The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-01
HELD UP FOR THEIR FARES
The Only Way the Conductor Could Collect
From n Train Load of Lumbermen.
From The Detroit Free Press.

| A group Of railroad men sat together one day
last month on the cool and airy Office balcony Of
| the Union depot in Detroit They con
ductors and engineers for the most part though
some OF them had seen service in many branches
| Of railroading. As they smoked and chatted and
listened to the puff puff Of the engines
and the Changing Of bells in the yard be
low they were reminded Of mishaps and adj
| ventures that had befallen them or their
| acquaintances In the course of many years
on the road As their cigars grew shorter
| their stories grew longer and stronger until one
wound UP lurid tale brstling with shining pistol
barrels larng torches cracks of revolyers fright
ened passengers and masked bandits in a mid
night setting on lonely Nebraska prairie
Well" said the Old Timer. when the silence
following this recital began TO grow oppressive
you can talk about the wild and woolly until your
tongue is tired, but Ill tell you there was time
right here In Michigan when Iainmen had
customers 10 deal with that would simply have
telescoped and derailed all the reckless highway
men west OF the Missouri"
When was THAR" asked the former speaker,
obviously.
That was along some time after the war say,
in the early seventies and the place was up in the
woods in the northern part OF the lower peninsula.
Those were the days when the great lumber camps
were In the height OF their glory A single rail
way track ran up into the heart Of the forest and
was used al! winter for hauling logs and freight
Men went up into the woods In the fall Of the year
and came out in the spring. These were about
the only occasions upon which passenger train
went up into the wilderness
1T was all right taking the lumbermen UP In
the fall That was easy. They were dead broke
perfectly sober, and as quiet and orderly as
Sunday school class Iust before Christmas
But coming home.
"rhey were tho most obstrenernus IN ssen,ers
conductor ever had to collect fares from The
way those wild-eyed woodsmen coming out in the
spring would pile into the and scramble
through train would take the nerve out of most
any conductor in the United States to-day. They
were Just like band OF schooboys lust let out
for a lark. only ten times more dangerous Their
pockets were stuffed with greenbacks and whiskey
TASKS They shouted and fought cursed and
sang out of pure high spirits. They were good
natured, as rule, and only anxou TO get home
and spend their money, but any show of restraint
upon their actions or movements would plunge
them instantly into an ugly and furou temper
There was conductor working for the Detroit
Lansing and Northern in those days whose name
was Mclaughlin. He was a professional wrest
Ter before he took 10 railroading and was con-
sidered one of the best in the country He was
manbof fine physique, strong, 1.-THE and over
six feet TALL He it Nwasl whom they sent
| w " shc lumDermen nome,
and as he never failed to collect at least three
fourths Of the fares he was looked upon as a won
der.
The log rollers came TO know him in time
and had great respect for his prowess They
| looked for his coming In the spring and some
times arranged friendly bouts between Mac and
| whoever happened TO be champion scrapper of
| the season.
But there came a spring at last when Mac
and Northern Railroad and gone west. | think
| he now runs on the Northern Pacific Railroad
out of Minneapolis, In his stead the wondering
lumbermen now saw medium sized man that
| in no respect resembled the muscular and giant
| framed Mac. swing of the train when II slowed
| up at the station in the woods The new CON
ductor was Johnny Hall, who had been sent out
to do the best he could in Macs place
The passengers To be Immediately proposed
! to themselves what theys thought would prove
humorous and agreeable pastme. Every man
jack Of them agreed not under any circumstances
70 pay his fare 70 the new conductor. So they
boarded the train in high glee at the prospect
| Of free ride home
Meanwhile John Hall had not failed To notice
a few signs which, when he remembered the evil
repu,e in which his passengers were held by all
railroad men, gave an ominous look He walked
| forward and spoke few words TO his engineer
| "You can't get back to civilization a minute too
soon Steve, he said Jerk her through the
woods for all she'll stand.
| 1T was just nightfall when they pulled away
from the lonely station and plunged into the gloom
of the forests of hcmlock pine and tamarack
that lay before them for 100 miles johnny
| Hall started at once TO collect his fares He ap-
peared at the rear end Of the last coach with his
punch in his right hand. his lantern hanging
from his left arm and one burly brakeman along
side Of him.
There was one husky woodchopper in the
last seat Fares, please said Johnny.
"'Fares be d said the passenger
The other passengers continued their con-
versations or gazcd unconcernedly through the
windows into the black night
PAY your fare get thrown of the train
said the conductor in even tones.
Like a gladiator waiting for the word the
unruly passenger prepared TO spring upon his
victim. He half rose from his seat, when some
| thing happened. The pliers which the conductors
carried in his right hand suddenly met the pas
| senger between the eyes and he tumbled to the
floor. II blow for blow and johnny Hall
knew better than TO let his antagonist get in the
first one.
"'Cover EN- Bill he said, and the big brakeman
instantly whipped out two murderous looking
Colts and turned them on the astonished occu-
pants Of the Nobody stirred while he sung
out Anybody that tries to leave this car is a
dead man. Keep your seats. All kept their
seats, and everybody paid his fare. too No
| one had any arguments that could stand up
ganst the muzzles Of two loaded guns and once
having paid they wanted 10 every one else
| pay, too. they made no interference
| In the second car no one knew what had hap
| pcned in the hrst But the moment the two men
| stepped inside and the door slammed behind
| them, the eyes Of every one there caught sight
of the two revolvers. In the twinkling Of an eye
the hand OF the man in the first seat reached
| his hip pocket Buteven before he could draw il
| away Johnny Halls lantern had circled the air
and came down with terrible force, flooring him
| instantly
"'Throw up your hands, shouted the brakeman
| at the same moment and all the other passengers
| in the car had race 10 who could get his
hands up over his head first. They went through
the from the last seat to the first and got every
fare in cash