Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 98, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1914 — HAPPENINGS IN THE CITIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HAPPENINGS IN THE CITIES

Conductor Tells of Troubles With Passengers INDIANAPOLIS, IND.—“Yes,” said the street car conductor, growing communicative alter an altercation with a passenger about a transfer of ancient vintage, “this here job’s a cinch—you oughta try it- In this business you learn

things about folks, you do. For instance, t’other day a sonry-lookin’ old party wanted to ride free with me because he hadn’t the price of a fare and he was too old and sick to walk, but I’d seen him before and I said “nixie.’ I thought the men on the back platform would put me off, the way they went at me and the company and everybody connected for a soulless bunch, and at last ono man tried to make me ashamed by coughing up a nickel. The old man was grateful to

him and went in and picked out the choice seat in front where he could put hid two feet on the other seat. "S&yß I to the nickel giver, ‘You think I'm a cigar sign for heart, but if you want to get wise Just drop off when the vener’ble gent does and be a sleuth. If everything's all right report the next time you ride with the and I’ll give you this nickel back.’ “Well, that got him curious like, and he did it, and some time later I happened to pick him up again, and the first thing he pushed me out a cigar. ‘Say, pardner, you were right about that old guy,' he said. ‘What did he do but beat it for the nearest booze joint and load up with a good stiff 'un, and then carry off a pint of red Juice, and he didn’t ask the barkeep to give it to him neither.’ “A girl one day handed me a transfer. It was punched for the wrong day, the wrong hour and the wrong line, but she crossed her heart and said she’d Just got it, so I let it go, ’cause, of course, you can’t set a little kid girl out on the curb. At the end of the line I noticed she was having trouble with her mind and she says, ‘Say, mister, I wasn't telling you no story about that transfer. I did just get it. I just got it off the pavement. I ain’t got a cent now, but I’m goin’ to bring you the nickel I owe you.’ ‘All right,-sissy,’ I said, and thought no more of it, ’cause folks don’t usually fetch nickels when they once get away, but a day or two after that, when I came to the end, there was my girl waiting, all shriveled up with cold, and with my nickel tucked in her mitten. Say, I just felt like I wanted to' wait for that glrl'and marry her by and by.”