The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1899-02-03
KNOWS A GOOD THING
NOW.
BY GEORGE AIDE.


THERE is an engineer on the Illinois
Central who is pretty well salts
fed with his lot. 1t is possible that ii
The road" wanted to make him e. di-
vision superintendent Or vice presi-
dent he would accept either position,
hut it would be a difficult matter to
induce him to give up railroading and
take up another calling. There was
time, he says, when a good thing might
label itself and stare him in the face
and he wouldn't know it, but he be-
lieves his perceptions have been consid-
erably sharpened since then.
He was employed as fireman on one
CT the company's engines more than
year ago, and was known from Ran
uolph street to Buffalo as ''the dude"
as soon as his work was done and he
had discarded his bedticking jumper,
rale-blue overallS and diurnal accumu-
lation Of lubricating oil, sand and coal
dust, he proceeded to array himself in
fine linen and $40 suit of clothes and
loaf and invite his soul. He had several
of these suits of clothes and a cape
Cvercoat besides. Also he had cornet
whereon he played with some skill, and
he loved the drama.
Whenever anything of theatrica. ma
ture was under discussion among the
railroad men 1.-The dude fireman" was
always appealed to as an authority. He
had an easy and familiar way of talk
ing OF Alice Nielsen, Andy Mack, Sol
Smith Russell, Nat Goodwin and the
rest, and was particularly impressive,
and his criticisms were always accepted
as final. lie was not man who made
line distinctions; actors were, as he
viewed them, either great" or bum"
Nor was he one of those who content
themselves with criticising. Even the
Elen who sneered with the greatest
bitterness at the cape overcoat were
compelled to admit when Jack "spoke
piece" at any of their entertainments
that he spoke it out of sight"
Twas not surprising, therefore, that
when Bob Chilson, who was sitting
smoking in the freman's room, said:
Jack, you ought to go on the stage"
Jack answered: That's exactly what
am going to do"
There was an uncomfortable pause
1or a moment, during which Bob did
his best not to look doubtful. At last
he said: Are you going to give up
your job?'
won't it l can hold it and travel
acout the country with troupe" re-
pied Jack, "but they'd have to get an
ether man to do my work and they
wouldn't want to pay us both wages, so
suppose l might just about as well
quit"
Eight months later the ex-f1reman.
thin and haggard blue about the upper
lip and jowl, shabby in attire and with
shoes worn to the quick, was sitting ir
room in his friends fat telling him all
about it.
1t was mighty meteoric career" he
said. Il shot athwart the starry firma-
ment in blaze Of glory for just about
as long as it would take you to say scat
and then they didn'tdo thing to me.
Il went to New York when I quit
tie road and got in with the. Croty-
pay. Inc manager
Eame was Croty and his wife's name
was Damiens, and he had been dressed
down with powder edpumice and hand
polished. want to tell you. He sold
me a wardrobe the first thing. and after
ward he sold it for me and held out %
Fer cent. commission. Croty was about
the warmest baby in the bunch, and
there was only one bunch. He was go
ing to star me all the time as long as
my money held out, and then he shook
me down to third peasant. saw how it
was by that time, but couldn't help
myself for awhile. I hated to 90 to
Playing cornet in the orchestra. but it
was the only thing there was. I've seen
whole lot of country and I've travelled
on tie passes more than 1 expected to,