Rock Island Argus

PASSENGER GETS OFFENDED.
Iowan Thought Brakeman Was Trying to Guy Him.
An amusing story is told of a man who was the innocent victim of an order recently issued to its trainmen by the Rock Island company.
Frequently passengers have been annoyed by leaving packages on trains in the hurry incident to disembarking at destinations. With a view to curing these oversights the company about one month ago directed passenger train brakemen when calling out the names of stations to give warning to passengers not to overlook packages.
One day last week a man was seen to hurriedly emerge from the station at Grinnell, Iowa, and make for the train on the dead run as it was moving off. Once or twice he was seen to falter for an instant, as though hesitating whether to pursue the train or skurry back to the depot, but his indecision was only for a moment.
Seeing the train getting rapidly under way, he bent his energies to a supreme effort, and by the merest fraction of an inch, managed to seize the railing and swing himself upon the rear platform.
Conductor Andy McLees, of this city, passing through the train took up his ticket, which was for Des Moines, and went back to the smoker.
At Newton the man went into the smoker as the train was getting under way. and looking about, caught sight of McLees. He strode hurriedly up the aisle until opposite the seat where Andy was sitting. Coming to an abrupt halt, he glued an angry gaze upon the conductor and exclaimed:
'Say, mister, don't you think you'd better call that nigger off?'
'To whom do you refer?' inquired Andy.
'Why, to that nigger brakeman o' your'n. He's been tryin' to make a monkey o' me ever since we left Grinnell. and ef you don't call him off there'll be a dead nigger on this train. You hear me?'
The indignation betrayed by the man excited the apprehension of Andy, and seeing he was in dead earnest, he asked him to explain the nature of his grievance.
'Well, you see,' he replied, in a slightly modified tone, 'I overlooked a couple of packages in the depot at Grinnell in my hurry to catch the train. We hadn't been out of the station five minutes until that nigger comes through the coach yelling out: The next station at which this train stops is Newton, and lookin' square at me and kind o' grinnin' he sings out, 'n' don't forget your packages.'
I thought he was pretty brash on short acquaintance, but when he sings it out again comin' into Kellogg, I felt like handin' him one on the jaw. but I keeps my temper and walks over into the next car ahead, thinking that I'd get away from him.
What's he do jest now, but come into t'other coach and sing out: The next station this train stops at is Mitcheilville. Don't forget your packages!' Now, Mr. Conductor, I did fergit two packages back in the depot at Grinnell, but what's the use of that darn nigger yellin' it out and puttin' everybody on the train next to me? I'm drad sore, and won't stand for the graft any longer. See?'
Then McLees gently drew him to a seat at his side and while the car was sibilant with the titter of the amused passengers, he prepared a diagram, accompanied with plans and specifications, showing how the colored brakeman came innocently to offend the passenger from Grinnell.