THE COURIER
PI. Beta Phi save a dancing: party
Monday evening: at the home of Miss
Ada Waugh. The house was decorated
with the wine and blue pennants of
the sorolty, and with palms, ferns and
carnations. Twenty couples danced
away the evening In the ball room on
the third floor. Ices were served.
The L. A. Kensington gave a lovely
four course luncheon Wednesday at the
home of Mrs. J. C. Seacrest. The club
flowers, pink carnations were used
in decorating. Mrs. Harry Newton of
Buffalo, and Miss Friday, who Is visit
ing: her aunt. Mrs. F. E. Campbell, were
guests, and after the repast Mrs. New
ton, who will be best known as the
former Miss Gaylord, sang: songs in her
own charming: manner.
Master Ceclle Seacrest gave a birth
day party Saturday afternoon from 3
until 5 o'clock. A dinner was served
at a table which was prettily decorated
with roses, carnations and ferns. Those
present were Margaret Metzger, Fred
erick Seacrest, Joseph Seacrest, Edith
Sheeley. Arthur Sheeley, Ruth Stevens,
Thelma Smith. Rachael Seacrest, Les
lie Seacrest. Leon Rugg, Ivan Flcm
ming, Helen Flemmlng, Dortha Bell,
Herbert Sonbork. Julia Carrell, Flor
ence Parren.
The Misses Marsland gave an art
shower Wednesday evening for Miss'
Roberts and the bride to be received
some pretty pictures with which t
ornament her home. A five course
luncheon was served. The table wai
decorated with red hearts, and redi
candles, and red ribbons extended from
the corners of the table to the chande
lier. The place cards were bits of
wood decorated on one side with minia
ture heads done in pyrography, and on
the other with the Initials of the,
guests. A dozen young ladles were
present
A meeting of the executive board of
the general federation of woman's
clubs will be held at the New Wlllard
In Washington. D. C, on November
11 and 22. At the meeting of the board
held at the Los Angeles biennial a
recommendation was made that the
board of directors of the general feder
ation of woman's clubs instruct the
membership committee of 1902-4 first
to admit no secret societies, second to
admit no clubs which at the opening
of the seventh biennial shall have been
In existence less than one year and
third to admit no clubs during the
sixty days preceding the first day of
the seventh biennial.
Rushing Is contagious, and now they
say that the high school clubs and so
cieties are following the example of the
soroltles, and are giving rushing par
ties. It Is whispered too. that that is
not the only rushing done In the high
school, but that the sororities begin
their work there, and are assisted by
the teachers who are sorority members,
and that many a desirable girl Is prac
tically pledged before she leaves the
the high school. The brides will be the
center of attraction next week. Among
the best known girls who will enter
the strait and narrow path of matri
mony during the week, are Miss Flora
Roberts, Miss May Whiting, Miss Nel
lie Trigg and Miss Mabel Parish.
her mother retired to Balduff's, while
he went to dinner with a friend.
He hastily changed collars and cra
vats, re-ersed his cuffs. Invested In one
of Mogey's 5-cent shines and started
for the Millard. The town clocks were
Just chronicling the hour of eight
when he stepped from the elevator to
the door of the main parlor In the
Millard. No girl was In sight, and no
mother.
He sat down, supposing that they
would be but a few minutes late. The
first few minutes passed quickly
enough and then they began to drag
along with leaden attachments. It
seemed like midnight when the bell
boy finally told him it was 10 o'clock
and time to turn off the parlor lights.
He walked out into the night air say
ing something very saucy concerning
the fickleness of womankind.
About the same time a maiden with
tear-stained face was emerging from
the smaller parlor on the lower floor,
accompanied by her mother.
"He might at least have had the de
cency to have telephoned if he couldn't
have kept his eucsjement." she said
positively.
."Maybe something Imperative de-
COUSIN OF HOBSON
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For six weeks they didn't speak as
they passed by. And they had been
such ardent friends too. Dame ru
mor had even intimated an engage
ment, but suddenly each began to Imi
tate the ice man, only that they deliv
ered it in wholesale quantities rather
than in retail cakes. It was the result
of an extraordinary mistake.
She and her mother were in Omaha
one afternoon and met him unex
pectedly at Sixteenth and .Farnam.
The Incident was one of pleasure for
both the young people and they agreed
to meet at 8 o'clock that evening in
the parlors of the Millard. She and
Miss Irene Hobson, cousin of the hero
of the Merrimac. will make her debut
as an actress with Elsie de Wolfe In
"The Way of the World." Miss Hob
son has talent and is also quite beau
tiful. tained him and he couldn't get -to a
phone," said the mother by way of
conciliation.
They didn't mwt for several days
and then it was o.i O street in Lin
coln. She suddenly saw something very
interesting In the heavens vjiile he
noted an attractive display In a con
venient store window. Thus they con
cealed their feelings for six long weeks.
