St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-10
A MATTER OF DISCIPLINE.
The Traveller Was Not to Be Sat
Upon by Neglectful Police

upon Dy q NegIect1ui POiICe-
man.
Chicago Tribune
Don't you know better than to pile all
your baggage OH that seat ?' demanded
policeman at one of the railway depots
yesterday morning. sharply addressing
a traveller who seemed to be waiting for
train.
81 don't see any sign here prohibiting
my piing all the baggage l want on
that seat returned the traveller, push
ing his hat back and preparing for an
argument. when you want to keep
persons from smoking you stick up
sign, don't you? There's half dozen
No Smoking signs in this room, and
not one forbidding a man from putting
his valises on the seat beside him.
1--WE take it for granted" retorted
the policeman, that everybody knows
these seats are made to sit on. There's
plenty of room OH the floor for band
boxes and gripsacks."
There seems to be plenty of room on
the seats, too. More than half of them
are empty. These traps of mine don't
appear to be crowding anybody, do
they?"
- They don't make any difference. It's
against the rules
Whose rules?"
THE rules of this station. If you
don't take them down"
Take down what?"
''ThoSe traps"
II didn't know it was against the
rules, reJoined the traveller, and we
won't have any fuss over 1t. l will COM
ply to the regulations. Pll put the
yaliSeS on the floor, of course
He lifted the VaiiSeS haSjtatad q mo-
ment, and then replaced them on the
steat.
Look here" he said, pointing his
hnger sternly at the policeman, didn't
put these things on the floor when you
came imp
NO" growled the officer. "You
slapped 'em down on that seat. They've
been there half an hour"
And you've let me violate the rules
of this depot for a whole halt hour,
have you?' said the traveller, raising
his voice. "What kind Of"
But
Don't attempt any explanation, sir!
l come in here, break one of the rules,
and you see me do it! You deliber-
ately permit a total stranger to you, sir,
TO DEFY the authorities of this depot for
thirty minutes! Is that the way you
carry out the Instructions of your SUI
periors? Do you call that sort of thing
doing your duty? Don't you know. sir.
that If you permit one man to override
the established rules and regulations of
a passenger station like this, where
thousands of men come and 60 every
day in the week, that everybody else
Will feel at liberty to do the same
thing, and all discipline will be at an
end? IT you haven't proper regard
for your duty, who in the name of
truth and justice has or ought to have?
Permit a man to pile his baggage
on one of these seats, regardless
OF the rights of the travelling
public, right under your eyes, and let
him keep it there halt an hour before
you even lift your voice in protest!
Ofncer, consider it one of the most
fagrant, one Of the most inexcusable
and unwarranted lapses from Off cial
duty of which L have ever known man
in your position to be guilty. Take my
advice and don't let it happen againH -
The traveller sat down by the side of
MS baggage again, took paper from
his pocket, and began to read.
The policeman, with his jaw hanging
down and a wild, hunted look in his eye,
wandered in an aimless sort of way to
the outside of the building, sat down Oh
the curbStone, took off his hat, and
famed himself with it.
''Ill bet thousand dollars" he solilo-
Quized, i'll a hollow voice, "he'S the
president of the road!'