The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-15


railroad company, and so they fought
enthusiastically with the company:
agents. They had not been to tn,
Fourth for year. They had given vi
good money. and were willing to fight
to boot, if it We're necessary. to secure
a ride for which they had already pait
the rate demanded by the railroad.
In the midst of the rnixup the ole
agent stepped from the train. He haC
been planning that he would have g
talk with the new man. He ha6
learned that the business was going tC
the opposition road. He had even
hoped TO find an excuse for introducing
the new man to Freda johnson. Being
happy himself. he wanted to help the
stranger on. But now, to his disap-
pointment, he found the agent scrap
ping with the dark girls father. Per-
sonally that would make no difference
! He had often noticed that his pros
pectlve father-in-law needed it, but il
might make a difference with the girls
Fortunately the girls were not there.
The old agent and the tralnmen sue
ceeded in prying the two men apart,
and in explaining good deal of the
| not explain the dark shading away from
the new mans eye. But how these
| guileless farmer-folk did joy to see the
| face of the eX-agenti He was a Mes
siah to them. He would not allow any
more trains to go by.
| Finally, the people being drawn from
the train by the fight, We're persuaded
10 stay off; and, after losing seven min
utes his necktie and his temper. the
conductor of the regular signed to the
engineer. and the train pulled out.
Now the new man. looking as if he
| had just gotten out from under a har-
row, entered his little office. He wanted
to wash his face. but the people newly
arrived. were pounding on the ticket
window with their horny hands, with
canes and umbrellas. and calling Justify
for tickets to the Devils lake. Not one
of the vast concOurse showed dollar.
or made the slightest move toward
their trousers pockets. They simply
opened their chimneys and asked for
information. When what had been the
agent-the natty. nobby agent-ap-
peared at the window, the crowd failed
to show the respect due the company's
representative. Some of them would
not believe it. Ten minutes earlier he
had caused the coy country maidens
to clap their fat little hands to their
left sides as they waited for change
He was the identical youth they had
seen in their dreams. but he was no
dream when the farmer got through
with him. He was more in the way of
st nightmare Ills IOOlpdli nalf was
mussed, and there We're crimson spots
upon his shirt front, made by his rich
young blood. a commercial tourist had
the audacity to laugh through the win
dow at the wounded man. A half
dozen excited citizens asked, as with
one voice: Whats the fare to Devils
lake," Another half-dozen called for
a ticket to Devils lake. AS many more
asked in the same breath when the
=fO VlNa 90
"Sakes alive." exclaimed a mOtherly
matron, looking the agent over. Has
they been a wreck"
All the while the commercial traveller,
waving the exact change over the
heads of those in front of him. called
for a ticket to st. Paul by the limited.
The red-haired man rushed in, shook
his fist toward the window and yelled
the intelligence that the train that had
just passed and which had refused pas
sengers, was a-goin' to the Devils
lake" and produced a map to prove
that the lake was on the main line.
st. Paul by the limited" yelled the
drummer, Justify, and with monotonous
regularity.
crutch, pounded the floor with the other
and wanted to know 'phy di devil di
Devils lake train don't come yet al
ready?
How the devil do I know" said the
agent. That was the first time he had
spoken, and even then not more than
d dozen people heard him.
Limited, St Paul-limited-to st.
Paul.
You've got ten minutes yet" said
the agent.
Finally the wounded stationmaster
persuaded those nearest the window to
find their money. put it through the
cathode and get their tickets. The old
agent kindly offered to assist the young
man, and in a few moments had ell
bowed that sorry-looking though we'll
individual from the window,
and fed tickets to the multitude. as a
farmer might feed nubbins through a
to a flock of sheep The
commercial tourist had insisted upon
being served out of his turn, urging
the fact that he was the only first
class man in the crowd
For that he was invited out by the
man, and talked at by the !
lame Dutchman in n way that made !
him regret what he had said. AT last /
he had his ticket and started for the
door, but at that moment another sec |
ton of the excursion train came in 7
sight, and the traveller changed his I
mind, rushed back. threw his limited /
ticket at the agent and asked for an /
TICKET instead. he got the !
ticket, but before the agent could count /
out the change-the difference in the /
price of the two tickets-the traveller 4.
had darted from the station and /
boarded the train which, being loaded /
to the roof, did not stop.
Still they came, from Clinton and CAL |
edonia, from GAINESVILLE and Evansville.
Alton and Beloit. From Jefferson and
and even as far down as
Racine and Kenosha, on the Milwaukee
bow.
All these trains flowed in on the main
line at Madison. where whatever space
was left was soon taken.
In time. the overflow at the state cap
tal was exhausted, and trains began to
stop for the farmer folk.
Presently there was a sharp rap on
the outer window, and the old agent,
looking over his shoulder. saw the DARK
ayes of his betrothed peering in at him,
ward the train.
With a hasty goodby to his friend in
distress. he hurried out, joined the smil-
ng. saucy brunette, and stepped aboard
he excursion
When the train had pulled out they
earned from Freda's mother that FreIa
lad gone back to get a forgotten fan,
md had failed to make the train. but
The would surely be along on the next
section.
But this is the last train of the ex-
.ursion," exclaimed the ex-agent
Then there was excitement Charley.
Hreda'S brother, was up in the smoker