Mike McDonald began life as a "candy butcher" on railroad trains
before the war. He sold peanuts and popcorn and mysterious packages
not to be opened on the train, and fine gold watches at $3.75 apiece.
Mike ran on many different railroads, although it must be said for
the sake of truth that his customers were often very sorry to board a
train and find that the energetic little candy butcher who had sold
them jewelry on the last trip they had made had left and gone over to
some other railroad. Mike's old customers used to beg him to return to
them. They even dared him to come back.