The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-11-14
Railroad Conductors.

''N'HS "li uil'iotcCteu leIlldlc, anu COLI
PEELED by fate or fortune to be almost per
petually upon wheels. it is scarcely to b.
wondered at that have often made thos,
important MISUNDERSTANDING conductor
my special study. The natural histories
OF various specimens of the genus homo hav,
been published by shrcwd observers, and i
l had time and talent, would write a bool
upon conductors
1t strikes me that they might be somewha
electrically arranged under three great divis
ions-the positive CONDUCTOR the mega
tive conductor" and the prime conductor :
the Subdivisions would be numerous.
was lately riding in the cars between
and -. when l fell in with specimen o.
the positire order of ticket takers. He wa,
short, thick, horid-complexioncd man, with
his face set in a frame of whSkcrs of deer
red tint He planted his foot as firmly on
the floor of the car as did the man in the
song who exclaimed, My foot is on nv ma
tive shore" The whole train seemed to he
his own private property. When he spoke
ne dld not waste word only in the grutfcst
possible voice, demanded, "Tickcts.- and
passSd on, with the most unfiinching cxprc>-
SION OF countcnancc. and without vouchsating
to turn his eyes to the faces of the unhappy
passenger on either side, whom. en- mossr. he
seemed to regard with sort of YOU re-nothing
tome air-thc very acme of doggcd inditfcr-
ence If any one asked him a question: he
turned sharply round, as if his dignity had
been assailed; and when he bawled out the
name of the stopping-placcs. he ran the svl-
lables and words so rapidly into each other
that no one could understand what he meant.
The engineer. tiremcn. and brakcmcn, all
trembled at his nod and as for the depot
masters along the way, they covered in his
presence like whipped hounds. and cursed
him regularly for five minutes after the train
had started
The ney1t're conductor is quite different
parsonage. know fonc on thc-road
tie Is tall. thin man, with countcnanccex
pressivc ofnothing i'll particular-one of those
faces which belongs to the mere wca,hcrcock
which turns as the wind blows. DO Won ask
hm a question: He really does mt know" :"
DO You dc>ilc his opinion as to when you will
arrive at certain point? well. if nothing
happens. they may get there such time
In short he is one of those func,ionaries who
appear to have no more individuality than
the cars themselves. And SO leave him to
speak OF the prime conductor
All. that's the sort of officials for me-. and
ga" toll you reader. that ON The E,cc AMI
manners of a conductor depends great deal.
Why. if You travel through Pa1u,lixc with a
morosc conductor-who is only a molifica-
ton of the nesative-the diving green" of
the scenery would be transformed. or dc.orm-
ed, into the grca; Dismal Swamp. No. no,
give me the prime conductor, who makes
"SunShinc III shady place"
The other day. was travelling on the Rut-
land and Burlington line and the conductor.
as he took my ticket. took my attention also
Ills face was open, sunny. and smiling-not
Slmpcring. but manly-such one as could
not fail to inspire on" with confidence in the
Kindness courtesy. and general good quail
ltieS OF It's owner at once. knew that sick
or well, should receive every necessary ci-
Witty. There was a strange little girl in the
car. going all alone b. hcsrcf. and looking
frightened and i'll assurcd-but what care
the gallant conductor took of that little ten
ycar>-old, to be sure. How kindly he pattcd
her on the shoulder, when he needed her
ticket, and how her face frightened as she
met his cheerful, encouraging smile 1t was
a pleasure to watch him as he passed along the
car, exchanging, now and then, a smile or
lively word with old or Young. irrcspectivcly,
and doing, upon occasion, many a graceful
little act of politeness, which wsuld have made
him handsome in the eyes of its recipient,
had he been uslicr than gorgon (which,
dear Journal, he was not0 Nor was he at
all intrusive. He knew his place, and kept
it. Ills was not the familiarity which breeds
but that which wins confidence.
Now, that journey from Burlington to Bel
lows Falls was one of the shortest ever took
and mainly because of the truly gentleman
ly and respectful conduct of the conductor. l
do not think there was single person in the
cars with whom he was not favorite, or who
did not regard him as (what, in fact, he uas
a prime conductor. And reader, if YOU will
just take ride on the Rutland and Burling-
ton cars, you will find How(e) much your
pleasure and comfort are secured by the pres
ence of such an amiable official !-Home Jour-
u0i
INCIDENT OF THE LATE DIsAsTER.-In the