St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-04-28
aooDoos on RAILWAY TRAIN


/
The conductor of q railway train
that pulled out from Jersey City was
taking up tickets. One Of his passen-
gers was whistling as he hauled out
his. The conductor handed it back un-
punched. When the conductor re-
| turned from the rear coach he hes,
dated at the seat Of the whistling
fman and then passed on. When he
made the second trip though tn
car. after the train. had left Tren-
ton. he again took the ticket of the
jubilant passenger and returned il
without the usual performance. After
this had been repeated bald-headed
passenger in q starboard seat apoL
egized to the conductor and asked him
why he didn't punch the whistler's
ticket.
ST am not superstitious," was the
reply, "but + am afraid if that fellow
doesn't stop whistling we shall run
into blizzard, or OF the track. on
have a.collision." a
The bald-head said that was cheer
full information coming from con-
ductor.
"Well. you asked me, and have
| told you. / never knew it to fail
know whistling is considered by some
as an evidence of good nature, but
when it is done in a railway roach 1t
| is in line with the crow of a hen.
What on earth q man wants to whis.
i tie for when he is in a car l don't
know. But that r. neither here. nor
there. It is bad Tex, .esI9cia0y. II
the opndactor punches The ticket
while the mar is whistling."
"Why don't you ask him q question
and punch his ticket while he Is an
swering?" =
sThat would do no good. 10 must
not have his lips puck.red when ]
take the ticket. Besides. I don't know
what to ask him without appearing
impertinent. / can't think Of any
thing tosask."
"Is that = notion common to con
ductors?" f.
II can't say how general it is, but
I have had it many years. and know
others who think the same. A locomo
tive engineer doesn't ike to have any
body whistle in his pilot"
"But You will have to take up that
ticket before he leaves the carp"
certainly. But he may stoE
~histling. II he doesn't shall have
to take it up just the same, but the
damage will be done then"
"What damage?"
"Why. the hoodoo will be running
the train by that time. know what
am talking about"
.Philadelphia: all out for Philadel
phia!" shouted the porter.
The whistling passenger seized hi:
i satchel and started for the door. The
conductor overlook him and said:
This is not your station"
81 am going to stop over here on,
train"
.sGive me that ticket, quick!" cut il
the conductor, $50 that ] can fix it
or it WON'T be good for q stopover.
The passenger complied. as he re
sumed his whistling. The conduc
tor usually turns his train over t,
another at Philadelphia. but this time
the same conductor continued to Bal
timore. When the train was under
headway again the bald headed pas
senger congratulated the conductor
He smiled and made no reply. JusI
after the train left Wilmington il
came to a stop in the open and stoot
there for an hour. The locomotive
had got the kinks When it started
again it was at fitful speed. When i,
finally reached Baltimore a snowstorn
had overtaken it, or it had run into
one. The conductor left the traiI
there.
'It might have been all right" HI
explained 10 the bald-headed passen
ger, ''but . man got on at Wilmington
who wore ear muffs. and knew ther
we were in for it. It may be wrong
about whistling men, but when mar
gets on my train wearing heaters or
his ears then know there is trouble
coming l am not superstitious. but
there are things you can't get round
The train was three hours late a.
it's destination. The storm was at it.
height. The street cars had stopped
Cabs were three dollars apiece.-N. Y