Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1912 — NIGHT OPERATOR TRIED TO BOUNCE A PATRON. [ARTICLE]

NIGHT OPERATOR TRIED TO BOUNCE A PATRON.

Informed Man Who Was Walting for Train That Loafing Was Not Al. lowed, and Trouble Followed. Homer George Is the name of a young man who has worked' as an operator at the depot for several weeks. He seems to be the sort of a chap who thinks the depot was built for him and that his job iajgiven him simply because the company wants him around. He i*as not been in the business long enough to realize that he is a-public servant and that his own success depends upon his willingness to do cheerfully whatever presents itself to be done dqring the hours he is on duty. This is a criticism in which his immediate superor ihdulgea and seems to be deserving, in view of a circumstance that occurred Monday evening.

From what The Republican Reporter is able to gather, the affair was' about like this. A man named Reed, who recently bought a farm south of Rensselaer, had been at the farm for a few days and expected to return to his home near Lafayette pn .the milk train Monday evening. He arrived at the depot, however, after the milk train had gone and decided to wait there for the 11:05 train at night After the depot was cleared of all the other people except the operator and Mr. Reed, the operator thought that he did not care to share the building with anyone and he stepped out of the office and informed Reed that loafers were not allowed. Reed took exceptions to the remark hnd indicated that he would stay if he wanted to, "bus when the operator possessed himself with a club, Mr. Reed decided that he had better leave. He went outside but the cool air of the evefiing did not cool his wrath a particle and instead he kept getting warmer under the collar, if he had one on, and finally decided to return to the waiting room. To put himself in better condition to cope with the operator and the club, he'gathered a shovel and took it in with him. George again ordered him out and again swung the club. “Lay on, McDuff” quoth the farmer, as he brandished the shovel, not the one that Judge Hanley tells about In the story that Frank Hardy brought here Oklahoma, for Reed meant business. Reed thereupon became the aggressor and although the operator is a young and sprightly looking chap, he had all that he could do to keep out of the reach dt the farmer. It was a lively game of tag that went on all unobserved for some little time, and finally Reed made a swipe With the shovel that would have made a couple of half-rate operators if it had struck where it was aimed, but the farmer’s aim bad been too low and the shovel struck on a corner of the long row of seats next to "the office entrance. George took advantage of the temporary unbalance of his adversary and dashed into the office and bolted the door. Reed had another chance to cool off but he did not cool very rapidly again and substituted his knife for his shovel and threatened to cut' the young operator into mincemeat if he did not learn a little lesson in decency with the traveling public. Then there was a real cooling process. The operator did not want to bounce him as badly as be thought, and Mr. Reed decided that he would come down and get some police protection and a littla legal authority to occupy a seat in the depot, as long as he was a bona fide patron of the road and had the cash to buy a ticket He found Nightwatch Critser and be proved to him that he had bought a farm south of town and had S2OO on his inside pocket and a ticket from Reynolds to Lafayette, and that he intended to buy one from here to Reynolds whenever the time came. It is not regarded necessary to have all these things in fitter to occupy , a depot seat, but Mr. Keed was not acquainted with customs in J&sper county and wanted to prove himself fairly substantial. Mr. Critser accompanied him to the depot and informed the operator that he had a right to wait for the train and the operator reluctantly decided that he would permit it "It Is not probable that others going to the depot will have a similar trouble, as it is probable that the operator wffi ifleel his administrative oats a lot less when he hears from the railroad headquarters. - . The band boys’ funds are very low and they need the money so they have set the price at 25c so everybody can come. Every time so far they have made expenses and that is AlLLet's show the band boys that we want a band and turn out with a good, full, packed house. At opera house, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 1912.