Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-26
THE BAGGAGE SMASHERS.
now JOHN u. CLINTON AND Hfs AiD'
HANDLE rHE Bfo TRUNKS.
Enormous increase In the variety, the Char
ac,.r. the we,gb, aud tho Number Of
Tr.ns. Carried-The Drn'nmer. aud
the Theatre Peoples Trunks.

,bout the passenger station OF the pennsyl- | r.
yania railroad during tho arrival and de- b
parture Of passenger trains OF course some Y
Of them are there to bid ad,eu to departing
niends; others to welcome friends who have :
been absent aud arc expected home some
are there 10 meet their "mashes' and q
indulge In what they regard a. very sly
but which to the acute observer
are M palpabe ~ the pencil with which we
write these lines. There are others who go
to hear the pulling and snorting of the loco
motive, the shrill scream of the steam W histie |
~ tho steam Is blown oil, the clamor of the
beiis-brazen bells--as the trains move in
aud out Of the station house (; and to gaze
admiringly on the mighty engine and per
haps upon the broad-chested, brighteyed
engineer, as he touches the lever aud
" makes tho wheels 20 round"
An experience of many years however,
convinces us that a majority Of those who as
semble In the waiting rooms or on the plat
form Of the station attracted thither with
view of seeing the baggage smashers" as
the baggage handlers are familiarly called.
At almost any hour OF the day several
strong two-wheeled, iron clad trucks may be |
seen standing in the depot piled high with |
an Understandable assortment OF trunks, |
>alise-, grip-sacks, and all manner OF bag.
gage waiting to be shipped by the next train,
or standing waiting to receive the baggage
from the incoming train.
WHEN THE Pun BEGINS.
Tie moment tho train comes to stand
still, the fun commences, and the crowd
looks ON with delight A heavy oak plank,
shoi with iron at either end, Is carried To
the baggage car and one end OF II raised and
thrust inside the open door, the other end
resting upon the plank floor OF the station
house with almost incredible rapidity the
contents Of the baggage car are slid down
this toboggan, and come bouncing to the
plank floor below. Big trunks and little
trunks, iron trunks nd wooden trunks,
strong trunks and weak trunks are vomite d
out of the car like missiles from a catapult
Down they come all in heap, and when the
corner OF a heavy n.clad weighing two
hundred and fiity pounds goes plouphing
through the soft leather skin OF its lighter
and prettier neighbor, the nimsy brass head
ed nails go flying in all directions ana
groans are heard To escape from the love of a
hat or duck oi bonnet stored inside.
How Baggage Master Clinton and his ~.
sistant, Johnny Heigle, manage to escape
being crushed beneath the avalanche OF
trui ks that come rattlng down upon them
has long been a wonder To the gaping crowd
VINO daily witness their remarkable perfor-
mances, as they stand neck deep in a wilder
ness of baggage.
No sooner has the car been emptied OF one
load OF miscellaneous baggags than IL is
hlltu Win announcer pulte as miscellaneous.
The big truck or two-wheeled barrow, before
mentioned, piled high with load OF trunks
weighing in the aggregate a ton or more, is
pushed up TO the open door of the and a
transfer Of the baggage rapidly made The
heavy trunks are rolled over and over side.
ways and end-ways = and come down with n
thud at every motion, now right side up now
upside down, now standing on Que end and
now on the other.
The local baggage emptied from each in
coming train Is quickly taken possession o.
by Fred. Brinmer's transfer company or by
the drivers OF coupes, carriages or hote
wagons, when, after the .checks' have been
duly scrutinized and turned in to the bag
gage master, 1t is carried 10 the hotel o
residence OF the owner.
GLOW long have you been handling bag
gage here3" ask cd the lNTELLIaENCER o
John ID. Clinton, the baggage master.
"Slnce 1851" replied that officer.
81 suppose there have been great IN IN J
changes since you first went on duty?"
40, bless you, yes; the baggage business
has quadrupled since that time. Then ther,
were no Sunday trains and only two or thre'
weekday trains east and west now Their
are four Sunday trains, six week .day train
east and ten west, all of them requiring thu
handling of large quantities of baggage"
How much baggage is allowed To a pas
senger2"
"A passenger is allowed to carry 10
pounds far az his ticket calls for and
family 10 pounds all baggage over tina
weight Is charged extra, the charge beinI
fixed according to the distance travelled
Between Lancaster and Harrisburg tn
charge is % cents per 100 pounds; to Pitts
burg SL40; to Philadelphia 50 cents to New
York so cents, and so on"
THE HEAVIEST BAGGAGE.
"What class OF baggage do you have tn
most trouble with
"With the big trunks of the drummer
or commercial agents a. they call then
selves When first began to handle bap