Car attendant begins to speak as the train pulls away from the station.  The speech is created on the spot and few people seem to listen.  After sharing several erroneous facts about both the train and the railroad, he shifts to discussing local real estate.  His railroad facts might be questionable, but his knowledge of land values is not.  The attendant deftly points out houses and announces their value (including how much he paid for his house) as we clatter by.