Show THE TILE PACIFIC i TRAIN The Challenger was speeding east from Los Angeles As I walked thru the train I came upon a small girl crying as though her heart would break I stopped to ask what was wrong Between sobs she told me it was her birthday and she couldn't have a birthday cake with candles The train was crowded as usual and the cooks had plenty plent to do but when I told Chester our chef r I could tell from his sympathetic smile there would be a cake forthcoming But what about candles I wired ahead to Milford 1 Utah for Cor them Between 2 and 4 o'clock that afternoon afternoon af af- ternO n we Invited all the children on the train to be guests In la tho diner at little Janes Jane's birthday part party All l had ld Ice cream cream and cake The steward steward stew stew- ard and I sang A Happ Happy Happy Hap Hap- p py Birthday to You The party was wasa a gran grand success Grace Grace V V. Merrill 1 Supervisor Dining Service I too had an experience on the Challenger I took it out of Delta round trip to Los 40 very cheap I thought especially after noting with much pleasure the service I got conditioned Air-conditioned cars just nice clean a pillow and as IJ I J 1 sped through our county I thought What could we and man many more isolated sparsely Inhabited counties do without the great taxes this corporation corporation corporation cor cor- pays pars And Anel yet this corporation corporation corporation cor cor- pays pas each trainman on this speeding hotel union wages my fare was cheap all all are satisfied and how It does it and has taxes left leCt over over over ov ov- ov- ov er I for one cant can't figure out So SoI I settled down to the joy jor of riding giving a treat The meals were excellent and very reasonable I ate plenty in fact extra extra extra ex ex- ex- ex tra from the bill of fare and m my check was so moderate that some small change went as a tip to the waiter Tho The evening evenIng- hours were long so at ease case I went into the smoker to enjoy a quiet cigar when a ver very el elderly elderly elderly el- el derly gentleman came In looked all the faces Caces over eager for a a. com conn- companion companion panion and yet with a n certain wistful wistful ful CuI longing to talk and be talked to He used a n cane and with the caution caution caution cau cau- tion of ot old age oge carefully rested his weight partly on It before lowering his body on a cushioned chair I Idrew Idrew Idrew drew my chair alongside his and how that lonesome old face did beam with cordial friendliness in recognition recognition recognition tion for m my thoughtfulness In a brief moment we were in talk I will give a digest of the old gentleman's gentleman's gentle gentle- In mans man's mans man's To Ill my prompting question I am eighty five lve years cars old being bo- bo boIng boIng Ing born in East Mill l Creek In 1855 Yos Yes I knew the old timers You sure know some of em too Dont Don't look that old What did you sa say your our age was Did you ou know Porter orter Rockwell Course r knew him married m my fathers father's sister six children liked kids Old Port did would pIa play with with em down on all fours them riding him slid said he was mean but hut he ho wasn't liked cand candy candy can can- d dy too Hair long down his back ack ran a II still at nt Point of at the Moun Moun- taro tain lIk liked d horses horse had hr a ranch In Skull Valley with seventy mares marcs on it good ones too A long pause as flitted into niches in the tired brain Said bad things s about Old Port the they did Another pause I guess maybe lio ho did get away with a few of oC em m put n not nt t before the they needed it Is II Know Brigham Young Course I did drove dro him him from from Crom Salt Lake Lal to I Provo lots of or times No ui ll never ye ver was vas on Pony Express drove stage though That for fol a n sampler on the Challenger Challenger- and antI on only I 2240 but hut worth untold millions Ills His ticket was for fur Long Lang Beach It was explained to him that he must get et off orr at East Los Angeles and go goto goto goto to his de destination by hy bus but like the aged living in their glorious past outside present travail hurry and bustle bustle- he the of course forgot his instructions and I noticed that as the train started and the brakeman called Next stop Lus Angeles the theold he old gentleman came too with alarm Why youre oure carrying me through Why didn't you let me Inc get off orr back there I noticed tho the stewardess take the pitiful old man In charge comfort him reassure him then the brakeman and at Los Angeles I noticed noticed noticed no no- that the brakeman and stewardess stewardess stewardess stew stew- ardess took the feeble old soul thru the big station carrying his meager bags got an nn attendant a and d I lis listened listen listen- en- en ed cd ll In n as full fun instructions In were given Ilven the boy bay to put him on an a bus bua ticket paid for by the Union Pacific and the boy that ho must see seethe seethe seethe the fragile old man proper properly on content content con con- tent tut and unel assured that now all would be bo well Thus on two occasions on the was courtesy courtesy given out of the ordinary one to turn a wee wisp of a girls tirl's tears into happy smiles smil smil- es with a birthday cake and song song song- and the other an aged man living In well trodden n past brought through brough this topsy tuny maelstrom of hustle and bustle hurry and to o be put In the hands bands of ot his daughter as carefully as though he ho the von von- erable grandfather of or the prim young oung lady In cap and anel uniform All in the days day's work Youth and ond old age age age- and may I add all between between- find their way to toa toa a distant destination smoothed with tho the care commonplace on the Chal Chal- lenger I enjoyed my outing on it ft and so favorably y so that it will be he bemy bemy hemy my choice again Frank Beck Beckwith |