The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-02
LIVE uUMAx pAcxAGEs BY EXPRESS
Responsibilities which tho Companies Decline
for sunhcient Reasons.

Responsibilities which tho Companies Decline
for sunhcient Reasons.
great many persons have the idea that
II they happen TO have nm infant. idiot. or ma
MAC TINT they wish TO transfer to some distant
point they have only to leave tho article at the
nearest express ofloe, after paying the charges
or seeing it adorned with a g. o. d." tag At
frequent intervals an item goes tho rounds Of
the country press statinRSthat ilittle Tommie
Somebody. who was tickcted through" by OK
press from Kalamazoo to Key West. arrived
safely nj his destination and was nscertained TO
have cut several teeth and gained hall dozen
pounds during the journey. or course he
smiled when the reporter viewed him. and
cackled when his aunt PAID the charges, re-
moved the tag. and uggcd him away. such an
idea is a taking" one. inasmueh ms there is n
sort OF novelty about It; ana, though there are
not many persons who would care 10 transfer
their iniantile progeny 10y that method. there
are great numbers who fancy that tho express
companies can transport idiots and lunaiics as
well rs Infants. ana VINO make Application Tor
the transfer Of such human packages. Fro
quent applications are made also for the trans
| fer Of UNPROTECTED young women 10y eNprrss.
The main offices IN this city have such applica-
| tions nearly every day. all OF which are refused
| because the companies do not accept such re-
sponsibitics. Occasionally an agent at some
| country Office accepts such package but II II
| has far 10 20 il is almost invariably detained by
the agent at the first transfer office, A country
| agent somewhere I'm New Jersey not long ago
accepted lunatic which was To- be forwarded to
| n Maryland town. The insane package got MS
| far ms Easton, Pa. where 1t was stopped by tho
agent and sent baek in charge OF robust EN-
| ployee 10 the place from which it started. The
mhtter was reported to the general office in this
| city. and letter was addressed to tho New
| Jersey agent. instructing him not TO receive
| human packages unless properly boxed"-by
| the undertaken. OF course.
The reasons given for not accepting tho re-
| sponsibnty OF transferring live persons are
| those which would naturally occur to any per-
| son thinking about il. In case Of accident the
| damage may be- such that II cannot be- repaired
| by the payment Of money; tho express cars
have no conNcnienccs for the transportation OF
| such goods and the agents are too busy Mt all
| transfer points TO take care OF helpless persons
| Thoy must keep an eye constantly on their
| safes, and they are therefore unable to lug in
| fants TO other ears. pilot idiots. haul maniacs
| or escOrt unprotected young women. When
applications for tho carving OF such parcels
| are made at the express offices the persons APP
| plying are advised to place their goods In
| charge Of a drawing room car conductor. who
usually has ample time to take caro Of them
and will do 80 for n reasonable consideration,
Persons who are thus advised do not return
again with n like application. but tho average
| is kept up by applications from the ranks OF the
millions who rend AT frequent intervals such
nctions as the transfer OF the smiling and cack-
ling infant from Kalamazoo.