Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1887 — A Man Who Saved Five Cents. [ARTICLE]

A Man Who Saved Five Cents.

Some years ago, before the street railroad companies of Washington adopted the bell punch system on their oar?, a very amusing incident occurred on the Pennsylvania Avenue Line. At that time, as undoubtedly is still the case, enough members of Congress held passes over the street car lines of the city to prevent unfavorable legislation. The car was well filled with passengers from the Capitol on their way up town at the close of the day’s session, and the car had reached the foot of the hill before the conductor had reached the rear platform in his collection of fares. Next the door sat a sharp-looking gentleman, absorbed in the evening paper, and ns thb conductor held out his hand for the customary nickel the passenger looked up and nodded in a knowing sort of way, as if to intimate that it was all right; but the conductor still waited with outstretched hand, as if utterly oblivious of the meaning of the nod. Finally the passenger said: “I have a pass,” at the same time hunt ng in his pocket for a bit of pasteboard which was to save him the five cents. After careful search he failed to find the pass, having left it at home. “My name is ,” he said, mentioning the name of a well-known New England member of Congress, and since a member of the Cabinet. The conductor was strangely atllicted with deafness at that particular time, and failed to hear, or pretended not to hear the name. “What did you say?” he asked. Again the name was repeated, this time in a louder tone of voice. But the affliction of the conductor was of such a serious nature that he could not catch the name, and it was again repeated. By this time the attention of the other passengers on the car had been attracted by the controversy, and the situation flashed across some of them who understood that Congressmen carried five cent passes, and iuterest was growing in the case. Again the name was asked. “What name did you say ?” And the passenger this time shouted it in loud enough tones that the passengers all caught it, and the conductor, having accomplished his purpose of making the matter as public as possible, said : “Oh, all right,” and retreated to his station on the rear of the car. The passengers who had paid their fare looked in astonishment at the man who would expose himself to avoid the payment of so small a sum as five cents.— Philadelphia News.