The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-02-13
VERY LARGE GOOSE EGGS.
How a Witty Portland Man Turned
a Corner.
THINGS TALKED OF In THIS TOWN
THIS WEEK.

How Lost Baggage is Traced-The Story
of the Queer Acts of Two Dogs-How
a Sailor Secured an Easy Berth--Lob-
ster Meat is an Expensive Food; Rea-
sons Therefor--Electric Cars Sue
cess.
One Of the brightest men in Portland
is an Irishman who has for years dealt in
ballast and similar marine supplies. All
the shipping men know him, and never
tire of telling story illustrative of his
ready wit. One day our ballast dealer,
who may for convenience sake be called
John, was approached by captain, who
wanted some shingle ballast, that is,
small stones about two inches in dame
ter. John had plenty of shingle ballast,
and could supply all that was wanted.
"How large are the stones in your bal
last?' asked the captain.
'The size Of goose eggs" promptly re-
piled john
So the ballast was bought, and Johns
teams and men began delivering it, The
captain, finding rocks in it ranging from
the size of mans head to that of a wa
ter pail confronted John with one of the
largest boulders, saying:
John, where did you ever see goose
that would lay an egg like that?'
"Shure,' replied John, II have seen
many one in the ould counthry.''
The railroad business is a great train
ing school for system. System pervades
every department, even to the baggage
master who losses your trunk around as
if it were feather. 'sWe handle about
$4,000 pieces of baggage in our three
summer MONTHS said Mr.. FL. FL. Towle,
who is at the head of the baggage de-
partment of the Maine Central. SIT is
inevitable that some Of these pieces will
go astray, either through the needless
ness of their owners in checking them,
or through the mistake of some en-
ploye. 1 should say that, in the summer
when we are handling 125, 900 pieces of
baggage month, an average of eight or
ten pieces go astray day. But usually
it is very easy matter to trace them.
You see these papers here. They are
the daily returns which we receive from
every station agent and every baggage
master on every train. Each return
from station agent shows the number
of pieces of baggage he has handled, the
numbers of the checks, the places from
which they have been received or to
which they are going, and the trains by
which they have come or gone. Each
train return shows where every piece of
baggage was taken on and where put off.
AS these daily returns come in, we file
them by trains and stations. So, when
ever a piece of baggage is lost, all we
have to do is to know the point from
which it started. All the rest is here in
our returns, and the record of the piece
can be traced in few moments. Rarely
if ever, is piece of baggage lost beyond
recovery"
The other day Mr.. William Allen, Jr.
was walking up Spring street followed
by his little dog Beauty. Beauty had on
regulation collar to which large bow
of orange ribbon was attached. When
the corner of State street was reached a
huge St. Bernard dog came along, and
seeing the orange bow, seized the ribbon
in his mouth thus forcing Beauty on to
his hind legs in order to keep
up with the procession. The
big dog trotted on in this way, with
poor Beauty struggling alongside, until
Winter street was reached, when the st.
Bernard dropped him. Beauty was so
disguised and angry that as soon as he
got the chance, instead of running away
he pitched into the great st. Bernard
tooth and nail. The only notice the st.
Bernard took of the little dogs anger
was to pick him right up again and carry
him along in like fashion until Brackett
street was reached when Beauty was
released. By that time the little dog had
had all the fun of that sort he wanted.
So severe had been the strain on Beauty
that his collar had worn off the skin in
several places on his neck. 1t seems that
the St. Bernard has habit of Selling
whatever he can in order to enjoy carry
ing it. He is liable to catch hold of a
gentleman's umbrella or grip sack, take
it out of his hand and trot along with
it. He only carries out the natural in
stincts of the breed.
In the United States barge office in
this city one may hear good sea yarn or
two spun almost any day. The old skip
pers like to go up there and talk over old
times; but few of them can tell better
story than one of Uncle Sans men told
the other day. ''When l went to sea-
said this spinner, II was very handy
aloft and answered to the convenient
name of Jack was so willing and
handy that the officers were always call
ing upon me. 1t was, Jack do this or
fTacl do that On ono vovaUe from, Ha