Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-16
BOUGHT RAILROAD FOR $3.50.
But the Old Horse Trader Found He
Had Been Stung by the Train Crew.

Speaking of the Frisco receiver
ship" said ED V. Williams with a rem
! insicent smile. reminds me of one Of
the funniest things that ever happen
ed in the early history of North Spring
| field. the time that Hank Jenkins
| bought up the railroad for $3.50 and
started in Ia make his fortune.
Hank was leary-eyed, ungainIy, an
gular country pumpkin, who came to
town every Saturday to dangle his
long legs over the cracker barrels Of
the corner grocery, chew endless
amounts Of tobacco and swap mules
in between whites. a keen trader was
Hank. He'd rather get dollar on
sharp deal than to mud two rolling up
the street. AS he sloshed his qu1d be
tween his cheeks his weather eye was
ALWAYS out for a bargain.
In the days when Hank bought up
the railroad railroading was "A good
deal different than il is nov. YOU I'm
derstaad. a rough, registering bunch of
men. fond Of liquor and carausing, were
on every train crew. The irst lew
weeks the railroad came to Springfield,
as YOU may know, il was the object
Of interest for the whole countryside
Peopla came in fer miles TO see the
putting engine. chugsinG along the
track apparently of its own force. The
sight was much more exciting than am
airship taxieab line would be now.
Among those who rode in from the
cn,,ntry t. see the train was Hank.
He looked With amaZement on the rat
ting cars and noisy engines. He APP
proached a switch engine cnrious!y,
and looked il over with the same sns-
ojcions snreWdness that he always
kept on hand foS looking inside the
mouth OF a horse he was planning 10
trade fdl Finally h. approached the
red faced engineer and said;
what der Yer reekin that there
blamed thing is with?
=" I DON'T know, replied the engineer
With n wink AT orc OF his fellow trala-
men. It's werth a good Zeal, You know
You could make big money with 1t
hauling stuff up and down the tracks
WhatW you give
- amt got but $50 returned
Hank. THE engines cheap 1T $780,
,aid the engineer. 1t cost all o SO
but like the looks of YOU and heed
some money, stranger If You can
plank the nl1litA d'"ii ~"
zines yohrn-
"'Bat how'd run it, put IN HANK
| is perplexity. How much are YOU
senin' the track fer"
eff You'll pay $50 down nov. sald
the frainman. solemnly, we'll throw
| IA the track for ten miles up the Inc.
| Then YOU can buy the rest of 1t on easy
| terms.
"A few minutes later two hilarious
railroad men were making for the
tarest saloon with Hanks Ss.2e ana
| Hank no less happy, was struttihg up
and down the track gloating over ms
cherished possession and wondering
nerhaps. what his wife would say When
she knew that lie owned an engine anu
Ten miles OF track on the much talked
of railroad.
Maybe you've dreamed oil peihs
millionaire and then woke up TO una
that your bank account was over
drawn. Then you'll know how HANK
felt waen he found out that he was the
| goat. And perhaps, you'll hhdefs.aia
| how The trainmen felt when they SOD
cred I'D from their royal drunk TO hhe
that an unhamorous, practical mhaed
iudee was waiting IL sentence theiii
Ia 20 DAYS in Jail for getting money
lpader false pretenses. -spi1hshe'o
(AIo) Republican.