Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-11-15
Baggage-Snasiing.

stations is u disgrace to the railway
system of which we boast 50 much
and in general so justly. 1T will MI
any impartial spectator with lndlgna-
ton to stand near the baggage,room
in almost any depot in this and other
cities as q train is being made up or
unloaded, and witness the reckless
if not intentionally destructive way IN
which trunks, large and small, with
ont respect to character condition or
contents, are thrown from car to plat:
form. or from truck to car, Or from
store.room to truck, with a waste OF
muscular power in giving them the
customary height and velocity such
as is rarely exhibited by laborers in
any other calling. If the baggage |
handlers were paid by their companies
according to the number OF trunks
which they dashed to pieces or dam
aged, they could hardly show more
zeal and successful devotion to that
end than they do now. SO common
IS this abuse to the handling of pas
sengers' property that the lons-snf-
ferng American has accepted..it as in
cvitable, and tries to make the best OF
it by jocular remarks. The newspa-
pers also at frequent intervals contain
humorous illusions to the evil. One
praises the skill with which an ac-
complishcd baggage will crack
omen a trunk al single throw. An
other tells about the Consideration and
Grief OF IL baggagehurer on finding
among the arrivals trunk made OF
boiler iron, heavily riveted and iron
bound, bearing the defiant inscription,
"ShcJl stand it," Another announces
forthcoming tournament Of baggage
smashers, at which prize is offered by
) trunk makers for the most expert
smashing is to be contended for.
,, The subject, however, is too serious
: for Joke. It is no joke to reckless
= ly and wantonly destroy or injure the
property Of n contidng traveller it is
barberous and brutal act for whlcl
no excuse whatever can be given. L
takes no more time and strength e
lift a trunk and set it carefully down
than it does to hurl it high in the al
and propel it violently to its "estlna
tion. There is abundance of time, es
pecially at our great terminal stations
where these abuses are most common
y for the proper handling of baggage
II No train will move until the baggag
ia all taken OH or unloaded, and tn
a smlsher cannot male claim Of ne
ne cessitv for hl5 barbarity. An expires
V, company will carry y box of egg
of 1000 miles without cracking a shell
to baggage-smasher will trequen'l
t. knock off the hinges of a trunk, brea
IT. the lock, split the bottom and smas
st. every fragile article of its content
l on the trip from baggage room to ca
ID 1t is high time that our railroad su
he perintendents took summary steps
-" reform this evil. The property
VI. passengers should he as sacred
sk their persons. \ railroad employ
has no more right to break a passe
no GERS trunk needlessly than to sma;
his hat or tear his co+t. THIS mi
id. treatment Of baggage is never SEE
to upon European railways. There Il
railway employe is the servant rath
ID t',qn the master of the traveller, al
,cr (. .a,s him and his property with civ
in. ity. If a luggage man handles
trunk with unnecessary rouShnes5
,,,, l. nrcttv sure TO be warned by q III
ass formed official, and if he repeats I
ou oilense he gets his walking-papers'
die We do not mean to say that
American baggage-men are guilty
ful. the abuses complained of. There {
Of many creditable exceptions, but
,rp- one will deny the general truth OF t
picture, and our railway othcl
should at once put stop to these o
ng, RACES, as they can easily do, by a lit
per exercise of their authority, Let
zef baggage smasher be reformed
ii a abolished from the American rallv
irer system He hss disgraced it too 10
hat Raihcay Age.
ID have no hope of his recove
1 o | know his physician very well, $