The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-15
HER TRIP TO BALTIMORE.
Experience of q Careless Man VINO
Didn't Take Care Of His Old Auot.

Charles Stewart Davidson tells true story
of how he sent his aunt TO Baltimore. Inc
aunt was a helpless old lady who had never
Travelled, and the teller Of the story under
.cck 30 sec hsr SAT oily started on the trip
from Staten Island to Baltimore. he put
her in the chair car-car /, seat 25-just as
the train pulled out, and jumped OF the
train. Then suddenly il dawned upon him
that he had only given her a ticket for
half the way, that her baggage was only
checked half the way, and that she had no
money and that he had her purse and bag
1ge check in his own pocket Then he tells
his story:
Desperate cases need prompt action.
had in mind but one idea, il could hire
a special locomotive l might overtake the
train at its first stopping place.
Looking firmly at the telegraph operator,
l said:
HAS this road got any superintendent"
"Yesn
"Where Is heln
"Outside, to the right, up stairs" and
ouside to the right upstairs, proceeded.
Opening door came on several clerks
seated at desks writing, and asked:
'Where is the superintendent
"Throughsthere.n said one, pointing.
Through There" l went.
found, at a desk in a medium sized room,
younglsh man with dark complexion and
smooth-shaven face, a man not over IS years
Of age, with pleasing impression and I'M
ruffled front.
"Are you the superintendentP
"Yes.n
sat down. Looking at him with as much
OF earnest entreaty, desperate resolve,
alarm, determination aud few other quail
tiles as l could summon to my instant aid,
said, without breath Of pause. ~ have
just started al old lady, inexperienced in
traveH g, who wants to go TO Baltimore,
with tickets one-half way and without any
money.
She Is in car No. /, seat 25.
Never yet have l seen a man rise so in
stantly, so calmly and So unoonsciously to
the exact level Of an occasion. He smiled
and touched a bell aud said: "That is all
right AS long as she does not get scared
and get OFF the train we've got her. will
have them flag the train and call the con-
ductor to look out for her," While we
talked he wrote. Almost instantly the door
opened. A messenger appeared. TIE mes
| sage was finished. 1t read: Conductor.
train 37-Elderly lady, car No. /, seat 25 is
! to go through to Baltimore whether she has
tickets or not. Don't let her leave the
tram" Handing the slip to the mes
sepRer he turned to me and repeated, with
smile, "As long as we have got her on the
| train she is all right. Now" he said, con-
tinuing, Two will telegraph to the agent at
| the station at which her tickets expire, to
| buy her ticket on to Baltimore, and buy
| the same parlor car seat Rhe is now in on to
| Baltimore, and to take the tickets to her on
| the train" In two minutes the telegram
was GENT CHOW" he said, I'VE will tele-
| graph the conductor fully at his first regu-
lar stop what the circumstances are. And, "
said he, turning again to me, "you say she
has no money! 81 have her
purse here" replied. "Well," he
| said, I'VE will tell the conductor to hand
her $40 In change" While talking his pen
was busy. In a moment more he read me
a concise statement Of the facts Of the case,
addressed to conductor at the first way
station. This dispatched, he sat back In
his chair and reflected for O moment.
Now" he said, pushing over TO me a pad
OF paper and pencil, ''she won't know what
all this means, and may get alarmed. Had
| you not better send her long converse
tional telegram to be delivered to the
| trainl"
wrote some twenty lines explaining the
| situation, telling her that all she need do
| was remain in her seat until the train
| reached Baltimore that tickets aud money
would be supplied to her, that under no cir
cumstanceS was shs to leave the train, and
that l was overwhelmed with sorrow at
having so badly arranged her journey.
While writing this telegram another door
opened and a head and hand appeared
| throughit. The hand waved little sliu OF
| yellow paper and the head said: Conductor
train 81 says, elderly lady all right" An
| enormous weight rolled from my mind.
The man who. 80 far as my purview ex-
| tended, controlled the destinies of creation,
then said: Now, how are you going to get
her purse and trunk check, which see you
have to herF'
81 thought Of sending them by mail"
"Wen, suppose you write her a note and
| do 1t up with the purse il the package, and
j will send it down the line 80 she can get it
tonight, We have wildcat engine, going
| over the line in about half an hour" The
resources of the road seemed inexhaustible
and it Is needless to say that to this further
| extent / availed myself of them. But before
the package was sealed another idea had
occurred to the superintendent, who, in
! deed, think, rather made point Of show
ing me what the possibilities of their sys-
| TEN of management we're. THAT trunk
check" he said, lis oaly for the same point
as her tickets. What is its numberr l
told him. ''Now." said he, 1--WE will tele-
graph the baggagemaster that that piece
of luggage, though checked only to his
point, is not to re put off, but is to go on
to Baltimore. where it will be redeemed on
the original check"
Again the check sought the invaluable
pad, and the final message was dispatched
With general feeling that had incurred
anywhere from 81, 900 to s., 900 of expense,
l inquired in relation to this delicate ques-
ton. "Well," said he "now let see The
difference IN fares is (referring to a schecule)
sS, the parlor car seat is 81. We gave her
$40 in the train" observe the unconscious
certainty with which be spoke OF that which
he had by telegraph ordered done being
already the fact: THAT makes in all S14.'
But" l said, sis there no charge for
all these kilograms and the trouble
that the road has been put to 10
the matterp 20, no." he said, "all these
are matters Of detail" giving one the gen.
eral impression that "the road" stood in loco
PARENTS to those who Travelled by it. With
thanks which were sincere. IL nos ELUSIVE, |
was about leaving, when again the head
and yellow-slipped hand appeared through
the door. Ticket agent number nine-two-
three says All right Baggagemsster num-
Der four-four-hve says All right and the
head vanished. came away with the gen.
eral stunned feeling which we all experience
| when we run against an approximately per-
feet system, working without hitch or delay.
On the succeeding evening I learned by
! letter from my aunt that il had not been
mere appearance Of efficiency. AS she ex-
pressed IL, before she knew anything was
wrong, people kept bringing her kilograms
and handing her money and saying that
everything was all right The conductor
| came 90 hor Immediately after the train
| was tagged. eKnla fnad N haF that her tick