Then one evening they were Introduced
by a mutual friend, and left by them
selves to patch up differences.
"I always thought you were gentle
man enough to keep your engagements
or else offer some explanation," the r-e-gan.
"You're in an excellent condition to
talk, you are." he retorted. "After I
waited two hours in that first floor
parlor for you without a sign or word
either then or since. It looks to me like
a little explanation Is due from the
other side."
"O, you were upstairs" she ques
tioned with dilating eyes. "Why. we
were in the small oailor on the ground
floor."
The mutual friend who came in a
few minutes later refuses to Clvulge
what he saw.
For many years the "peanut boy" or
"train butcher," as he was often
called, peddled his wares on the Bur
lington passenger trains. He had the
reputation of possessing all the sub
lime nerve that belong to his class.
His business was to sell fruit, candy,
chewing gum, cigars, books, newspa
pers and magazines. It was his prac
tice to go from car to car, and dump
his wares into the lap of unwilling
passengers and follow It up later on
by making a strong talk to those that
did not seem inclined to buy. His stuff
was sold for three or four prices and
people were sometimes bored to the
point of desperation, by his dogged
persistency in trying to force them to
purchase his merchandise.
The peanut boy worked on the per
centage system and was allowed about
twenty per cent of the gross sales.
This was a temptation for one that
was Inclined to be dishonest to take
the advantage of a person and drive
a sharp bargain. To the credit of the
boys, It may be truthfully said that
most of them were honest In their
dealings, but some of them were not,
and stories Illustrating this trait of
' character have been current gossip for
years. One of these venders, who ran
out of Lincoln a few years ago, is
said to have had the gall to palm off
a banana stock on an innocent old far
mer for $2, claiming that if he would
take it home and plant it, he would
have bananas raised from his own
farm.
The peanut boy, perhaps, was not
dishonest by nature; If he sometimes
fell from grace. It was the character
of his business that caused his down
fall. The size of his income depended
upon the amount of his sales, and this
fact often caused him to resort to
questionable methods to dispose of his
stuff. Most of the "train butchers" who
ran on the main lines made big money,
but those on the branches earned less
because the "picking" was not so good.
The large number of through passen
gers on the former- runs created a
greater, demand for the stuff that was
sold, but travelers who were only go
ing a short distance usually did not
buy so much. Some of the smart
salesmen among the boys are said to
have made as high as $100 a month,
but a fair average would perhaps be
in the neighborhood of $60.
Some of the peanut boys were not
boys at all. but on the contrary old
married men with families. Their ages
ranged from the beardless youth of
eighteen to that of a man of forty odd.
But at last a day arrived when the
railroad news agent, for this was his
correct title, was doomed to pass from
the scene of his triumphs. This state
of affairs was brought about by the
ultimatum of a great corporation. The
contract that had been in force be
tween the Burlington road and the
Burlington News company for some
time back expired and the railroad re
fused to enter Into a new one. The
officials of the Burlington had re
ceived complaints from its patrons
from time to time concerning the bad
treatment they received from these
traveling venders, the extortionate
charges made for their wares and the
dlragreeable experience of being bored
to the limit of human endurance. The
officials after mature deliberation de
cided to make a clean sweep of the
"peanut" traffic and on the 1st of Au
gust, 1901, when the contract expired,
the Burlington News company ceased
to .exist and the "train butcher" was
put out of the business.
In order that the traveling public
might not be deprived of the opportun
ity of obtaining the articles that were
once handled by the peanut boy the
company has arranged to have them
on sale at all the important stations,
where a news boy Is on hand who en
ters the cars and supplies all who care
to buy. The railroad company does
not handle the business directly, but
sub-lets It to other parties. No exor
bitant charges are permitted, but ev
erything is sold to the railroad Pa"
trons at current prices.
Mr. Morris Falrarmour (of Chicago,
angrily) What do you take me for
a savage? I'm paying enough for this
steak to have it cooked, I guess. Take
it back and have K well done.
The Walter Beg pardon, sir, but
that will be fifty cents extra.
Mr. Morris Falrarmour What? You
robber! What's that for?
The Waiter We burn coal, you
know.
"Was the count embarrassed when
he proposed?"
"I believe he was financially," re
plied the millionaire's daughter.
THE
First National Bank
OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA
Capital $300,000.00
Surplus and Profits, . 118,310.41
Deposits, . . . .n . 2,745,267.00
S. H. BtTBNHAJf , A. J. SAWTKB,
President Vice-President.
H. S. Freeman, Cashier.
H. B. Evans, Fbank Paeju.
Aas't Cashier. Aas't Cashier.
United States Depository
BEST QUALITY
EASTERN
Hard Coal
$10.00
Per Ton
FURNISHED WITH
EVERY
Garland
Base
Burner
BOUGHT OF US
NEXT WEEK
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Rudge '&
Guenzel Co.
The Big Furniture, Hardware
and Carpet Store
1118-1126 N STREET
A
1 i