The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-03-24
The Station Agent
AT Alpena Station

-. "lieu nineteen years old
married a country girl and took a posi-
ton on the railroad as brakeman. The
road ran through a semicivilized conn
Try. PhiFs family lived In a log cabin.
children came ~plenteously, demanding
700 II clothes, and life was ener-
any unattractlve. Once in five years
Ph1l would make an application for a
better position, but three applications
only brought the post Of baggage agent
at a new station opened near his cabin
with starvation wages. After this he
frequently made applications for m
ming better till the superintendent be.
came weary Of reading them and re-
solved to put a stop to them.
Up the road was a station. Athena
near which lived a gang Of men who
succeeded in always riding free. The
way they managed it was this: A grim
c~ountenance with a background of
shocky hair and a sombrero would ap-
pear at the window and ask for a tick
OF. Inc agent would do the necessary
stamping and throw tn. ticket down.
mentioning the amount due. The appli-
cam would pick up the ticket and walk
away without making any payment
The agent knew If he declined to SUBJ
nit to this n sided way Of doing
business the applicant would poke a
revolver through the opening and be-
gin to shoot.
The superintendent on receipt of
Phils last application wrote him that
In view Of his long and faithful sery-
Ice on the road he was promoted to be
station agent at Alpena. The writer
chuckled as he dictated the letter and
congratulated himself upon not In fu-
ture being troubled by the baggage
mans applications. AS for Phil, he
knew all about the gangs operations
and saw at once that unless he collect
cd the fares he would be removed. II
ne collected them, he must take his
chances Of being shot. He thought the
matter over, resolved to accept the sit
uation and made his preparations ac-
cordingly.
Since Phil had been known in the
country roundabout as a peaceable,
Flooding fellow, so soon as the gang
heard Of his appointment they made up
their minds to make more frequent and
longer trips. The second morning aft
er the new agent took his place In the
office n Of their number walked up to
the hole and asked for a ticket.
give dollars and thirty cents" said
Phil in a feeble voice.
Gimme the ticket. l don't paw till
I git the goods" said the man, lazily
drawing a weapon from his hip.
Quick as a flash a revolver was
thrust through the hole from within,
a shot rang out, and the applicant for
a ticket dropped dead.
There was no n else in the station
at the time, and Phil, going to the
baggage room, took out an oblong box,
put the corpse in 1t, nailed down the
lid, tackled a card on it on which was
written the address of the superintend-
ent and sent 1t by the next train, with
a railway ticket and $3.50 inclosed in
an envelope. On a piece Of paper he
wrote 10 go with the rest:
Ticket sold this morning. Not used.
Don't know what to DO with It or the
money, so forward them to you. Corpse
Of the applicant in baggage car. Shall I
kill any more Of EN-?
PHIL CARLTON.
Station Agent, Alpena.
When the superintendent read this
note and learned from the bearer that
there was a coffin shaped box in the
baggage room awaiting his orders he
was more astonished than If he had
been Informed that the whole line Of
the road had been swallowed by an
earthquake. He walked the floor for
awhile In deep meditation, then took
Phil's note to the president.
That afternoon there was a meeting
Of the board Of directors, with the
roads attorney in attendance, who as
sured them that since Phil had not re-
ceived o could prove that he had re-
ceived orders to kill any applicant for
q ticket who refused to pay his fare,
non Of them would be liable to be ar
rested and tried for murder. Phil was
alone responsible; but, considering the
lawless state of the country and the
character of the unsuccessful applicant
for a free ride, it was not believed that
the man who had shot him would be
molested.
The body was sent back to Alpena
for burial. and Phil was directed not to
kill any more deadhead ticket appli-
cants.
But Phil did not need to kill any
more Of them. The others. taking
warning from the fate Of their compan-
ion, found 1t unnecessary to travel
often thereafter on the road and when
they did, not being sure but the station
agent, fearing that they had come to
practice their former methods, would
shoot to kill, always paid their fare on
the train. Indeed Phil Cartons al
ministration of the affairs Of Alpena
station proved SO satisfactory that he
was summoned to the main office with
q view to determining If he We're not
capable Of filling some important posi-