Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20

couple OF hours aAfore he was due to get
of the train--he w5s on his way home to
see the old folks for the first time In nina
years. he told ns--he decided that he want
ed 10 shave himself. The train was ruiz
ming through mountain country. and there
were many curves. and so. when We saw
that he had no safety razor, hui a big Old
fashioned blade something under the size
of bolo. We endeasofed 10 dissuade him
from his purpose. He took this, however.
as the manifestation of a conspiracy on our
part to have him present himself to the
view of the old folks looking like an I'M
shorn bum.
Anyhow. he desired to bet each. any or
all of US ten thousand dollars or any part
of the same that he could shave himself
without making a scratch. More than that
he informed us that he could shave himself
with equal facility and immunity from dis
aster in balloon or in ship at sea during
the progress of typhoon. So there
nothing to do but to let him go ahead.
When he got through his countenance look
ed like Chinese love letter or the top OF a
cross-covered cranberry pie. All the same.
he beamed upon us all triumphantly. with
the sanguinary fluid cascading from about
twenty cuts, and. said he. Seer Never
touched me! Not mark Why, could
shave just as easy. IL had to do II, stand
ing up on merry-go-round.' With the
smoking department looking like an abat-
toir. he thought that he had won.
ne man who was in perpetual deadly
10 the dining car was along. too, for part
or the way. AS mealtime approached he'd
pegih TO glance at his watch every two or
three minutes. Then he d touch the por-
ter's button and ask the porter IL it wasn't
pretty near dinner or lunchtime. Upon be-
ing informed that first call for the meal
would probably be announced presently by
the dining car servitor. he'd begin to draw
himself into a tense, strained attitude, like
a Splinter waiting for the crack of the pis-
toll. He'd keep a furtfve eye on all tho
rest of us In fine smoking compartment ff
any OF us would get up to take a drink OF
water or to reach for a match he'd draw
himself into knot prepared to jump out
of the compartment in front of us. IL we
manifested the slightest disposition to leave
the compartment and attempt to beat him
TO the dining car.
Rushed Madly to the Diner.
''rhe train was a long one and the diner
was on the end. and he was determined that
nobody in that forward sleeper, anyhow,
was going to get to the diner before him.
He'd listen with strained ears and head on
one side for the sound of the dining-car
walters voice, with the announcement of
first call for the meal and when the call
finally came he'd just hustle, literally cata-
putt, himself out of the compartment, out
of the car. through all the rest of the cars,
brushing aside and all but knocking down
the other people leisurely rising from their
seats to go TO the dining car.
buC once ne got lert Inc dining car
was crowded with folks from the more
advantageously situated rear cars before he
could blaze his path to the diner, and, to
the intense delight of everybody next to
his game, he had to stand in the aisle of
the dining car and wait about an hour
before he could get a seat. This obviously
caused him the most profound gloom and
disgust, and, as he was to be on the train
while still another meal was to be served,
he tried to change his berth to one in the
rear sleeper, next to the diner. But he
couldn't make that stick, and so, as the
next mealtime approached, there was
chance for the men in our car to put up a
job on him. On account of our train being
so late, the dining car had been taken off
to go with another train, and there was to
be no evening meal on the train-the pas
sengers would be required to eat at one of
the evening stops. But, when the meal
hour was due one of the men in the COM
partment sneaked out, opened the car door.
bawled First call for dinner in the dining
car and then the man who was afraid
somebody was going to beat him to the
eats did his scrambling and somersaulting
all through the train. only to find. of
course, when he got to the last sleeper that
there was 10 longer any diner hitched on.
He glared at us all with profound hatred
when he returned. but that didn't get him
moving travelling hog 1 had seen since
last clapping eye upon the previous one of
his stamp, on another journey.
The gimme-all-the-room-t here-is hog was
mornings. A lot of stuff, most of Il no
doubt true. has been written about the sell
fishness of some women while they are
travelling in sleeping cars--how one of them
even when the car is crowded with women
folks, Will lock herself in the women S wash
up room for an hour or so, primping. and
letting others wait. and all that sort of
thing. But there are male hogs in the
men Wash-up rooms of sleepers too-that
little fact shouldn't be forgotten This one
was a drummer or travelling mani have
noticed that. for all these genial tales of
travelling men a-rail they are about the
most selfish mugs a-going when it comes TO
giving other people the rights due them on
the road
Wanted All the Room.
This gimme-it-an chap wasn't the first
man TO reach the wash-up room, nor tho
second, nor even the third But when he
got there he promptly began to push tho
gear of other men around SOS to make more
room for his own. He opened and spread
out four bags and suit cases, the contents
or which II seemed to be necessary for him
TO get at to make his toilet He spread
EN- all over the big leather lounge and on
the chairs, tossed EN- on top of other peo-
pies stun, monopolized most of the hooks
to hang his things on, spraddled his legs
out so that he occupied the room in front
or four wash bowls, let the water stand in
the basin he used swept all the towels in
the rack directly in front of him so that
no1 mop else could get within reach of them,
ana generally enacted the role of the male
hog a-rall as If he'd been rehea rising II for
half his life-as probably he had been.
Il don't mind travelling a-rail II isn't en-
tlresome in itself. But 1 wish some mod
ern Mr.. Turyeydrop would start a school of
department for people who travel
C. L. C.