The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-23
Travellers Tales

Manager Brown of the street car
lines of Fargo and Moorhead was talk
ing to some of his friends a night or
two ago of his experiences when he
first became superintendent of a street
car line in the east. In those days just
as now. it was the custom TO give a
candidate for motorman or conductor
an examination, first, as to his age, his
sense of seeing and hearing and his
general physical condition.
I've had some queer cases before
me in days gone by, but here is one
that 1 think beats all the Others" said
he. "One day nice looking young fell
low from the country applied for a po-
sition as conductor. While we didn't
need a regular man on the line, still it
was just coming towards the summer
season when we needed a lot of extra
men for the summer resort lines, and
so / picked him up. He was placed in
charge of different conductors and was
shown about the city on the cars, so
that he might familiarize himself with
each street and route, and as he was
fast to learn he soon had that part OF
the business down fine. An opportunity
came and gave him regular run out
to one Of the summer resorts and he
entered upon his duties in good shape,
didn't pay any attention to him for
the first day or two, until my attention
was called to his case by the cashier
Of the road who told me that my new
conductor returned every night with
his cash account short just half The
cashier said that he had not as yet had
an opportunity of catching up with the
new man, and he thought 1t was his
duty to report the case to me.
1T wasn't more than two hours after
that until had sent out relief for the
new man and had him on the carpet
and asked him how it came that he was
short just half each day. He never
turned a hair as he told me that some
of the other conductors had told him
that the company should consider it
self lucky if it got half the fares. He
said he thought he was doing the fair
thing when he turned in half. Well,
was so astonished at his frankness that
couldn't even crack a smile. I ex-
planned to him that the Others had beer
joshing him, and l kept him on the
road and he was one of the most hon.
est men / ever had"
John Saunderson, mine host Of the
Kindred hotel of Valley City, was il
| Fargo Saturday calling on his friends
and making extensive purchases for the
| big Elk doings in his town next Friday
all day and night. Said he: Valley
| City is humping herself. l never saw
the city grow as she is now. New
| buildings everywhere and some fin'
| ones at that. One of the finest in tht
city will be the new $4,000 apartment
house of the North Dakota Improve.
ment Co, on which work will start il
a short time. 1t will be a hum dinger
and already we are beginning to fee
proud of it. Say, you fellows who veal
the horns in Fargo will miss the big.
| gest thing ever if you don't get dowI
to our town next Friday and take par
! in the Elks' doings. We expect to have
half hundred candidates, eating al
day and night and the finest social ses
sion ever. We are making preparation
to take care of all who come and yol
can rest assured that none will g
away hungry AS Tom Riley Woult
say, Everybody come"