The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-16
PATHETIC SIDE
OF TRAVELLER LIFE
CONDUCTOR WHO WAS BRUTAL
TO DESTITUTE FAMILY "GETs
HIS" FROM TRAVELLING MAN
WHO GOT NEXT TO THE CONS
cRooKEDNEss.

The uninformed have the idea that
travelling makes man hard and he
becomes toughened against the softer
side OF life. The very reverse is true,
On the road a man is constantly
brought to see suffering, his heart
grows tender and none are quicker to
respond to a call from the weak or
helpless than the commercial traveller.
A case in point is found in the last
issue of The Sample Case:
"It is not all the ridiculous things
that happen along the road that bring
tears to the eyes of the man who trav-
els for his living" continued Mr..
Crewdson. IT remember particularly
a sad incident that occurred while an
other drummer and myself were going
from CuIdesac to Lewiston, Idaho.
over the Northern Pacific several
months ago. The dusty combination
passenger and freight train had stop
ped at little town called Sweetwater,
AS the train slowed down, we curious
w looked from the window and peered
straight into the door of the walt
ing room at the dingy station house.
Lined up before the train We're faith
err and mother with hair disheveled,
accompanied by six small children, the
oldest of which was about Z years. All
got aboard the train, the father carry
ing a small package, presumably
cracker box, covered with BIT or
cheese cloth, in his arms.
Thinking the party was going to
market with box of butter, and had
covered 1t up with a.. light cloth to
keep flies and dust off it, the fellows
in the car thought nothing more of it.
Before the train started the conductor
approached the father, and after a
little parleying, said loudly:
"'No sir; / cannot do it; the rules
of the railway company forbid any
thing of the sort You and your fam
ily will have to get off the train.
SLOWLY, one by one. the little party
alighted from the car, the father plac-
ing the little box on the seat in the
waiting room.
.'The train started toward Lewiston,
and when but a short distance from
Sweetwater suddenly stopped and be-
gan to return to the small town. Won
dering at the cause Of the return, the
travelling men in our car started back
to ascertain the reason. In the isle
of the car behind we came across a
shoe salesman in an alteration with
the conductor.
"sSee here. you just took up fare
that went into your own pocket; now
back this train up and pick up that
man and his family, or you will know
the result were the first words that
we heard.
1.-THE train did back up to the sta
ton but when it returned the six chul-
dren and their parents had gone else
where The drummer afterward relat-
ed the story to his assembled friends
in the car. telling of how he had found
out that while the mother was visiting
in town the youngest child in the fam
lily, mere baby chat she carried in
her arms, had suddenly taken sick and
died within an hour Penniless and
not knowing what to do or where to
60 the mother summoned the father
and children and hastily determined
to take the child to Lewis con for bur-
ial. Placed in a rough pine box, the
body of the child was carried by the
father, who, when he stepped on board
the train, was told that the body
could not be carried without the permit
of the attending physician
1--WE made up good-sized purse,
and handed it to the station agent and
told him to see that it reached the be-
reaved parens for the proper burial
of their child. / have never heard of
the parents, conductor or station
agent since. These are but instances
Of the journeys on the road-just tales
of the road