The Great Northern President vs. The Boarding House Landlady

A JOKE ON JIM HILL. Mistaken for a Tramp, He Has to Prove His Identity.

Railroad presidents occasionally have to show their credentials before they can be treated with any special consideration. "Jim" Hill, president of the Great Northern, has found that out, and regards it as a good joke on himself.

The heroine of the story is Mrs. McLean, the wife of an engineer on the Fairhaven Southern, who now runs a boarding-house at Sedro-Woolley. Mr. McLean formerly worked on the Montana Central, and his wife boarded the men who worked on the road in their neighborhood.

One day, after all the men had finished dinner and returned to work, a tall, stout man with a large, round face, smeared with dirt, shabby old clothes, greasy and ragged, and an old slouch hat very much the worse for wear, walked into the house, and, hanging up his hat, said peremptorily:

"I want some dinner."

Mrs. McLean was not accustomed to having alleged tramps walk into her house and demand to be fed in this manner, and she replied firmly:

"You can't have any dinner."

"But I've got to have some; I'm hungry."

"Well, I tell you you can't have any. Dinner's over. You just get out of here."

"But I am Jim Hill," answered the stranger.

"You can't make me believe a story like that."

The man saw that he had to present proof, so he dived his hand into his breast pocket and brought out a handful of letters and telegrams addressed to "James Hill, president, Great Northern Railroad." He showed the addresses to the doubting landlady, who finally became convinced that the seeming tramp was really railroad president. She bustled about and prepared some dinner for him, making up by her attention for her unjust suspicion. Nobody enjoys telling the joke better than Mr. Hill, unless "it" is Mrs. McLean.