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Story
May 25, 1901
The Washington Bee
Washington, District Of Columbia
What is this article about?
A stubborn stranger on a New York street car insists on paying his fare with a Canadian five-dollar bill, which the conductor refuses as invalid in the US, leading to a heated dispute and passenger intervention.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
THE PIG-HEADED MAN.
He Gave an Exhibition of Himself on a Street Car.
First He Wouldn't Pay His Fare and Then He Would, and Both Times Made a Lot of Trouble for the Conductor.
He looked just as pig-headed as he turned out to be. There was no doubt about his being a stranger in a strange land, for while his clothes were not rustic in appearance there was an unfamiliar cut about them. And then he carried a traveling bag and wore spats.
When the conductor of the Fourth avenue car called for his fare, says the New York Sun, the stranger dug down into his pocket and drew out a bill. The man in blue, who bore on his right sleeve three gold service stripes as proof of wonderful forbearance with all kinds and conditions of people, squinted at the bill and shook his head.
"That ain't no good in this country," he said.
"Of course it's good," said the stranger, still sticking it forth. "It's a Canadian five-dollar bill."
"Can't take it," repeated the conductor.
"They won't take it off me at the office."
"Well, you've got to take it," said the stranger, "or stop the car and put me off. It's money, and good money."
The conductor acted like a human being. He took the bill and looked it all over again. Then he referred it to a passenger.
"I never saw a bill like that before," he said. "What do you think of it?"
The passenger told him that he was right in not accepting it because it was not a legal tender in this country, and because he could not get rid of it except at a discount, even at a bank. So the conductor passed it over to its owner once more.
"You're in America now," he said good-naturedly. "You'll have to pay American money. If I took that I'd be stuck with it myself."
Still the stranger was pig-headed.
"Well," he said, "you'll have to stop the car and put me off. That's all."
Then he settled back doggedly and scowled. The controversy had attracted great attention in the car. Everyone was looking at the stranger, and a man who sat across from him, thinking that the five-dollar bill was all the stranger had, gave the conductor a nickel for the fare and the other passengers took it for granted that the controversy was all settled.
He Gave an Exhibition of Himself on a Street Car.
First He Wouldn't Pay His Fare and Then He Would, and Both Times Made a Lot of Trouble for the Conductor.
He looked just as pig-headed as he turned out to be. There was no doubt about his being a stranger in a strange land, for while his clothes were not rustic in appearance there was an unfamiliar cut about them. And then he carried a traveling bag and wore spats.
When the conductor of the Fourth avenue car called for his fare, says the New York Sun, the stranger dug down into his pocket and drew out a bill. The man in blue, who bore on his right sleeve three gold service stripes as proof of wonderful forbearance with all kinds and conditions of people, squinted at the bill and shook his head.
"That ain't no good in this country," he said.
"Of course it's good," said the stranger, still sticking it forth. "It's a Canadian five-dollar bill."
"Can't take it," repeated the conductor.
"They won't take it off me at the office."
"Well, you've got to take it," said the stranger, "or stop the car and put me off. It's money, and good money."
The conductor acted like a human being. He took the bill and looked it all over again. Then he referred it to a passenger.
"I never saw a bill like that before," he said. "What do you think of it?"
The passenger told him that he was right in not accepting it because it was not a legal tender in this country, and because he could not get rid of it except at a discount, even at a bank. So the conductor passed it over to its owner once more.
"You're in America now," he said good-naturedly. "You'll have to pay American money. If I took that I'd be stuck with it myself."
Still the stranger was pig-headed.
"Well," he said, "you'll have to stop the car and put me off. That's all."
Then he settled back doggedly and scowled. The controversy had attracted great attention in the car. Everyone was looking at the stranger, and a man who sat across from him, thinking that the five-dollar bill was all the stranger had, gave the conductor a nickel for the fare and the other passengers took it for granted that the controversy was all settled.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Social Manners
What keywords are associated?
Pig Headed Stranger
Street Car Fare
Canadian Bill
Conductor Dispute
New York Sun
What entities or persons were involved?
Stranger
Conductor
Passenger
Where did it happen?
Fourth Avenue Car, New York
Story Details
Key Persons
Stranger
Conductor
Passenger
Location
Fourth Avenue Car, New York
Story Details
A pig-headed stranger tries to pay street car fare with a Canadian bill, refuses to accept it's invalid in America, argues with the conductor who consults a passenger, and the dispute ends when another passenger pays the fare.