standing there, wait
ing and arguing, the real night owl was
humping her way in and out among them
knobs, and pretty quick her front end came
out on the scenery as big as a dollar in a
four handed penny ante 'Twan't no use
arguing then, but the con. he was a little
put out about the thing. and he rode over on
the engine, and that's how the argument
came up. See! He said If we could make 80
per hour. we could make this Pennington,
seven and one-half miles, in II minutes and
said we couldn't make it in any less than
IA. Well, he had his figures, and had mine,
and now We want The G | o b e to decide
which was right, see?"
A few minutes devoted to the mathematics
of railroading developed that the exact time
required for the seven miles and a half
would be II minutes and 625 ten thousandths,
and accordingly the money was paid over on
the bet, as well as on a lot Of side bets which
had been made among the train crew and
yard employees after the train had passed
Pennington.
On dull days the commission men OF South
ST. Paul generally ongregate in one of the
stories. Recently one Of the men recalled the
escape Of wild Texas steer from the pens
at New Brighton. After a chase Of several
miles the men in pursuit found the animal in
a small wood, and not far from him a gang
of laborers were at work.
An Infatuated Texas steer can do more
damage in less space of time than a Cat
Ting gun, and the commission men thought
that it would be wise to go to the Swedes
and ask their aid and also to tell them to
seak place of safety if the pursuit became
too hot Hardly had they reached the gang
and impaired this information when the steer
hove in sight and charged them. Everyone
broke for tree but one who was a Swede.
He did not seem to have understood or at
least before he realized the situation the
steer struck him a terrific jolt, knocking MIN
fully twenty feet. Then the animal stopped
and stood quivering in his tracks, and before
he recovered the men had him wound about
with ropes and under control. 1t was some
minutes before the Swede regained conscious
ness. When he did finally get up he felt him
self over and looked at the steer and said:
well, Aye guess Aye stopped him, didn t
Aver"
]. B. Fitzgerald, one of the best known cat
tlemen at the South st. Paul yards, told the
story yesterday Of the first and only time
that he was ever buncoed
1t was good many years ago." said Mr..
Fitzgerald, that circus came to my town
and 1 attended with my mother and sister.
As 1 was standing before the window Of the
ticket-wagon 1 heard wall at my feet, and,
looking down, discovered forlorn bit of hu-
manity. l stopped down and asked the kid
what the matter was, and he told me he
wanted to get ticket, but could not get up
to the window. l turned at once to the win
dow and told the ticket-seler to give me four
tickets, and paid for them. When 1 handed
one to the boy he drove both hands into his
trousers pockets and began to cry. Almost
before I had time to ask again what the mat
ter was he handed ticket back and said.
I've lost my money mister. Then he was
gone like a shot through the crowd.
81 did not know what to do with the ex-
ira ticket, and money was little tight in
those days, at last 1 approached a friend
in the crowd, explained the situation and Of
fered him the ticket. In handing it to him 1
looked at it for the first time. 1t was not a
circus ticket, but a worthless bit of card
board. The boy had fimfammsd me in
handing back the ticket