The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-01-03
HE FOUND HIS NAN.


ticular moral to this yarn" he said, 'sbut it
happens to be true, and I'll give it to you
for what the newspaper boys call human in
terest-' Not long ago the millionaire presi.
dent of big manufacturing concern up il
Ohio made a speech at banquet, and to IL
lustrate how seeming misfortunes may
prove blessings in disguise, he said that he
got his start In life through being kicked off
of an accommodation train in the dead of
winter. 1t was during the hard times of the
SOS, he went on to relate, and although
he was skilled mechanic and something
of an engineer, he found it impossible to
procure work of any kind, even manual la
Dor. Things went from bad to worse, and
at last he found himself stranded some
where in southern Ohio. He was stone broke
and desperate, and wanted to get to Day.
ton, where he had heard vaguely there was
something doing in his trade. So one bit.
ter cold evening he slipped On board an
accommodation train, hoping to be able to
talk the conductor into carrying him, but he
failed ANONYMOUSLY. He begged and plead
ed and told his story with all the eloquence
of despair, but the ticket puncher refused
to melt. On the contrary, he pulled the
bell rope when they came to the next sta
ton, grabbed the unhappy young mechanic
and propelled him off the car with a series
of swift kicks. He landed in a snow bank
and slept in freight shed, but next day his
chance came. A span suddenly gave way
in new iron bridge over big creek at the
edge of the town and the whole structure
threatened to go down before experts could
arrive form the builders foundry. At that
critical juncture the stranger jumped into
the breach, built a temporary supporting
trestle out of logs and crossties, and saved
something like $4,000 worth of work. OF
course, the bridge people were delighted,
and when Iney saw what really scientific
job he had done they offered the shabby en-
gineer handsome position in their estab-
lishment. From that on his rise was rapid.
In concluding the little tale he laid especial
stress on the apparent hopelessness Of his
position the night he was elected from the
train, and made the point that one should
never give way to despair. If that con.
ductor had carried me on instead of kicking
me off, he said, L would have missed the
great chance of my life and might be work
ing now at the bench. l am really indebted
to him for my start in the world, and have
often wished that could meet him and tell
him about it.
''This curious little narrative was gen.
orally copied by the papers," continued the
railroad man, "and one day a conductor in
our service came into my office in great ex-
element and showed me a clipping. I'm
the very man that put that fellow off, he
declared, and after questioning him little
as to dates and details l concluded he was
correct about it. He remembered the Incl
dent perfectly, and also recalled the fact
that the big bridge at the town had broken
the following day, but the subsequent career
of his hobo passenger was something he had
never heard of. 1t filled him with awe and
generation, and he was especially impressed
by the generous disposition on the part of
the lucky man to attribute his fortune to
the circumstance of having been kicked off
of the train, and his expressed desire to
meet the person who did the kicking. After
Illuminating over the matter for a week or
two and reading the speech until he knew
it by heart, ne concluded it would be wrong
to deny the millionaire an opportunity to
express his gratitude, and accordingly he
applied for leave of absence to pay him
visit | granted the leave, got him pass
and he departed in high feather. AS soon
as he arrived at his destination, according
to his own story, he went at once to the
mandatory, which was great deal vaster
and more impressive than he had expected,
and asked to see the president. After some
delay he was shown into magnificent pri-
vate office on the second floor, where stall
wart gray-haired gentleman was seated be-
hind big mahogany table. The conductor
had prepared quite well-turned and witty
little speech of introduction, for he realized,
of course, that the millionaire wouldn't
know him from Adams house cat, but the
splendor of the surroundings and the cold
blue eye of the man himself knocked it all
out of his head, and the only thing he could
do was to spread the newspaper clipping
on the big table and blurt out: I'm the fell
low that put you off, Indeed!' said the
president, looking at him keenly. How do
you know" The conductor stumbled over
his story, and before he concluded the mag
nate jumped up, smiling warmly. This is
great pleasure, he said, "a very great pleas
ure-something l have been looking for
ward to for years!' It's mutual said the
conductor, grinning. Thanks said the
manufacturer. you noticed, perhaps, in
my little speech that gladly ascribed my
start in life to the fact that you kicked
me off the cars instead of carrying me to
Dayton on that winter night which you
recall with such remarkable precision?
Yes, I noticed that said the conductor,
who, without knowing why, suddenly began
to feel curious sense of apprehension.
Exactly pursued the president, rubbing
his palms, and as far as results are con-
cerned you were, of course, merely an in
strument in the hands of Providence. /
have returned thanks to Providence in va
rious ways, and think Providence and | are
about even. But the kicking he went on,
in the same silky voice, which the conductor
says made cold chills crawl all through the
roots of his hair, the kicking was person.
al touch of your own-a sort OF humorous
establishment, without which the throwing
off of half-sick, half-clad, penniless wretch
might have been a bit too somber Let me
see,' he added, musingly, it seems to me you
were a good deal heavier then i used tc
weigh $780, said the conductor, but I've
run down since Yes said the president,
politely, my own experience was just the
reverse; l was greatly run down that night
and have since gained considerably in
weight, which makes things about even at
present. With that he suddenly grabbed
the conductor by the collar, whirled him
around like lightning and kicked him all the
way downstairs."-N. o. Times-Democrat.