Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-12-24
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LOOKER-ON IN IOWA.
For the Times. Republican

81 h
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
For the Times Republican.
Humboldt, Dec 23.-Diary of a travel
ing man: Dec 1S-Thermometer 20 de-
grees below zero. Waited in depot
three hours for passenger train at q.
Another train south four and one-haf
hours late. Arrived at Y at 2:45 a.
m. "One continual round of pleasure.
Dec. Informing passenger four hours
late, lost two hours more getting TO u.
1880 D. M, 16 degrees below. Just trav-
cling for my health. Dec. 16-Got up at
6 a. m. to take early freight five hours
late. Passenger west three hours late,
80 waited for passenger train east tour
hours late, passenger north only forty
five minutes late. Spent seven hours
today in depots waiting for trains. I'M
proving my mind these days by an ex-
tensive course of reading. Dec. IL
Passenger north three hours late. One
of those ignoramuses-depot agent
didn't know where any of the trains
were THE villain still pursues her.
$50
The above tale Of woe is vouched for
by a truthful agent of the road. The
Looker-O On can tell a bit of personal ex-
perience that shows one the pleasant
side lights of travelling. He was at Day
ton. waiting for one of those late
trains, when in rolled Superintendent
Sanborns private car, with an engine
hitched to 1t. The writer walked out OF
the depot ito take the train and then
sadly walked back. 1t wasn't his KIND
of a train Five minutes afterward Mr.
Sanborn opened the waiting room door.
Where did you want to go. sir?R SAID
he. "Stratford was the humble reply.
Get on, sir, If you have transporta-
tion." said the superintendent And so
the writer got to the next town two
hours ahead of the belated freight.
That's the accommodating side of the
man. Another side is shown when going
into Sioux City the other day he found
the yards congested with freight cars.
Getting on to switch engine he ran
her. all one forenoon. and thus helpel
the "boys" reduce order out OF chaos"
That isn't what the railroad men call it,
but the reader understands Telling
these stories to a depot agent. the Look
er-On was informed: That's nothing.
He's doing such things all OF the time"
And the best of all this kind OF work is
that those the Northwestern employ I'M
der him take their cue from the actions
of the superintendent, and oblige the
pubic when they can. One exception,
perhaps should be made. And that's
the 16-year-old boy who is learning how
to run railroad and has mastered the
problem in three months. He disciplines
the travelling men every day.
Talking about travelling men, reminds
the writer Of a related experience by one
OF the fraternity, who has been over in
England selling farm machinery. He Is
a graduate of Grinnell College, gentle
man. and Ia making a great success in
his chosen line. But the blarsted Eng
lishmen broke him all up. Over there
he was classed with the bag men," In
the hotels he had to flock by himself.
Had writing rooms set up for the use Of
such second-class people, and money
wouldn't allow him the privileges of
1.-The gentry" This in their best hotels.
1t hurt his American bringing up, for he
knows he's as good a man as any on
Gods green earth. The worst of 1t was
he couldn't help himself. In Rome he
had TODD as said Romans told him. If
he had only been travelling for pleasure,
1T would have been SO different. Then
money would have got all there was in
the hotels But to "sell goods ON the
road" get into that reading room set
apart for your iik.
There seems to be a disposition in
Hubbard to give extra attention to both
I'D 10 -
knights OF the grip. Hubbard has a
population of 700. is one OF the best
trading points on the Northwestern sys-
tenn, and has three good hotels. Three
80 a day hotels. Sometimes they have
one guest apiece, then they don't have
any. and they flll up with dozen. Not
being junction point, Of course the
only travel is just what naturally comes
there. So much for the inner man. This
Is hard to understand why the three
good hotels do business In town Of 700,
when many an Iowa town OF twice the
size has not one decent hotel. Still
harder IL it to understand what they do
with their churches Assuming that
every, man, woman and child goes to
church, that's only 100 for each congre-
cation. Still, many come In from the
country, and occasionally a travel-man
stays over Sunday there. But think OF
seven janitors. burning seven tons OF
coal each cold Sunday, seven preachers
burning midnight oil to prepare seven
sermons for seven congregations, when
one janitor, one ton of coal and one
preacher could do the whole business
But then your 'doxy is not my 'doxy,
49, - vi