The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-04-23
The Railroad Liar.

IL has always been source Of wonder
10 me, says Burdettc, what u railway
corporation expects 10 gain by keeping
the movements Of its trains profound
mysteries from tho travelling public, es-
pecially during periods Of sudden emer
gencies, accidents and annoying delays.
The passengers on the trains. the wait
ing friends and expectant passengers at
the stations are alike snubbed, misled by
eyasvo replies or directly and intention
ally misinformed. All this makes the
delay doubly exasperating TO the waiting
people, and it doesn't move the delayed
train minute faster and doesn't add to
the popularity of the road.
When the recent furry Of snow and
boreal winds and Arctic cold swept over
the land waited at great city station
OF one Of the greatest railroads in Ameri-
ca for a train due at o'clock p. IN. |
suspected the train would be late. BY
diligent inquiry | managed TO find five
men in the uniform of the railroad com
pany's employees, who assured me that
they didn't know anything about that
train.
Well, rs a general thing, railroad
man is not expected TO know anything
about the trains on his own road | sup
pose. II that is SO, these five neatly uni
formed men in the handsomest station
in America filled the bill to perfection.
That is what tho brakeman Meias and
conductor Hanford knew, and they have
got into trouble and an indictment for it.
But continued my search, and I'M
earthed one or two more uniformed
specimens of colossal ignorance Of all
matters remotely pertaining 10 the rail-
road, one Of the specimens, the one with
the bluest coat and brightest buttons,
expressing great surprise at learning
that there were any trains at all on the
road that day. Presently | found liar,
who deliberately told me the express
was only forty-fve minutes behind time
| afterward learned that he was not the
regular liar, but was supernumerary
who was just learning his business, and
| only went on in star parts when the reg
ular liar was sick. But on this occasion
there were SO many anxious people ask
ing questions that the entire force Of liars
at the disposal of the company was on
the stage at once, assisted by the full
strength Of the entire ballet ! met most
Of them. found light comedy liar
who, when | asked him how much was
"22' behind, said il was all behind the
engine. The sarcastic liar finished tell
ing a nervous old woman that the train
would be in before morning, and then
when | asked him where it was now he
said his watch had stopped, and went
away TO tell another passenger it would
be along in twenty minutes At last
found the premiere liar, who is never
sarcastic, never evasive, always polite,
always direct, and never ill-natured. lie
looked me straight in the eyes, and in
tones earnest with conviction told me at
730 p. II. the train was only an hour
late. He told me the same thing again
at s o'clock; quietly and earnestly he
repeated this declartiaon at Dis p. IN.
at 20 he re- affirmed it; he stuck to il
at II when midnight paused in the sky
he called upon the stars 10 witness thai
what he said was true; be stuck to il al
D. m; and at last, at 3 o'clock in the
morning. that train came in, ten hour:
behind time, and the premiere liar wa.
still telling the questioning people tina
il was an hour behind schedule time,
| Now what good did All this deceit ant
misrepresentation do the railroad com
pany? Itddn't make apound Of steam
it didn't clear away u snow-drift; it didn'
deceive the public, who have come t
disbeleve almost anything station EN-
ploye tells them about delayed trains
II would be some comfort TO maj
waiting for a train TO know how long HI
has to wait. If it is going to be ter
hours, he will 60 home and start mex
day. And when train is ten hours lat
surely somebody in the employ of tn
company must know something about it
1t is true the employees are pesteret
and bothered by the endless questioning
Of the waiting, impatient, restless crowd
but if they can't stand questioning the
should leave the railroad and 90 to worl
in u powder.mill, where people will no
crowd around them and ask questions