The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-04-18
AUNT MARiA's cARRYALL.
A Remarkable Public Conveyance and Its
Wonderful Regularity.

ut isn't a story" said the pleasant
faced lady, as she sat down in a low
chair and unfolded paper.
''Oh, a lecturer"
mo, dears, not lecture. 1t is not
description, but short account of a
very remarkable public conveyance.
For want of better, you may call it
mammoth air-ship or aerial car
"a balloon, then, auntie?"
Anything you please, though it is
far enough from being balloon of the
ordinary kind. l call it the Universal
CarryalL But now ! will read from the
manuscript, so listen well, for l wish
you to tel me at the close what is the
real name of this extraordinary vehicle.
lit Is usual for persons taking
passage for the first time in public
conveyance to feel more or less anxiety
in regard to it. It's reputation for safe
ty, speed, accommodations and general
management become matters of ex-
treme interest to the prospective trav-
eler.
II have known fidgety people. before
going ON board of a steamer for even a
short trip, to make searching inquiries
as to its machinery, whether it was all
in sound condition, the engineer capa-
BILE and trustworthy, the pilot steady at
his post, the Captain thoroughly alive
to the comfort and safety of his passen-
gers.
''But in the immense common car or
ship of which l speak no such care is
ever manifested. Though the trip is to
be as prolonged as the life of the trav-
eler, it has not yet happened that, pre-
vious to embarkatiOn, single inquiry
has been made in regard to it.
This may be accounted for at first
by the extremely tender age at which
passengers commence their journey,
and their after-reticence by the extra
ordinary fact that no machinery has
ever been discovered by which this
marvellous convance is governed or
propelled. No officer is on the lookout;
no helmsman's voice is heard by day or
night; no orders are ever issued.
Though the. night be enveloped in
treacherous fogs, or shrouded in black
ness or storms, no signal-gun or horn
or warning bell is ever heard to break
the silence.
"Yet, in spite of this seemingly haz-
ardous neglect, passengers eat, drink.
study, amuse themselves and go about
their business generally with entire I'M
concern. They pass their time in a
thousand different occupations.
s'Many explore those parts Of the
vessel to which they are strangers, and
acqaint themselves with those whose
destination is the same as their own.
There are some who endeavor to
ameliorate the condition of those who
occupy the more gloomy, uninviting
and ill-furnished parts of the ship.
although in each separate compart-
ment sort of governmental authority
is supposed to be established. there is, 1
regret to say, good deal of evil-doing
on board, so that officers of the law are
in frequent requisition, yet, on the
whole, the peaceful and law-abiding
element may be said to predominant
among the passengers.
There is usually limited number
of inquiring ones who employ their time
in taking the bearings of their course,
and learning all that is possible of the
route But the results are little known
to the majority.
IF reminded in the morning that
they have journeyed thousands of miles
since retiring to rest, and that even a
greater distance must be traversed be-
fore they sleep again, they simply open
their eyes a little wider and say:
lis it possible?'
Occasionally, a few nervous persons
are heard to predict impending confla-
grafton, collision or some other calam-
ity that will prove the utter destruction
Of the good ship and every one it con-
tains; but up to the present time moth
ing of SO serious nature has taken
place.
"A sense of security grows naturally
from the wonderful regularity of every
thing connected with the movement of
this gigantic craft. 1t is impossible to
calculate, or even to approximate, q
reckoning of the cycles that have gone
by since it began its course.
Learned men among the passengers
differ widely upon this subject, and
often become very cross and quarrel
some in discussing their differences; yet
all agree in awarding the great carryall
an extreme antiquity, and that not once
in all those countless ages has it failed
to make its annual round trip in the
given time. Not once has this wonder
full ship put back for adverse winds or
storms. never laid by one hour for re-
pairs, never slackencd speed to ease .
strained timber or a smoking axle.
Without break, without rest, 81
lent, constant sublime. it pursues its
unwearied journey through the infinity
of space.
The loneliness of the vast circuit is
notable point to be considered. It is
well that there is no lack of company
on board. since outside there IS
positively no society to be had. And not
tnly are there no stopping-places. but