St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-26
TAKE YOUR CHECK"
Scenes at the Check Window Of the
Union Depot.
1T is A VERY BUSY PLACE.
Hen Who Are So Expert That They
Can Size Up Baggage by the
Smell.


MADE the subject of interesting sketches
of city life. The great throngs of peo-
pie, representing almost every national
ity, that may daily be seen passing
through there form a distinct feature of
this great Northwest. But compare
lively few have any knowledge OF what
these foreigners bring with them in the
shape of baggage. \ few minutes in
the transfer" room, however, just be-
fore the Northern Pacific through train
pulls out at o clock in the afternoon
will give the reader an idea If he Is at
all observing.
This immense room is at certain sea-
sons almost entirely filled with odd
looking trunks, chests and bundles that
come from over the seas, which bring
with them an atmosphere that is also
diStinctiVelY foreign. Among the num-
erouS truckmen are several SwedeS and
NorwegidnS, whose services are eSpe-
cially valuable at times As Interpreters.
and whose familiarity with the native
scents Of these countries enables them
to distinguish a piece of baggage with
out the requisite check, when the latter
happens to be missing. Indeed, it is
claimed among the officials in the bag
truckman can tell the exact location of
a certain class of bundles or chests on
the darkest night without the aid of a
light simply 10y The smell. The great
variety of smells that may almost be
seen in this department makes an hour
spent there interesting and instructive.
if not pleasant. The curiOuSly-cOn-
Structed boxes that bear Polish or Dan
iSh in paint or labels and plaStered with
other labels, showing the ports through
which they have passed. are a study.
Many of them are covered with net
work OF rope, or numerous bands of iron,
TO insure safety against the deStruct-
i've work OF the American baggage
SmaShar." The latter individual is an OBJ
ject OF terror To the average emigrant.
His ways are the ways of the devil. to
the poor foreigner, and the owner of
chest that is not made of steel or rubber
Is in constant state Of agony until he
arrives at his destination. and hOverS
over it lovingly to lind that it has some
how
MIRACUL0USLY ESCAPED
serious damage. Even then. he attrib-
uteS his good luck to a lack of time with
the baggageman. The latter is Ger
tainly eXcuSable in hurrying through
with emigrantS' baggage; if he didn't,
he would be liable to an attack of ag-
graVated nausea.
Another interesting class is the much
travelled EngliSh-and those who wish
to appear as Such-whoSe very sOlicitOuS
inquiries are often burden 10 the long
suffering baggageman. The same QueS-
ton, propOunded by the same person
five or six times in the course
OF half an hour, finally becomes
tireSOme. and the checkman will
sometimes be obliged. for Self-protec-
ton. to tell the traveller unpleasant
things. Then there is the .'dude'
drummer on his first trip, whose at
tempted assumption of the airs of the
'Old-timer" makes the baggage boys
seaSick. There is a brighter side. how
ever, to the life of the man who stands
at the check-WindOw and waits upon
fourteen people at once-there IS occa-
SiOnally ray of sunshine which strug-
giles through the crowd and gets to the
window, in the shape of a fair. bright
eyed schoolgirl, whose very modesty
and sweetness of manner inspire him
with newborn energy and politeneSS.
He wishes from the bottom of
HIS LACERATED HEART
that she had thirty-Seyen trunks to
check, and he would be called upon to
help her repack every one Of them. But
no.-She has only one, which is attended
To promptly, and she is gone. The
check-man turns SOrrOWfully 10 wait
upon a pompOus-lOoking individual, who
evidently would impress upon the young
man inside an idea that he is sole agent
for the owner Of the universe. But the
young man is not receiving that kind of
impressions: and by the time the in
tiated party has disappeared he has re-
Sumed that same Old get-yOur-checkS-
and-ciear-Out expression that he wears
when very busy. Then, perhaps, the
rush will commence that occurs
every evening, Just before the de-
parture OF the 'Easterns," and
amid the confusion our friends voice
may be heard: Here. take your
eheckw Yes, that's all right-get on
that train" See you later-haven't
got time row." Hold on, there, that
isn't yours Take this one, and get out
o, here" No, never lived there"
mileage; = four minutesr' Parcel
stand i'll there; turnch right" "Plenty
time for yOu-dOn't go for twelve min
uteS; get that satchel off o. therel''
"All right, Washington; let that lady
get herei" Never drink "FlI
smoke it after while-don't block up
that dOOrwayr' Here you are, Kala-
mazOow Hold on, Chattanooga, come
back and get your ticket-nO, never
mlnd!" Don't yOu call me liarl"
.Wouldn't care d-n if you were jim
Hill!-get out O. here!" Then all at
once this racket ceases: the trains have
gone with their loads of excited human
lty; the great depot is still as death,
and the tired baggagemen put on their
coats, turn out the gas and leave for the
night. There is no excitement or nov