Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 May 1890 — Under False Pretenses. [ARTICLE]

Under False Pretenses.

In a pine forest not far from Arkadelphia, Ark., there is a narrow-gauge railroad, built for the purpose of hauling logs to a sawmill; but recently it was chartered as a highway for the transportation of freight and passeners. The other day a man was seen walking over this road in the direction of the Iron Mountain Railway, and shortly after he had reached the station, a dummy engine, pulling a rusty coach, rolled up. The conductor, who was the engineer, fireman, brakeman, freight agsnt and geueral superintendent, jumped off the engine aud aproaching the man that had just walked over, angrily exclaimed: “What do you mean by acting the wav you did ?” “I don’t understand you,” the man retorted. “What do you mean?” “You know very well what I mean. Wasn’t you back at Olney, our eastern terminus?” “Ye 3 of course I was.” “And didn’t you ask me how long before the train started for this place ?” “Yes, but what are you driving at?” “Oh, you’ll find out. Didn’t you hold out the belief that you -were going to ride on my train ?” “Yes, probably, and I thought I would, but as you were not going to start soon enough to suit me, why, I walked.” “Ah, but we started a few moments after you did.” “That may be, but I beat you in.” “Ah, hah, and that, too, after creating the impression that you were going to ride with me. What right have you to come around here setting that bad example ? Don’t you know that if the people in this neighborhood see you acting that way they will give my train the go-by and walk? How dc you expect a railway to make expenses under such circumstances ?” “I don’t know about that. I know that your time-table didn’t suit me, and that I walked, beat you in, and, moreover, cents,” “Oh, you saved twenty-five cents, did you? Well, yon won’t think sc when you are done with this case. There is a law for such fellows as you are, and I arq going to have you arrested for saving money under false pretenses.”—Arkansaw Traveler.