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Story
January 27, 1893
The Yellowstone Journal
Miles City, Custer County, Montana
What is this article about?
On a crowded Fifth Avenue elevated train in New York, a lady occupies two seats with her poodle. A lurch causes a 200-pound man to sit on and squash the dog, seen as instant divine retribution for her selfishness. The man feels guilty, but public sympathy is with him.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
JUST RETRIBUTION.
How a Fat Man Was Conscripted the Unwilling Agent of Sure Providence.
There are some pessimists who cling to the belief that there is no future of rewards and punishments, but that we get our just dues as we go along. Once in a while there seems to be some slight justification for this doctrine, for instance, it happened that a day or two ago a lady coming down Fifth avenue elevated monopolized two seats. I say it happened as it rarely does such a thing. The cars were crowded, every seat being occupied, including the two occupied by this particular sample of the gentler sex.
Several gentlemen came in, took a longing look at the lady and at the small, fragile poodle at her side and politely seized the best convenient strap.
Whatever their thoughts, they did not express them by word of mouth. Perhaps they were of that school of philosophers of whom I have just spoken. If they were they were waiting for the retributive justice to come along, and were possibly wondering what form it would take. They didn't have to wait very long, for a sudden lurch of the car at the turn into Fifty-third street sent a man weighing some 200 pounds plump into the seat by the side of the astonished monopolist.
That individual gave one plaintive scream and all was over.
The thoroughly frightened gentleman jumped to his feet as soon as possible—so quickly indeed that he never could have been said to have been down but for the havoc he had innocently wrought. For there, smashed as flat as the traditional flounder, was—well, whatever it was or had been.
Did the unfortunate lady turn and rend him with her tongue? Did she tell him what she thought of him?
Not at all. She simply gathered the miserable wreck into her bosom and wept.
No one saw what the wreck was and consequently could arrive at no idea of its awful awfulness.
To tell the truth, the public sympathy was with the miserable wretch thus made the blind instrument in the hands of Providence to administer punishment to the guilty as the guilty go along.
He was the most unhappily looking mortal I ever saw.
What I wish to know is, When and how does he get his reward?—New York Herald.
How a Fat Man Was Conscripted the Unwilling Agent of Sure Providence.
There are some pessimists who cling to the belief that there is no future of rewards and punishments, but that we get our just dues as we go along. Once in a while there seems to be some slight justification for this doctrine, for instance, it happened that a day or two ago a lady coming down Fifth avenue elevated monopolized two seats. I say it happened as it rarely does such a thing. The cars were crowded, every seat being occupied, including the two occupied by this particular sample of the gentler sex.
Several gentlemen came in, took a longing look at the lady and at the small, fragile poodle at her side and politely seized the best convenient strap.
Whatever their thoughts, they did not express them by word of mouth. Perhaps they were of that school of philosophers of whom I have just spoken. If they were they were waiting for the retributive justice to come along, and were possibly wondering what form it would take. They didn't have to wait very long, for a sudden lurch of the car at the turn into Fifty-third street sent a man weighing some 200 pounds plump into the seat by the side of the astonished monopolist.
That individual gave one plaintive scream and all was over.
The thoroughly frightened gentleman jumped to his feet as soon as possible—so quickly indeed that he never could have been said to have been down but for the havoc he had innocently wrought. For there, smashed as flat as the traditional flounder, was—well, whatever it was or had been.
Did the unfortunate lady turn and rend him with her tongue? Did she tell him what she thought of him?
Not at all. She simply gathered the miserable wreck into her bosom and wept.
No one saw what the wreck was and consequently could arrive at no idea of its awful awfulness.
To tell the truth, the public sympathy was with the miserable wretch thus made the blind instrument in the hands of Providence to administer punishment to the guilty as the guilty go along.
He was the most unhappily looking mortal I ever saw.
What I wish to know is, When and how does he get his reward?—New York Herald.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Extraordinary Event
What themes does it cover?
Justice
Providence Divine
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Train Lurch
Poodle Squashed
Seat Monopolizer
Divine Retribution
Public Sympathy
What entities or persons were involved?
Lady
Fat Man
Poodle
Where did it happen?
Fifth Avenue Elevated Train, Fifty Third Street, New York
Story Details
Key Persons
Lady
Fat Man
Poodle
Location
Fifth Avenue Elevated Train, Fifty Third Street, New York
Event Date
A Day Or Two Ago
Story Details
A lady monopolizes two seats on a crowded train with her poodle. A sudden lurch causes a 200-pound man to accidentally sit on and squash the poodle, interpreted as divine retribution for her rudeness. The man is remorseful, but sympathy favors him.