The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-12-10

iterranean on his private yacht blowing
rings from his fifty-cent cigars and
swearing at his $5,000-a-year sailing
master because he cannot whistle up a
breeze.
Think of being the only train boy on
railroad that brings miners with thou
sands and thousands of dollars worth of
gold out of the greatest mining camp
in the world. There is only one rail-
road to Alaska-that is the White Pass
and Yukon railroad. On that railroad
there is a train called the Klondike linn
tied.
The KIondike limited! Isn't the sound
of that name enough to make com
mon candy butcher on the run between
Peoria and Lafayette, Ind, stick his
head into his basket of sailed peanuts
and strange himself to death? For
there is trainboy on the Klondike lin
tied. On the Klondike limited, that
brings prospectors and miners and ad-
VenturerS weighted down with golden
nuggets back to the states and civiliza-
ton, and the girls they left behind
them, there is a candy butcher. And
all of these prospectors and miners and
adVenturerS on this KlCndike limited are
bubbling over with joy that the days
of their exile are over, and that soon
they will be back to their boyhOod
homes again. Think OF turning loose a
candy butcher in such a crowd as that.
To quote another poular song, "It
seemed like a shame to take the money"
The trainboy on the Klondike limited,
like his bothers on the Kenosha local,
deals in peanuts candy. books. papers.
and magazines. But more than that
he sells shirts and collars and bright
red necktieS. He also has a full line of
whiskeys and plug tobacco and cigars
OF the finest cabbage selected leaf. The
trainboy does not like to sell cigars.
He only gets so cents apiece for them,
and they cost him rs cents hundred.
He sells the cigars to show he's a good
fellow. He didn't originally deal in
shirts and haberdashery, but he found
that the miners returning to civiliza-
ton yearn madIy for a billed" shirt So
after he had sold the shirt off his back,
together with his collar and red necktie
for $100 he decided to carry a stock Of
shirts and ties.
There are stringent restrictions in
Alaska in regard to selling whisky, and
50 the trainboy doesn't sell it. He gives
it away, and let's the man who drinks
it tip him for his trouble in pulling the
cork. If the man were to give him a
cork the trainboy would haughtily re-
fuse to let him buy any more cigars,
and would charge him at least IS for a
two months old newspaper, which he
ordinarily gives away for only $1.50.
Then the trainboy sells playing cards,
and the passengers are always wanting
game. He puts up the table, too.
hands around the matches, and, OF
course a large and substantial kitty
is maintained on one side of the table
for the sole support of the Obliging
trainboy If anybody was to put a
quarter. or a silver half dollar into the |
kitty the trainboy wouldn't be angry. |
He. uses those things to pay storekeep- /
ers for fresh goods for his next run
A Seattle newspaper man interviewed |
the trainboy on the last trip from
Alaska Quoth the trainboy: Am 1 it? |
Am 1? Say, amt I q naughty boy? I |
knew it's wrong to take the money, but |
I need it in my business. and, besides, |
as soon as I get enough I'll buy the rail- |
ing bow. g. chance to fasten on to a. little |
honest money. But 81 for a sack of |
peanuts. Say, that's penitentiary |
offense in Illinois. But need the |