Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-17

packed into small compsrtmsnts % tightly that
1t 10 impossible TO get at il en- route So Il
often happens that during the brief stop q .
station all the luggage intended for that point
L. not found Still, with all these inconve-
niencss the Enelish traveller prefers his old
and sacred system to the American baagags
check.
ON GERMAN RAILWAY.
In Germany the railway employees are all
uniformed like soldiers. They are formally
polite to passengers and always touch their
caps in military style when addressing them.
Every gatekeeper stationed 1t . crossing
always stands at a salute when the train passes,
holding the short round stave about which his
flag Is wrapped az though it were q musket.
every train represents the majesty Of the en-
pire. 1t Is the emperor's train and hence must
be saluted. No one can secure employment
on the railway unless he has served in the
army. The discipline of the army is carried
into the railway management A young Ger
man who was my companion in the compart-
ment OF a railway carriage in which I was
travelling over the state railway of Baden,
when remarked upon the fidelity and cere-
mony with which every gatekeeper saluted our
train, told me story which he thought ex-
tremely funny. 1t was about a railroad en-
ploye who was sick and thought he ought to 70
every day to see a doctor who lived in q
neighboring village. The doctor at last told
him it was unnecessary for him to come and see
him so often, and proposed that as the train on
which the doctor had to travel on the railway
daily passed the post where the man was sta
toned the latter should thrust his tongue out
SO the doctor could examine it as he passed.
The man exhibited his tongue to the doctor in
this way for several days, when his peculiar
action was reported by the railway employees
on the train. He was put under arrest for
showing disrespect to the royal train by sticking
out bis tongue at 1t, and had to suffer an
imprisonment of several weeks before he sue
ceeded in satisfying the authorities of the limo
cent motive Of his act.
HAUNTED BY THE GUARD.
The German railway guard rides in q little
covered seat on top and at one end Of the car.
He has startling way of thrusting his head
into the window of your compartment when
the train is travelling at the rate of 40 miles an
hour and you expect no visitors. Sometimes
you Will see military cap rise up to the lower
edge OF the window, followed Immediately by
pair Of keen, vigilant eyes which will gaze at
you an instant and then disappear. You cam
not help feeling that you are under espionage
and any word Of yours hostile to the German
government spoken in what You suppose to be
the privacy OF railway compartment may
subject you to'an examination by German off,
cials. The military discipline Of railway en-
ployes results in well-managed railways. A
gateman or a switchman who is responsible for
the slightest mishap has no more mercy shown
him than sentinel who is found asleep at his
post. There is considerable ado over the arrival
and departure of trains from station. When
the train slows up to enter the station man
runs in front of the locomotive, calling out to
people to look out for the train and keeps up
his shouting until the train comes to q stop.
1t is said to be q rare thing that any one is
killed or injured by being run over by rail-
way train in Germany. When train is about
to depart an official at the station blows a little
whistle with his mouth. subordinate pulls q
rope which rings bell hanging in the station.
To this the locomotive driver responds by q
shrill toot on his whistle. Then there is q
pause, some shouting by railway employees on
the platform, scurrying by the guards as they
close and lock the doors of the carriages and
the man at the bell rope clatters his bell again.
Then the train begins to move. As II does so
the bells in little tower beside the track begin
to chime prettily. These bells are rung auto
matically by the moving of the train and con-
tinue to ring until the train is we'll under way.
There is no bell on the locomotive. If there
was the driver might forget to ring it, but these
automatic bells never forget.