Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-02-26
the snow to melt and live on mule meat
till never want to taste it again, but
what's the use. Jim-what's the use OF
talkin' snowslides in SUMMER"
THE KICKER.
Is He Benefactor Instead of a MUS.
sance?

sance?
Eyes," said the red-headed man as
he took his seat among the group in
the smoking car, Il belong to the band
of kickers, and the trouble on the plat
form was over my baggage. They
were handling my trunk as if it was
a rock being hoisted out of quarry,
and had to interfere. They called me
crank and kicker and all that, but
| saved my trunk from injury. 1t
amazed them that a passenger should
protest. There isn't railroad in this
country which seems to have any re-
spect for a passengers trunk. If they
convey the passenger safely between
two points they feel privileged to do as
they like with his baggage"
"The public are down on kickers,"
continued the man as he got his cigar
alight. mot one man in a thousand
makes any distinction between a crank
and a kicker. Everything goes under
the name of crank, and for that rea-
son the few of us who are seeking to be
public benefactors receive ridicule
where we ought to have praise. Don't
get the idea that l go running about
the country seeking openings to find
fault, or that l am filled with glee at
the chance to buck up against long
standing evil. l do the public a good
turn only when it come handy. That
you may get proper idea Of what one
man can accomplish when headed in
the right direction, and melted by no
selfish interest, let me mention a few
things. In the last ten years 1 have oc-
cupied berth in a sleeping car at least
1000 nights. It used to be an inflex-
ible rule that the upper berth should
be let down, whether occupied or not.
l began my kicking career against that
upper berth. When not occupied l de-
manded that it should not be lowered
upon me. Conductors and porters
pointed to the printed orders for their
guidance, but a printed order emanat-
ing from a railroad is not state law.
l was put off the train on three differ
ent occasions, and I was twice arrested
as disorderly person, but hung right
on and finally carried my point If the
average traveller to-day he will quickly
raise it again on demand. There has
been no legal decision, and the rail-
road companies don't want one. 1t
would certainly be against them.
while the modern hotel is steam
heated, of course, there are plenty Of
old timers left where the proprietors
charge for a fire cold weather. Why
should they? For at least seven
months in the year there is no call for
a fire in room, but the hotel makes
no reduction on that account. If you
paid for zleeping in a warehouse you
might be legally held for extras, but
when you go to hotel there is tacit
understanding that you are to be made
comfortable. 1 was sued by dozen
different hotel men over my refusal to
pay extra for fires, and in each and
every case beat them. have obliged
three old-time hotels to give up the
rule of such extra charges, and shall
gather in two or three more before 1
close the campaign. There is no place
like hotel for holding up man. The
guest is squeezed" from the time he
enters until he lands at the depot
again. The American is the only man
who tamely submits to these thinly
disguised robberies. You land at a
hotel which advertises its rates at So
per day. You believe yourself entitled