Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
GIVES UPON HIS WRISTS

GIVES UPON HIS WRISTS
| i met an interesting chap on a train up
| In Michigan a couple of months ago." said
| q travelling representative of q New York
| tea house who was in town last week II
! got on the smoker at Detroit for the run I'D
to jackson. The car was full up, except for
| two seats. A couple of well-dressed men
! sat facing each other in the rear of the car
| the forward seat having been turned over
| apparently, in order to give each of them
| double room. l wondered bit how they
mad contrived TO get the brakeman to turn
over seat, for the turning over of seats is
| matter upon which brakemen are mulish
ana unaccommodating to a degree Any
now, L resolved that I'd see to It that at
| least one OF these men didn't have double
| room, ana SO / walked, to the rear of the
car and sat down beside the man who faced
| the engine. He wasn't disposed to be hog
| gish, but moved over courteousIy and made
room for me. His lap was Uttered with
newspapers, stun folded and fresh looking,
| winch he did not appear to care to read
| lie was a young fellow of about twenty
| flVe, with strong, smooth-shaven face and
| look OF grooming and of thoroughbred
ness. he man who sat facing US. with his
PACK to the engine, was a big. powerful
LOOKING, comfortably filled out man of
iorty, with lot of shrewd wrinkles chas-
| ing away from the corners of his eyes He
2hioheu d cigar appreclatiyely and looked
| lhteiestediy out of the window for the first
zen miles or SO of the journey. The man
pesiue me occupied himself in an apparent
study OF the backs of the other passengers'
neads the scenery not seeming to interest
him l can't read on railway trains any
| more-hurts my eyes too much-and want
ed 10 talk with some one ANYHOW So T
pulled out my cigar case and invited the
young fellow beside me to join me in a
| smoke lie turned to me with pleasant
a 60 THANKS, 1 guess L WILL he
m
me cigar Then he seemed to think better
Oh II flushed Bit and said
NO, L don't believe l will smoke. I'm
soihg TO give up smoking for few wears
| shortly, and I'm gradually cutting down
| the same 'o"' OH
The older man in the seat facing us
smiled incredulously at this. as much as
| 10 express his doubt that his GONNA MON
| couid long hold out shortened ration
| oL TOBACCO The Older man addressed me
| .heh on the subject of cigars and we made
| an exchange from our cases FROM, tbat
we zen INTO general conversation in which
! my seatmate joined This young man II
ala not take me long to find out, was an
aoInirapie talker-quiet, modest and self
contained in manner but a really clever
man, who quite clearly outclassed the two
| Oh us he was talking with in his handling
! and treatment of the casual subiects we
discussed. After while the two of us de-
cided mentally that the younger man had
q good deal the better of us in this talk
| ing game, and we confined ourselves to lis
tehlhg 10 his remarks with q good deal of
| attention, He was distinctly bright and
| Observation-Disclosures in fact He had
| peen around good DEAL not only in this
eUutlry, put on the other side, and in
/ supdued. amused sort of way he told a
| number OF stories Of humorous experiences
ne mad had on railway trains in Europe,
especially In Holland After a while we
sot On me subject of the United States
| recently acquired possessions. The young
| fellow had spent some time coupl. of
years previously in Cuba and Porto Rico
| ne didn't mention what he had been doing
GOWN there and We didn't ask him-ana he
| spoke of the foolishness of a lot of friends
| or his who We're going, or had gone, 70
| those new colonies without a cent of capt.
| tai. but just to hustle.
They might Just as we'll go to
shanghai and try to compete with the
coolies there for 'longshoremen's Jobs he
said They'll go broke. good many of
them, and try to win out by crooked work
and then they'll land where-wen. they'll
ind themselves in all colors of trouble
When we had made about half of the
Journey i dug my flask out of my grip and
| handed it first to the older man who sat
facing US. He took a good nip and then
returned the flask to me. l extended it
to my seatmate.
- Dry work, to talk well without a lubri-
Gator eh?' said to him. Try bit of this
goods. It's about right
The young fellows eyes sparkled, and he
looked as If he could have enjoyed a drink
iiiAiiitiistis. tiouSHi, by the rushing OF
the newspa pers in his lap, that he was go
ing TO reach out for the flask, but he APP
peared to suddenly change his mind.
Thanks, no. he said-and | wondered
some over his rather queer habit of flush
ing over the extension of ordinary travelling
courtesies-IH have TO pass that up, too.
I'm in training for long sober act too
I'm going 10 give up drinking for five years
at least. Drink has caused me a great deal
of trouble. | never could drink with mod
GRAFTON. l have never been able TO take
one drink of liquor. or two, or three and
| stop there. Drink got me down and
hammered me a good many times. I'm
pretty sore it.
LAS we drew into Jackson / remarked
upon the prettiness of the towns outskirts
g 1t does seem to be rather plea sing
| little place, said the young man. L don't
| expect to see much of 1t, though, although
| I'm booked to live here for matter of five
| years or So
Then the train pulled into the station. !
rose from my seat and took up my grip. The
| young man got up at the time and
| the newspapers slipped from his lap. Then
/ saw the polished steel chain joining his
handouts. l pretended not TO have seen
| them.
well, so long, | said, cutching my
barrass the young fellow by Offering to
| shake hands with him.
" Goodbye, and good luck the young
man replied, and he turned away.
When the older man got alongside of me
he whispered in my ear:
- saw that you noticed the irons or l
wouldn't say anything about it, I'm taking
him to the pen here for fve-year stretch
forgery"