The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-16

swan away, giving us another pursu'',
which was successful after some trouble.
can prove this. rh'dA'
.Ths Passenger Gusrd."
SKETCH or THE ENGLISH RAILWAY con-
pUcToR AND HIS DUTIES.
iI.ondcn Psper.I
The guard comes on duty at least hall sn
hour before his train Is timed to start, car
ryiny his cushion, O little bag containing
his dinner or his supper, ana other niue
pecdful comforts for the journey, ms
sipnalGags in their leather case, ms
timetable, his train-book. lie carries
his chronometer carefully compared WIN
the station clock, and setting his IN
cumbrances in their proper place IN Ms
van, makes survey OF his train. carcIuiy
noting In his train-book the number OF MS
engine, the name OF the driver ana stohci,
and the numbers OF his carriages in their
rotation. lie sees 10 the couplings and
chains. and also to his tail and side-lamps.
He has then leisure to devote to the seating
Of his passengers and to their comfort, in
miring as to their destinations, and adj
lisiug them at what junction they must sew
orally alight II they are booked for stations
off the main line. lie receives his parcels
aud packages with the waybills, and checks
them. packing them in his van for easy
handling on the way. In express trains
tbis work is not so arduous, the stopping
Dlaces being fewer, and the distances at
greater interval. Everything Icing In ATS
place, the passengers all carefully tucked
in. and the clock indicating that time IL up,
the guard waves his white flag, or blows
his whistle, when the inevitable last man
comes breathless on the scene, to be left
behind il the train has SCOT way on" OF
to cause another blow OF the whistle, a
wnyjng OF outstretched arms up and
down, n gradual slowing OF the train, and
a packing OF this laggard into the first
convenient compartment; then there is an
other whistle, and the train pants out OF the
station, Kissing and putting In thunderous
tones, and IS quickly out OF sight. Passcn-
gers settle down i'm their corner-seats-af-
Ter comfortably adjusting their wraps and
exchanging their hats for travelliDg-caps-
to the newspaper, the latest society Journal,
or the newest novel. In the smoking com
partrnents these are enjoyed to the accom-
paniment Of pipe sr cigar. Travellers by
night, like sensible people, go to sieep-a
few reading, by the aid Of trayelling-larps,
for an hour or two. TO court sleep.
In the guards van the solitary occupant
first fills i'm the time OF departure in his
train-book. explaining cause OF late start
{D ANY,. He then sorts out his letters. all
official, ready 10 be handed out at their
proper destinations. Then his waybills are
scanned. and he checks his parcels off Oil
each, setting them in the most convenient
positions for delivery at the stations TO
which they are booked, so as to avoid delay,
and also TO afford time to attend to the
II no of
between stations was devoted TO a careful
lookout ahead. and TO seeing that his hand
lamp Is properly trimmed. and his log-sig-
nails and spare couplings and chains are
ready for emergency. He keeps himself
warm, one can scarcely conceive how.
Perhaps he enjoys pipe now and again !:
but look mt him a. he walks along the plat
form when the train stops, and even in
very cold weather he rarely seems cold,
though he seldom wears anything
over his uniform coat-a wonderful
contrast to his ulstcred and befurred and
generally muffied passengers. When la
dies and children are confided to his care,
who has heard OF an instance OF want Of
attention! At every point on the journey
where there Is longer than usual halt,
whose CHEEKY face lights up the dreariness
Of long journey by kindly intimation
that there will he ten minutes here, or an
INQUIRY whether there is nothing he can
get from the refreshment-room for them !!
The very act OF looking in TO see how they
are inspires the timid, and lifts them
out Of feeling OF loneliness or
fear. Then, when the las; stopping
place has been reached and the tickets are
being collected, this man, who has been a
sort OF good providence all the way, comes
round to warn them that they will be at the
terminal station in fifteen minutes, and
that they had better be preparing to alight.
At the terminus he sees them all safely
landed and handed over to one OF tie
station porters, with strict charges rs to
impediments, and then-adeuX. He has
several such charges on his hands each
Journey, and all sound his praises,
and SO the number OF these tlmld
charges increases to the manifest advantage
OF his company. 1t Is some time after the
arrival Of his train In the terminus before
the last Of the luggage vans is emptied and
its contents carried away, and the guard is
there to the last, handing over his letters,
his waybills, and the traffic these latter
represent, to the parceloflce porters.
Then he picks up his own impede
menta, deposits portion in the guards
lOoi1 III nis OWL plact, "Tites up MS tTaiii-
Journal from his train-book, incoses il
10 the superintendent, and trudges to
his lodgings to breakfast and the refresh
ment Of daylight sleep. OF course this
latter follows an al+night journey. In that
event he gets up TO dinner at or =. NJ,
and may do what he likes till O'Clock,
when he turns up on the departrTc-plat-
form 10 prepare for q similar experience on
The refxirn iourney III he travels the same
journey by day, that Is followed by nights
rest in his lodging and another all-day
journey, and then he probably has day
and night Of rest to prepare for more
night-work.