The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-12-13
SLEEPING CAR P0RTERS.
SOMETHING OF THIS WELL KNOWN
STUDENT OF HUMAN NATURE.

OF yellow LACE, Il naughty an d lPs u,
| perchance there be few travellers abroad,
the same buttons, the same face, but no
mein of haughtiness, no tip. Thus has
been described the sleeping car porter OF
America. He isn't such a bad fellow,
after all. He is a good judge of human
nature. and when his almost unlimited
| experience in casual study of it is con-
sidered there can be no wonder that the
sleeping car porter looks with disdain
upon that which makes greater men
stare; that he is sometimes curt in man
ner and at others 'surly. When curt he
is out of patience; when surly he has rid
den 400 miles without a sign of a tip and
with the loss of a half dozen towels and
a FELLOWSHIP. These the poor fellow must
account for, he well knows, and with
nothing Of reeompense from the weary
traveller, whose every beck and call he
has answered until his legs are going
beck on him, it is no wonder that he Is
seur and that his answers to the trouble
some old lady's many demands are lack
ing in spirit and fully unsatisfactory to
the fussy bunch of f~emininity, who
would ask the porter to fan her all day
and never put up a cent.
The old porter-not the sallow. greasy
fellow who stands at the end of his car
for the first week or month or year-but
the old porter, the fellow whose locks
have become gray in the service, can tell
many an interesting story between the
hundred fr~agmentary remarks to inquir-
ing passengers while the train lies in the
station just before going out on Its run
He remembers all about the great men
he has looked after in his day; he can
tell YOU to a half number the size of this
presidents boot or that governors shoe;
he can tell you what the company is
making on this run or that run if you
ask him in a confidential way; he knows
a green traveller when re ees him, and
can spot a man who was never in a
sleeper before the homer he rests his
eyes on him; he knows the newly mar
RED couple as they pass sheepishly up
the aisle and cast blushing glances at
each other.
Just before Q o'clock most any evening
one can find young and old sleeping car
porters in plenty at the Union depot.
There are numbers Of them there as
early as j in the afternoon, but in order
to see the old fellows in the greatest
number it is well TO be on hand after S
o'clock. If you catch one Of the old
porters in a bright mood at this time
and ask him the name of the richest man
he ever waited on in q sleeper he will
promptly say Jay Gould. The great rail
road magnate does not ride in a common
sleeper with the herd Of earth any more,
but he used TO, and there are few of the
real old porters now running who did
not black the famous ~financier's shoes
and brush his clothes some time or other,
before the great Gould had risen to his
present greatness. The question at once
arises. WAS Gould a liberal passenger"
The old porter would answer emphatic
ally that he was not.
The Brooklyn divine, Rev. 7. De Witt
Talmage, is a general f~ayorite with sleep
ing car porters the continent over. This
good old gentleman travels a great deal
in filing his lecture dates, and he fire.
q%uently finds it necessary to rest his
weary bones on one of the hunks of a
sleeper. Before turning in he always
makes it a point to get acquainted with
the porter and have a merry chat with
him. When he arises in the morning he
gives his large shoes a careful looking
over, smiles one of those broad smiles OF
his, and if the porter happens TO be
about he remembers him. If the porter
isn't handy the great divine looks him
up and calls his attention to the fact that
lie is about to be tipped. Talmage, like
many great men who occasionally gel
off to themselves where they are either
not known or not recognized. stoops tC
gable with persons Of a degree that hi;
good flock in the City of Churches would
II o care to see him mingle with.
European travellers in this country fine
high favor in the porter's eyes, for they
tip literally. Theatrical parties are il
bad odor with the sleeping a fellows
for it is said they never think of the por
ter. But with all his disappointment
and bad luck the black servant grow
gleeful when he discovers q brand new
groom on his car. Such a person is gen
orally a ''fsh." The experienced porte
rarely makes a mistake in picking hin
out, and handled we'll he always develop
something worth working for. In tn
first place, the shoes must se blacke,
several times daily; all signs of dust 0
lint must be kept away from the youn,
mans clothing and bits of choice scener,
along the line of the days ride should b
pointed out to the blushing bride. Tn
green traveller who has never been in
sleeper before is of little profit to til
porter, but he furnishes that student @
human nature a world Of amusement
The sleeping car porter Of America j
a national emblem. He will live here
but when he attempts to cut q wild
swath abroad he is a failure. 1t is sal
that one of the guild once though
Europe would be a fine field for an at
tentiye and experienced servant Xix
himself. He went to France, Russia
Germany, England and Italy, but h
found none of the liberality of the tray
eler who rode with him in America
After going all over tle countries name
he at last brought up at Genoa. II
looked about the town and in his wal
came upon the hall of the town council
He entered the anteroom, and Will
standing there caught sight of a bust a
II end of he apartment. He wen
over and stood in front OF it; then h
got on his knees, and removing his hat
raised his eyes to the bust and said:
II thank you for discovering America.
II was the bust of Columbus that tn
homesick porter bowed TO. An America
witnessed the scene and, taking compass