The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-07-26
MAKING EASY MONEY.
THE SLEEPING CAR PORTER TELLS
ABOUT HIS TIPS.

Passengers That Even n Man of Ex-
perience May Not Judge Alright.
Bridal Couples Are Good, but State.
| room Parties Are Not.
1--WE tried about all lines. and Tx 70.
ing back to railroading," said Jim.
Jim was the big man among the door
keepers. He stood outside the old mans
door, and none might enter until Jim had
passed upon his credentials. Jim bossed
the other Gocrkecpers, the messengers,
the minor clerks and almost the assistant
manager. He was the diplomat who ar
ranged methods Of escape for his supe-
| riors when cranks beset them. He it was
who lured an enthusiastic poet bent on
reciting some of his productions to the
old man into an elevator going up SO that
| the old man might escape in an elevator
| going down. Jim was man of great ex-
| perience, and his decision TO GO back to
| railrUading was the result of long thought.
"You see," continued Jim, "a handy
man has chance railroading that he
| don't have in any other business. 4 good
man ought TO make S15 a trip on sleep
er. I've made $40 and sometimes $50.
But SD is the lowest that any good man
should make and that without much
work. A porter on sleeper has tie east
est time and makes his money with less
work than anybody else in the world. So
I'm going back to railroadng.
There's two kinds of porters. One is
the kind that works for the pay he gets
from the company-that's $50 a month on
a sleeper and S25 on a chair car. He is
satisfied to take what is coming to him.
and he don't make any cracks to draw
money from 'em. The other kind is diff
ferent. They are the porters that are out
for the passengers. The passengers like
them better.
"a porter has lot of experiences. Now,
you take me. ! think l can spot n good
man as quick as any one. But I've been
fooled. ] was running on the Pennsylva-
MAS fast Chicago train six years ago.
The first people to get around one night
staggered me. There was an old man with
cowhide boots and paintbrush beard at
the head of a parade of six kids. There
was seven berths gone. and ] said to my
self, Not cent in sight Well said
to myself, you're up against it. Half the
car Kindergarten, with jayhawker for
the teacher. ! see your finish Golly, ]
was mad.
II took the checks and showed the old
man the berths. ! made up my mind it
wasn't worth while to bother with that
outfit. and didn't. The old man put the
nursery to bed and dressed them in the
msrning. No help did give! Not me. !
was too busy.
"Well. we got into Chicago. and l was
brushing my passengers off. The old man
got the kids in shape and paid no atten-
ton to me. He was kneeling down but
fF,p |
through ! had my brush. Will you let
me take that broomT he said. | handed it
over. Well, he brushed every one of EN-.
took the brush then and busted him
not much, but just little Well, the old
man went down in his jeans, and he pull
ed out roll, and he knocked me down
flyer. Yes, sri He was the best man on
the train, and there ! had been abusing
him all the trip!
"Now. women are queer. They don't
tip, you know, and carful of women 10
no good.
"Now. l ran on the Southwestern Linn
tied once, and l remember a woman. She
was an old maid. judge. She got aboard
at st. Louis. and she had bundles till you
couldn't rest. She was little and fussy
She began to ask questions at once. She
was a terror. Every time we stopped she
said, What town is this. porterT I'd tell
her. mighty short. / got out of doing ev-
erything she asked. | never done q thing
for her. | had her sized up-oh, yes, /
was smart.
"Weil. she got nervous at Yonkers and
began to bother worse than ever. When
we got into the shed. she was first of,
and her bundles weren't all there. ! got
them at last. And then she said: Porter.
you've been very kind to me. Very kind.
indeed. porter. and ! want to thank you.
Now. porter, this is for you, and she
showed bill to me. Well. | hadn't ex-
pected to get anything, and ] was glad.
thanked her and showed the bill in my
pocket. When she got away, ] looked at
il. 1t was a ten.
"A buffet is the thing. When
man drinks alone. he gives up a dime for
every drink and maybe quarter. When
there's more than one. it's quarter most
surely. A bridal couple! They're the
stuff, Say. the bride wants everything.
She wants a drink of water. Porter,
says he. "a glass of water That's a
quarter. He wants to show off. Then
she'll send a telegram home. Porter,
says he. a telegraph blank That's an
other quarter, maybe fifty. ! know one
couple that Melted me three fifty in day.
"Stateroom parties are apt to be no
good. They may be folks with a pull or
something like that. and they demand at
tention. l made a run once and only got
a dime out of a crowded staterOom, and
the kept me on the jump all the time.
But the main thing is that rairoading
is the best business. It's easy money.
All a man has to do is to be lively and he
on hand and not in the way Then hen
get along I'm going back to railroad
mH"-New York Sun.