of his hand, put it in a case, and went to a washbowl to wash the soap
off his face.

"Well, I thought I would start in on some narrow-gauge railroad, and
work up gradually for a year or two, and finally take charge of one of
those Eastern roads, where I can have a private car, and travel all over
the country for nothing. As quick as I get this telegraph business down
fine I shall apply for a position of train dispatcher, and then jump
right along up. Uncle Ike, you will never have to pay a cent on my
railroad. I will have a caboose fixed up for you, with guns and dogs,
and you can hunt and fish all your life, with a nigger to cook for you,
and a porter to put on your bait, and another nigger chambermaid to make
up your bed, and I will wire them from the general office to sidetrack
you, and pick you up, and all that."

"Is that so?" said the old man, as he stood rubbing his face with a
crash towel till it shone like a boiled lobster. "You are hurrying your
railroad career mighty fast, and if you are not careful you will replace
Chauncey Depew before you get long pants on. Now, you go get your
clothes on and come to breakfast, and after breakfast I will tell you
something." The boy dropped the key, after ticking to the imaginary
general office not to disturb him with any messages for half an hour, as
he was going to be busy on an important matter, and he went to his room
and soon appeared at the breakfast table, and after the breakfast was
over, and the old man had lighted his pipe, the boy said:

"Now, Uncle Ike, tell me all you know about railroading in one easy
lesson, for I have to go to a directors' meeting at ten, and then we
are going out to look over the right of way," and the boy ticked off
a message to have his special car ready at eleven-thirty, stocked for a
trip over the line.

"I see you are getting well along in your railroad career, and like nine
out of ten boys who want to be railroad men, you are beginning at the
private car instead of the gravel train, issuing general orders instead
of working in the ranks," and the old man smoked up and thought a long
time, and continued: "The successful railroad man begins at the bottom,
and learns the first lesson well. Do you know how long this man Earling
has been getting where he is today? Thirty-five years. More than
the average age of man. The successful railroad man, if he begins
telegraphing, gets so he can send or receive anything, with his eyes
shut, an