Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1900-09-20
WHY TEE TRAIN WAITED.
Trunk Had Hccn Forgotten and
TWO Mem Went Rack Three
Miles After Ii.

They were bound for some unpro
nounceable town IA Michigan Which |
haG originally been discovered 10y an
Investigating summer resorter anC |
thereupon HANGED over 10 inNes igatin9 |
horGes. However. the town kept its
dignity and stitiiy refused 10 become
metropolitan and civilized. An unGe-
cCeG >inole-track railroad led into its
hal.owed precincts and the timetable
had long ago been lost behind the coal
bin or Gown the We'll. for trains ran any
old time. according to when the con-
1 duet or finished his slab of custarG pie
at the lunch counter or he engineer de-
cideG he haG read all he wanted in The
morning paper. says the Chicago Even
ing News.
The townspeop.e never went any
where and the visitors We're on vaca-
tions. had plenty OF time and were
charmed with the careles sress of the
system. so noboGy complained 10 the
president of the road In fact it was
not quite certain there was PRESIDENT.
Somebody paid the train crew their
wages and supplied coal. so the train
service meanGereG .jerkily on. And. as
the village philosopher explained 10
critics OF the road, that was all that
was necessary.
''Yeh started fer here" he indignant
ly demonstrated, land here yeh be.
Watchuh kickin' about??'
This was the last time any restless
traveller ever ventured to complain at
spending - hours acconp lishing a
tivehour trip. for the argument was
unGeniably sutcinct and unanswerable.
: There was one philistine in the party
from Chicago which changed cars at
the junction at noon and committed
themselves to the singletrack road.
{ Her friends had explained carefully the
: vagaries of this railway. Il know the
3 station agent a the junction saiG we'd
l be there in five hours. dear" said the
matron of the crowd. but you neeGn t
keep Your belongings gathered up
: We shan't get there before miGnight if
< we Go them
e The girl raised her eyebrows politely
She disliked eNaggeration and she had
y great faith in the American railway as
: having emerged from a backwoods
+ state. why doesn't somebody dc
n something Sue uSheu. MAJ y tIs'
s graceful. When people take a train
4 "ENactly." cheerfully broke in the
+ funny man. ''You've got right TO the
! point. The passengers nine times out
q of ten have to drag the whole blamed
g concern or push il along by main force
y It's the only way the train woulG ever
get there, positively"
d The girls scornful reply was Gu
:, short by the train stopping. They ha'
travelled three miles from the junction
O Nobody seemed surprised or even an
e noyed or jumped up to see what wa
4 the trouble.
. I'VE might get out and pick flowers.
= said the matron. casually. There arr
), some pretty ones over there" Th
whole party arose and Went. The Phil
4 istne kept casting nervous glance
:, over her shoulder at the sullly train.
= Don't worry" they told her. 81
:. won't possibly start before half a
=, hour. It's just thinking over the ques
% ton trying to decide if it. really want
a. to make the trip or not. Or perhap
:. the fireman remembered he had no
:. :, had his afternoon siesta and they wer
l., giving him chance at beauty Sleep
"a Then the girl gave up and pickle
II black-eyed Susans. Presently the trail
- coughed and growled and began t
10 back up. Slowly it retraced the pat
- toward the junction and the girl wa
. alarmed. Had it decided finally it die
:, Mt want o 90 to the town with the III
=, pronounceable name and would it leav
-, them stranded in his wildwood whic
~ suggested bears and mosquitoes?
~ Up the track two men came TOT
~ ing along to meet the train backin
,a toward them. They We're carryin
~ something. 1t was trunk. Perhal
,s- it was murder mystery! Everybod
dropped their black-eyed Susans an
:. ran to be in at the finish.
oo But there was a shrek of surpriS
IL. from the Philistine. why, it's n
oh trunk" she cried, in amazement ri
h. struggling. red faced men carrying II
,is piece of baggage cropped it with
of thump and mopped their foreheacs 9
,o their bingham shirt sleeves.
ar "Yes'm' said the brakeman. WI
ed stood near. They forgot and left it
the junction when the change of ca
was made and we just waited for e
TX to 90 back after it. All aboard
its They reached the town with the II
IS. pronounceable name exactly one ho'
led after midnight. but the girl didn't s;
All anything. She was still speeches..
he - ---
ed SilencinE the Booster.