The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1914-11-05
How Jim Donnelly
Made a Success.
By EVERETT P. CLARKE

ban railway station. not seeing promo
ton where he was. asked to be trans
ferred to some more promising posi-
ton. The system was Il long one, pen
etrating into what were then the back
woods of North America. The COM
pany needed men on the frontier, but
| unfortunately those positions were so
unattractiye that the employees there
could not be made to hold their places.
Jim was told that he might have a
passenger train in this region. but was
advised that the people travelling there
were hard to manage, and it was fear
| ed that he would give up the job after
learning the conditions.
Jim had commenced railroading as a
brakeman. The salary of conductor
was much better than that of agent at
an inferior station. and he decided 20
accept the position. Another induce
ment was that if he succeeded in run
ming his train through the lawless dis
trict with regularity he would be ad-
vanced to Il higher position.
The main trouble Jim's predecessors
had experienced was collecting fares.
The people of the country made all
sorts of excuses for not paying their
way, and if the conductor tried to put
them off the train they would make a
fight One conductor had been killed.
| another severely wounded, and others
| had been too frightened to insist Oh
getting the fare. All this was explain
ed to the applicant
Jim thought the matter over and
| made up his mind that he would fight
his way to mastery of the situation.
| He would not undertake the job with
| out seeing it through. The fights the
conductors had experienced We're with
individuals, and so long as he was not
| called upon to fight several men at
once Jim saw no reason why he should
| not stand as good Il chance as the 9th
| er fellow, though he was not a large
man nor especially muscular. He was
| ing powers to provide ways Of collect
ing fares.
Jim had been running his train sew
eral days without trouble when a
| wild looking man got on at a wilder
ness station, and when Jim asked him
for his fare the passenger. feeling
through his pockets. finally took out a
| dirty paper on which he had himself
written a pass. Jim handed it back
to him with the laconic remark. "NC
| good" The man began to berate the
| conductor with his tongue for insult
| ing him, at the same time putting his
| hand to his hip for his revolver. jim
| put his hand into his outside cont peck
| ct and, pulling out rubber bulb. re
| peated his request for the fare. Tn,
| man was getting his revolver in posi-
ton for a draw when linn placed tn,
| bulb before the rasc;ll's face an:.
pressing it. filled his eyes with REQ pep
| per
| There WAS a howl the passenger put
| ring his hands TO his eyes lin. taxi
| ing advantage OF his blindness. mad,
| Il grab for his reviewer and secured IL
| Then. pulling the bell rop" tie tool
the man by the collar and hustled hin
to the door. giving him a kick rs hC
| dropped him off the train.
The next man who refused 20 pay
his fare was couutrynan. who relied
! on his muscle to protect him from beins
put off the train 10y the conductor The
fellow was certainly very strong anC
prided himself OH being able TO take
care of any man without the use Of
| Ia; e. Ia.
j fare he searched for his ticket or pre-
| tended to do so. the; said that he haC
lost it Jim. who understood the mans
game, passed on collecting. When the
| train reached the next station he got
out. went to the baggage car, took ;
new punch out of Il bag. and when the
train started on Went through the car.
again. Coming 10 tie man who haC
COST his ticket. he told him that ht
must pay his fare or yet off the train
Whereupon the passenger told him tina
If he was strong enough To eject hin
he was welcome to do 50
Quick as Il flash lin grippcd the
mans nose with his punch. which held
by means of couple of sharp projec
tons. The nipped man fought like d
, tiger. but every time he struck blow
Jim pressed the nipper. and in Il very
few minutes his prisoner ceased tc
| struggle. Jim pulled the bell rope, but
Uefore the train came to a full stOI
threw his prisoner into Il ditch beside
the road.
Stories Of the conductors novel meth
DDS of putting off travellers who refus
ed 10 pay their fare were spread broad
last by passengers who witnessed
them and lost nOthin" by repetition
The cOuntrymen along the line were
used to fighting with their fists or theil
revolvers and were entirely put out OF
their reckoning by such unprecedented
methods of warfare. 1t required but
these two instances to stop the refuSa
TO pay fares, for after the second ejec
ton no one else cared to take the ris6
of running up against some new plar
of the conductor of accomplishing his
purpose.
Meanwhile the railroad was civiliz
Ing the people who lived beside it. A
respect for law and order was creep
sng in. and public sentiment was turn
ing against the carrying of weapons
In other words. the people were be
coming peaceful farming community
Jim Donnelly's success in collecting
fares was noted in the general Offices
of the railroad company. and one day
he received the appointment of divi
sion superintendent
The country through which the line
passes is now thickly settled. and Mr.