The Portland daily press., 1867-08-16
Notes by the Way from Maine a. yy;.cor.
sin.
To the Editor of the Press.

4
Every person who travels meets with ;no;-
dents worth placing upon record as beaeone 70
others who are to pass over the same route 70
show the dangers to which they may be ex-
posed, or as guides to the best places of rest
and quiet repose.
While passing on the Grand Trunk Railroad
from Montreal to Sarnia recently, saw an
exhibition of the danger to which women
are exposed when travelling alone, especially
on night trains, that sent chill through ey-
cry nerve and fibre of my body. At every
station passengers were changing, some going
and Others coming in. As the dusk Of even
ing was approaching a young man who had
recently entered the car. accidently displayed
the handle of a dirk knife and revolver, TO
winch the attention OF the conductor was di-
fec'ed' AT the next stopping place an officer
came INTO the car, arrested the man, took charge
OF his weapons, and escorted him out of the
car. There were two others In the car who
manifested some slight disposition to get up a
row, but on discovering that the police ont
side was strong they sat quietly.
At this station very richly dressed young
lady came into the car and took a seat back
OF the one in which l was sitting. About IL
O'Clock made pillow of my satchel, drew
myself up into as small compass as possible,
and attempted to get some sleep ON the seat.
had probably been two hours or more in
this condition, being tossed and jammed and
shaken by the trundling of the cars over an
exceedingly rough road, when heard some
one ask the lady in the seat behind me if she
was to leave at the next station, to which she
answered no; other questions followed which
l did not distinctly hear, but felt sure it was
not the conductor who was making the en-
quries, and raised myself up tuning partly |
round laying my arm over the back of the
seat and my head turned as though was
looking out of the window My position az
forded me perfect view of every motion that |
was made in the seat behind me- One OF the |
roughs had before noticed had unceremoni- |
ously taken a part of the seat and the lady |
had drawn her veil over her face and her |
shawl more closely around her, holding it |
with her hands and moved snugly to the end |
OF the seat so as to protect herself from any |
demonstration he might make. He first made
an attempt to draw her attention, and then
tried the same thing ON me with no very
fatterhg prospect of success. For more than
two hours we three persons remained in
much the same position Occasionally the |
man would make an effort to draw the atten-
tion of the lady and myself to some object |
that would cause change of position, but in
this he did not succeed. The lady was too |
much frightened at his presence and was too |
firmly determined to guart her from any evil |
he might intend to commit, to have our at |
tention diverted from the point at ISSUE His
comrade came in from the car behind, and
some rather unintelligible talk passed between |
them. He went forward into the car ahead |
of us, and alter time returned and signiied
that he could not accomplish his intention, |
and seated himself quite near to us. Day |
light began to be visible which made them |
more anxious and us less. 7 They appeared to |
realize that their opportunity was passing, |
and what they did must be done quickly
The man in the seat back Of me stared at me |
with pair of eyes that emitted degree of
venom almost uncontrolled and countenance
depicting the elements of the internal regions
Il looked firmly and steadily into his eyes
which in few seconds dropped their lids,
and he turned his head from me. i then per-
ceiyed that he was coward and we had
nothing more to fear from him. At this mo-
ment several persons near us awoke and sat
up in their seats. In short time the cars
stopped and the conductor called out 'lchange
cars for Buffalo," This gave our travellers
an opportunity to decamp, for they saw their
character was known and they doubtless fear
ed being arrested If they remained longer on
that train. laei q anA ,F1Iiya4fA4 W
After they LEFT enquired of The lady if the
man who had sat in the seat was an acquaint-
ance Of hers. She replied that she never saw
him before and believed him to be a pick
pocket and II he had succeeded in attracrns
our attention he would have robbed her of
herwatch. have no doubt that he intended
robbery, if no worse. She determined that
she should never travel alone ON the cars
again, snd especially on train that went by
night. This consider wise determination
and advise all ladies to adopt it. MS.