Public Ledger

A friend of ours relates that, as he was traveling from Philadelphia to Huntingdon, a few nights ago, he took a berth in a sleeping car, and when about retiring, his attention was attracted by loud talking and scuffling on the platform of the car.

Proceeding to the scene of the disturbance, he discovered a huge male negro in a controversy with one of the railroad officials about obtaining a berth in the sleeping car. The ticket agent had refused to sell the darky a ticket, and the colored gentleman was trying to force his way into the car without the requisite piece of stamped pasteboard.

A policeman came up, however, and settled the business, by telling the ticket agent, that under the law, if he refused to sell the negro a berth ticket, on account of color, he would be amenable to a fine of five hundred dollars, and subject to pay a like sum to the negro upon an action for debt. This had the desired effect, and the African was handed the coveted ticket.

It so happened, however, that but one berth was vacant, and that was half of a double berth partly occupied by a white man. The negro divested himself of hat, boots, coat and vest, and proceeded to appropriate his half of the double berth. White man, who had been dozing, turned around, looked at the new comer, rubbed his eyes, looked again, and then came such a kicking, tumbling, sprawling, and mixture of white and black generally as would have done any amalgamationist's heart good.

About this time the conductor appeared upon the scene, and the result was that the negro, with ticket in hand, tumbled into bed, whilst the white man, growling anathemas at the party he himself had helped to place into power, doggedly put on his clothes and went forward to sit with wrenched back and cramped legs, in the messenger car, ruminating over the beauties of Radical legislation. -Philadelphia Age.