Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-02-10
Miseellaneoas Readins.
GOLD BRICKS FOR RAILROADS.
Shrewd Detective Work Needed to
Protect the Companies.

not lend much distinction to the club
| except in the matter of versatility in
pursuing some of the dollars nailed
down the railroad treasures. A few
nameless specimens of the listed class
are given credentials in Leslie's Week
ly by George H. Cone, for eighteen
years claim agent Of the Hartman
lines. Those of western development
are thus certified:
The frauds are legion who claim to
have been in wrecks when they were
safe at home reading of the catastro-
phe in the newspapers. These are
without significance. The claims pre-
ferred by those who are respected In
their own communities furnish the
tragedy and the comedy of railroad
| ing.
There Is a class illustrated by the
man in Western Colorado who, a year
after train accident, brought suit for
$50, 900. He had been m the wreck
he said, and had sustained injuries re-
sulting in paralysis Of the right arm
Although the board Of surgeons found
no evidence of injury, his arm was
limp and dangling. We sent specia
agent to his district who posed as q
| land-seeker. One day he saw hi:
quarry seize a heavy plow and throw
it over the tailboard of a wagon. He
used both hands.
Here is another Of the same type
A settler claimed 500 for a horse
killed on the right -of-way near Val
ley, Neb. The keen adjuster, visiting
the scene, divines fraud and meets
him with bluff, thus:
Il can't pay you for that horse"
Angry claimant: why not?"
Because the animal was not worth
dollar and he was not killed by g
lrain."
The claimant threatened suit; the
adjuster put a detective on the job
who learned that a pilgrim wagon
| drawn by a bunch of old skates,
passed through Valley on the morning
of the alleged accident. One Of the
pelters, too feeble to go on, was turn
ed loose. He was appropriated by the
claimant, who took him down to the
track and killed him with an ak.
And this one: A Central Nebraska
| farmer had his wheat field of sixty
acres burned by locomotive sparks
He claimed $50 an acre, or $1,000
an excessive price for a heavy crop
How were we to know the quality OF
wheat we had never seen? He count
ed on our ignorance. found that the
season had been dry; that his neigh
bors' wheat crops were worthless;
that some corners Of the one In ques-
ton which escaped the fire were but
chaff; and when the claimant as
serted: THAT was a fine piece OF
wheat" l could respond: Il know
all about your wheat. A dollar and g
half an acre is all that's coming to
you. old man." "All right he as:
sented with a grin. when shall
get the money!"
| A settler in the arid regions had
| filed on a government tree claim
To obtain the title it was necessary to
plant a grove of trees. 1t was near
ing time to prove his title. The in
spector was due, when fire from 10.
connective caught in the grass and dam.
aged his trees. He put in claim fol
$500. The claim department sent
an adjuster to the scene. What desc.
lation met his gaze. He felt a lump
in his throat. The man deserved al
he had asked. He walked among the
Il h1o nly frnn on1
settlers blasted hopes. Presently he
was aware that, aside from the fire
there was a strangeness about those
| trees. He was puzzled. He consider.
ed them attentively. He leaned
against one of them, searching the
key to the enigma. 1t toppled over
1t had no root. He seized hold OF
another; it came up in his hands, and
he continued to pluck up trees till he
was tired. The bogus trees intended
to deceive the government had beer
used to deceive the company. The
claimant was confronted with his per.
fidy. He signed the adjuster's re.
lease for $3.50.
A minister of the gospel migrated
to a small church in Nebraska. Lo.
eating, he sent for his family. The
wife and five children boarded a Un.
ion Pacific train, with one full ticket
and one half ticket; four Of the chill.
dren were being carried free. The
two tickets, obtained of a small
southern road, were of an obsolete
form. Of the "first-class" and sec
ond- class" printed upon them, the
latter had been punched. This sig.
nified to the issuing office that the
tickets were first-claSs; for the Unior
Pacific conductor, on the contrary
following modern rules, it indicated
that they were second-class. So the
| conductor said to the woman;
Madam. you are travelling on a first.
class limited train with second-class
tickets. l am obliged to ask you tC
get off at Grand Island, where you vii
find a large station and can wait COM
fortably for your proper train" The
little party reached home safely, with
| five hours delay. The minister claim.
| ed large damages for "ejectment;'
we compromised with him for 5000
No doubt this mans everyday life
was based on the golden rule; he sim.
ply had come into contact for the tirs
time with large treasury.
| A laundress, named Freitag, from
a Minnesota town, boarded the coach
| of a mixed train at Columbus, Neb.
going north. She was a good laun.
| OTeSS, ain sure, Will d COllSSlSHSe
about ironing shirt fronts and send
| ing home the full count. Near sta
| ton q hard stop was made, which
jolted the passengers. and she com
planned that, being thrown against the
seat in front her side had been hurt
The conductor sent into town for a
doctor. The doctor was inexperienced
| He gave Mrs. Freitag morphine. This
made her i'll. On which the conduc-
tor carried her to Norfolk and had he1
taken off and lodged at the Oxford
| hotel, and the railroads local sur
geon called in. The doctor found nc
evidence of injury. Other doctors
were called in, who pronounced her a
malingerer
She ignored the doctors. She set
tied herself nicely and called in an
attorney who advised her that she
had a good thing if she would stay in
bed and play out the game. This she
had the courage to do. She had lived
in hardships, but she was now the
guest of the railroad and lived up to
the part. She demanded a nurse
which was furnished. She called fol
fruit, oysters. expensive wines. She
sent for relatives; they came at our
expense. The company complied with
her every demand. She kept the house
1sz.N. Ngl