The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-08-03
Daily in the Waiting Rooms at
the Central Union Station
MANY STRANGE GAMES
AND EVEN TRAGEDIES ENACTED
THERE-ALl KINDS AND ALL
SORTS OF PEOPLE ALWAYS
IN ATTENDANCE.

scenes and even tragedies would be
enacted before their eyes, but by far
the most interesting one. and the one
where the most of such things occur,
is the Central Union station.
In the narrow confines of its waiting
rooms there are more pathetic. laugh
able and tragic things occur in twenty
four hours that could be seen in a
space one thousand times its size in
any part of the city
On TWO days in each month espec-
tally are these things to be seen, when
the Cotton Belt railroad runs its home
seekers excursions TO points in the
far south along its road bed. Then is
the station fairly filled with the most
interesting people, of all descriptions,
varying from the wealthy traveller to
whole families. poor in the worlds
goods and in spirit, who would tempt
fortune in other, and to them, unex-
| piored lands.
| 1t il, on these two days, a common
sight to see some weary mother, her
shoulders stopped with years OF hard
and unceasing work. watching with
still mothers care over a brood of
six or eight children, ranging in years
| from one to ten years, and trying TO
| satisfy their various wants For one
curly headed little youngster it Is a
drink Then another cried for his
dinner. Still another wants pen
| NY to put In the chewing gum mach
| inc. But pennies are scarce In this
! family and he must do without. And
/ then the baby of the family sets up
| his plaintiye little cry and his moth
| er's entire attention IL Of necessity
| devoted TO him while all the others
lfeel the slight which she casts upon
them and resent it BY Juggling man
! fully. or girifully, as the case may be-
| nounces that the train nas come and
/ with fear and trembling fest some one
of the crowd at little ones he lost the
train Is boarded and faces turned
brightly to the land which will hold
i heaven knows what Ii In store for
them.
And All night the watcher may see
the bride and groom. married by thu
N Justice some time during the day. shy.
lly billing and cooling in the far corner
watching every one VINO enters the
room with such interest as Is left In
Them To bestow upon others than
| themselves, and hoping thar no one
notices that they are holding hands
Just how many surraptitious kisses
have been exchanged III the waiting
room by couples of this kind the tick
at agents are unable to estimate bu'
they will swear To any statement mo-
more than one million
The cranky fat man, who wants tC
know why trains running over some
road not coming within hundret
miles of this city do not come In an,
depart On time; who asks In a thun
derous voice why the ticket agen
didn't know that HE was going oi
this train and save berth for him
VINO raves in enormous sub-cella
tones because his train Is late and hi
wants 10 get home, and who has
! thousand and one kicks To register
then comes along and sets every on
in the place on edge until his want
are satisfied and he leaves to wall
about the platform and smoke.
Another tired woman and her Chi
] dren come in off one OF the train
and while waiting for another one dis
pose themselves ais comfortably a
possible on the floor of the waitin
, room and, with such baggage as the
may have for pillows, attempt to slice
the time away. awakening every ono
IN a while by the thunder Of an eI
g'ne as II comes rolling in, smlln
II happily and hopefully at each othe
. and relapsing again into the land {
b nod until the porter calls tho name {
n the train which will bear then to thei
II destination.
= And the poor old man, who havn
b. weathered scores Of years Is abot
NJ ready for his final resting place to
d ters in with the aid Of his cane AM
obliy'ous 10 all things and thought
n except Of the time when he was youn
le and well able TO take care of hlmsel
sr patiently awaits the coming Of h
lie train He is going TO the soldier
home and will probably never leave
III again. His country drew the be-
N years of his life and now he intenc
lie to get from 1t what little he can Sma
70 blame 10 aim. and he Is entitled
better than he will get.
And over in the opposite corn,
NJ from the young couple there sits 3
X old man and his wife, both with loci
of snow white. This III the first tr
- they have taken since short weddl
l." tour and their minds are even no
e. recalling thar day when they sat
r. the station, possibly the same OF
~ they are now In, and awaited the
W train. Just the thought Of Il hrnI
Iit the blood mounting to their wien,
cheeks, only to fade away again, 4
al they happen 10 think that they a
40 a trihe too old for such sentimef
&c and besides that are they not goil
h, 10 visit their son john whom III,
Dy have not seen for twenty-five year
a 4