The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-02-28
TALES OF A TRAVELLER
A FIRM FOUNDATION


ing the slide speculativaly, but Il
VIII take two days for the WORK train
TO reach u.s. Our middle name Ia
work, we told him. Give us shoyels.
The train crew quickly provided
shovels and forty of us-just forty
fell on that pack OF sand and graves.
Lord, how We worked. Whew," He
wiped his face as though sweat and
dirt streaked it. But in few hours" >"
he continued. I'VE were able to pull
out. Get a bunch of passengers to do
that tcday?' He laughed. mo, they
would wait for Mr. Company to clear
rhestTack and fret and funfe and nut
In time wondering IL the line would
pay their expenses while they were
tied up; then perhaps they would get
fifty cent meal and send in a bill
for dollar one"
was my seat mate a railroad man
| wondered. You never can tell 'em
either by looks of where you find 'em.
Like our Andy, he seemed strangely
familiar with the T. p. method of do
ing business at times. Tickets.
Conductor Kavanah soke. The two
men shook hands friendly. Not
railroad man, was my immediate con-
clusion. AS | said before / am a good
at reading signs. never overlook
signs and guide posts. Then my seat
mate told of his first night spent In
railroad terminus when things were.
as he expressed it in the raw. He
talked in quick, jerky fashion, max
nd In,
the reminiscent remoteness of by
gone days. One would call that look
In woman dreaming, in a man II
was just retrospection.
The terminus was at Corinne," he
said. Il was green to the country.
had never been in terminus before.
| wanted to see things as they were.
We landed there at night. The town
was full-not an empty room. | look
cd around a man asked me, do you
want room 4 certainly do told
him. Well, I've tent down there
and he pointed away out and down.
and II you have dollar you can stay
with me- | quickly supplied the dol
lar and said I'd see a little more of
the town first. II seemed agreeble to
him so did"
But when 1t got late | made for I
the tent and bed. The place seemed
strangely dark and silent Then /
rubbed my eyes and looked again. /
knew / was sober. but there wasn't 7
a sign of bed. there never had been I
one. Absolutely barren was that (
tent" My seatmate chuckled with a
throaty chuckle that betrayed the
humorist. .'He had got me-" was his
cryptic remark
We'll, even a tent has its advan- /
tages at a railroad terminus on q not /
too warm night. so III Just build a
big camp fire (not bon fire) out here
in front and be comfortable" You
see my seat mate was not only a
humorist, he was also 400 rank op-
timist. Il suited the action 10 the /
thought" ''he went on. and I built
q rousing fire. There seemed to be
plenty OF wood. l was having a pleas
ant time all By myself when a man
came tramping noisily into the fire. n
light.
Where's my ROOM be. demanded.
Your room? l know of no ROOM"
said. Il
You told me to come down here
and get room-a bed he answered.
And the night was cold. he wasn't.
did | tell you that or did | Just
say. 4 have tent I asked him. MY
friend l said. you gave me a dollar /
70 stay in tent There is the tent"
He looked at me and murder was in
MS eye I hurried on. Listen please. :
ionight ! got off that train. There ,
we're no beds A man said. If you :
have dollar you can stay with me. {
have tent down there gave him I