The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1877-07-12

Death had taught him more
Than this melancholy world dolh kAow,
that The doctor let Grsblown know the
seqael OF ils ghost story.
~
THE BAGGAGE sMAsHER's sTORy
Where is The baggage master n the
reporter asked dspper little fellow In .
blue uniform and goId.banded cap, at
the Pennsylvania railroad depot, few
days ago.
al am one OF them"
"You2" the reporter said inquiringly,
aud then looked him over. "Whatp he
thought 10 himself, "this little pin and
needle fellow, the trunk smasher OF the
road No. lie eau only be the deceitful
dummy, put here TO delude travellers
with the belief that their baggage will be
handled like a can of nitro glycerhe. The
man with The iron fiat and steel boot,
who jerks the life out Of trunk by q
twist Of the wrist, must be behind some-
where. 2 "a nAa aa6A aoaYl
just then carriage drove up, lady
got out, and gentleman asked for checks
for moderate sized trunk for Chicago,
The dspper little fellow, looked at their
tickets, put check on the trunk, and
then by mysterious twist and without
80 eming to movehIsbody, skilfully rolled
Il along the long baggage room. As be
reached the truck, on which other trunks
had been loaded, be gave little yank,
and the trunk bonnded up from the noor.
Another 'movement, too rapid for the re-
porter to see what it was, and the trunk
lay on the truck, without SO much as a
pin iscratch on II. Then the baggage
master came back, as fresh aud as clean
as fancy bartender. ,i
"Where's your baggagee' be asked the
marvelling reporter.
81 hav'nt any. Buthow is II you han.
die that trunk so easyl"
The little man looked 1T tho reporter
politely but inquisitively. The reporter
told him who he was, and that he wanted
to know something about the secrets oi
the business, and whether they were get.
ting ready to smash pile of trunks this
summer. A.
Then a sad look crept over his face
"Smashing's gone by, at least here
abouts," he said. "There isn't any more
fun in the business such as the old men
tell me there used to be. We don't have
any chance TO study people and get to
know them by their trunks ss the old fel
lows did. There isn't any life, not bill
of free aud eaey work about this thing
nowadays. A fellow, If he is going
into baggagiug, ought to have begun
twenty years ago. Then there was fan
didu't know myseif-only what hear
the old boys say"
''Then you don't oil up your arms snf
practice with the dumb bells, aud kicl
the sand bags, so as to get In good work
ing trim to master y trunk"
"No, indeed we've been trained yer,
differently. IT, gone to tile other ex
treme, They expect rs TO wear e!ear
shirt, Piccadllly collar, With white tie
use perinmed soap on our hand,, aud lt
keep our boots BACKED. On the cars W,
can put on a calico jacket TO keep the dus
off from our shirt bosoms. But you no
tice baggageman don't show himsel
now auy more than he can help when th'
trains stop You can just see his bes.
4 ont of the car door when he's unloa4inl
trunk. Then We have to learn how {,
get purchase on trunk, SO IS TO twis
il around on one corner, and make all th'
strain come on that corner aud on ou
wrists, and a scratch on a trunk nov
shows that some green hand has had holt
Of II. They'll expect us to learn the Ian
guages next Oh, yes, we're scientiflc
but there isn't any fun about i an
more," and the poor felIoE sighed.
"Let me take yonr hand" be con
tinued lie gave the reporters hand
wrench that made it feel - though 1t bat
: got into the screw Of an ocean steamer .
"rhat's what IL does for us any way.
The old boys conld hsve Knocked you
bead or at one blow, but they cou.du'
squeeze like that"
! Last year, the Centennial you Eaow
, was a busy. one for Us, and we bad NOR
J regular cow-sheds Of trunks TO handle
! but we managed most OF them, excep
hair trunks, | swan; but we did bate {
! get hold OF hair trunk. You cant Re
, sny purchase on them. They are 30 slir
perry that you can't do anything Wit
them, aud The little iron handles cut th
: fingers. II looks now ss though trays
; would be light thIs summer. The ho
! spell turned out few, but business isn'
| goIag 10 be very driving. II yoq want
! know the difference between baggagin
! now aud few years ago, SET some Of ID
old boys"
. Now, this little talk vas s revslaalon
! and IL seemed : COED thing 70 follew q
I the disclosure, and sec whether the trad