The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-10

II they Know that their train 10 being driven
by o fat engineer. although Aey don't
explain why they feel that way. Four
out Of five locomotive engineers are fat
they're big and stolid and comfortable
looking that they are considered so safe
by the persons with this tr travelling kink.
Pussy women who are bound on very
long Journeys will pop questions az me
about things l never heard about and don't
have TO hear about. and then climb me
something scandalous because i have
TO hang my head In shame and pass up
the answers. A girl who looked like. a
soubrette was taking a train for Mexico
the other day, and she hurled about two
dozen questions at me about the accom-
mediation trains In one OF the provinces
along the line Of the Mexican National
Railroad.
1T was a case Of both hands up with me.
for the seaweed inside my conk doesn't
have 10 keep tab on the switchback and
cog-shd-dummy schedules outside the
United States. The Mexico-bound gTl
with the peroxide fax got real angry at me,
30 she did. because ! wasn't there with the
goods when she propounded these IN
quiries.
'Informationer-you an inforinationer,
ehf' said she, giving me the shrivel gaze.
Say. you don't know the number OF your
hat, but l do. It's a -four and two-sixths,'
,1idrs with that iGliiGE little wo npPer i,,. she
"A lot Of them trim me OIL. too, when
changes of which they haven't heard are
made in the departing time of trains and
they miss connections. I've got about a
much to do with the building up. Of the
schedules and the changing OF them at
regular or irregular periods Of the year as
j have with the declaration OF dividends,
but that doesn't make any difference. All
/ can do is to hum They're After Me- and
root for the arrival of bedtime.
a lot Of fellows landing here on thor
way TO New York for the first time from
far-outlying Rube regions stop by this
window before taking the ferry 70 ask me
TO tip EN- of on a hotel TO 60 TO when they
get across the river.
Il find out what figure they're willing
TO pay for their keep and send EN- along
70 the right place, but most OF them stop
by here again on their way 10 their tralhs
To return home to roast me Tor haNins
| been the cause OF their being imposed upoh
at the hostelries recommended to them
how hey we're charged IS cents for a drink
of corn liquor that only cost two bits a
gallon at home, or how they were coaHeu
out Of 50 cents for a brace OF amp CHOPS
when they could buy a hull lamb pacK 70
hum for about 81, and all that sort OF thing
And so you see, | get mine both ends
! from the middle. All the hard ones are
pushed my way. The train callers ana
station hands don answer any questions
at all any more. but just put the walking
interrogation marks on the path that leads
up here and then stand back and gioa'
while I'm getting hoarse.
"A Young fellow | know who was study
ing advanced shorthand to get a lop as
one day to give himself a little workout
on his notes. l got to asking him some
questions about his pothooks, and inqulred
how many words a minute he could write
shorthand. 49,
pushed. said he.
We'll said |, Just you stand by TO be
pushed. Two hundred words a minute
IL slag-train time around. these works,
and you might just as well pick up your
doll rags and go home.
who asked me. a while ago, what tune
the next train for Baltimore left ! tod
her 2i3. She m I'M have understood me
TO say 30. for it's ais now. and she hash I
gone.
sWait'l she lines up here when she finds
out her mistake, and II 200 words n minute
is the best YOU can do you're going 10 get
a gallop thatu put you at the rear OF 'he
sprinters.'
aShe came over to me. all right. when
she found out that her hearing had misled
her, and she began. The stenog. whom
was waiting for a IN grabbed a pencil
and tried TO follow along, but he was Just
as good as left at the post. lie scrlt'bled
along tho best way he knew how. trying
TO follow her. but IL was no go, and he
finally threw down his pencil and FELT oil
his head.
DO you get man like that he asked
me after she'd gone away.
-'Oh, ten or twelve a dav, said !.
We'll. said he, she was doing 100 words
every sixty seconds without a snecnze OF,
a long breath. wouldn't hs, believed
II could be done. I'll pick up about i.oOO
more word-sizns and drop down here
again some day. I'll need EN- all. and
a flock OF monographs 20 u
Now I'll open up again and LEI en-
throw the three-for-fve balls at me for
the rest OF the afternoon. wound up the
patisnt Bureau Of Information young man
putting away his lunch box and throwing
open the window. and then tlie fourteen
nervous looking individuals lined up m
front 81 the window began i~ndivlduauN
and collectively u prove the faithfulneS-
Of the young mans comment on the nature
81 his chesrless job.