Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-05-09
LOSES TICKET
HELPED ON WAY
Aged Woman Comes to This
City Thinking 1t Was
Salt Lake

Weak from the lack Of food. so tired
that she could hardly walk and not
able to speak sufficient English to
make herself understood, a Swedish
woman about So years Of age. Mrs.
ELLA Peterson by name, made her way
into the o. r. & N. ticket Office yes
terday afternoon and, with signs and
gestures, accompanied by grunts and
disconnected syllables. made 1t known
to J. ]. Wilson, ticket agent, that she
wanted ticket to salt Lake City,
Utah.
interpreter Called In.
Mr.. Wilson questioned the woman
as to the route she wished to take, but
he could not succeed In making her
understand the situation. He made out
the ticket and when handing it to her
told her that 1t would cost her Just
$3.50.
At this remark the woman threw up
her emaciated hands In despair. Not
knowing the cause for such uncalled-
for excitement and show of feeling, Mr..
Wilson called in man who could talk
the Swedish language and after telling
him the situation asked him to engage
the woman In conversation and find
what the trouble was. The pitiful
story told by the old woman was this:
Gets on Wrong Train.
She boarded the train at Kent
Wash, headed for Salt Lake City, and
in some manner got on the wrong
train. She landed at Spokane yes
terday morning after making the trip
without food. When she got off the
train she found that she had either lost
or been robbed of her ticket.
After making futile search for it,
She boarded the lewiston bound train,
thinking she was going to the desired
destination-Salt Lake city.
In some manner she was missed by
the conductor, and upon leaving the
train at the station here began to in.
quire for friends and relatives in her
broken language, thinking she had
landed at Salt Lake City. She could
find no one, and when she ascertained
that she was in Lewiston set about to
find the ticket Office.
The cause Of Mrs Peterson's display
Of feeling at being told that her ticket
would cost $3.50 was because all sh.
had in her purse was SIS.
Saved Nickels and Dimes.
| The interpreter called in found that
she had lived at Kent where she wash
ed clothes for living until she had
secured money enough to take her to
Salt Lake city. The s25 which she hal
in her purse was all In the world she
possessed. This money was divided
into two SIS gold pieces. a 81 bill and
half-pint of quarters, nickels and
dimes, the many small coins showing
that she had saved up every available
cent preparatory to making the trip
When Mr.. Wilson found the straits
in which Mrs. Peterson was in he gave
her money enough for her breakfast,
told her to come to the Office when she
had eaten and then called up C. T.
Stranahan, superintendent of the coun
ty poor regarding any help that might
be extended the woman as an inli-
! gent.
/ A railroad provision in its passenger
tariff states that half-fare rates will
be given county indigents on request
Of the superintendent of the county
poor farm Mr.. Stranahan could not
be found.
Money Collected for Woman.
Late yesterday afternoon the woman
came to the Office again. In the mean
time purse had been made up by
visitors to the ticket ONCE. The mon.
ey was given the woman and she was
sent to a restaurant for her dinner.
l Her ticket was then handed her,
and she was then told that she might
go on board the boat for the night. She
picked up her parasol. satchel and bun
die Of clothes and then, with tears
streaming down her wrInklad face she
stepped up to Ticket Agent Wilson,
shook his hand. and in broken accents
said:
you vera good boy"
Her heart was too full Of gratitude
to say more, and with a kindly look
she then stepped outside. saying, Goo
bye, goo bye" and made her way to
the boat landing.
Mrs. Peterson is now on her way to
Salt Lake City, and with but 50 In her
pocket book with which to buy her
meals she is as happy as a meadow