Smyrna times., 1894-11-28
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. NOVEMBER 26. 1894
THE SLEEPING-CAR PORTER.

at the end of the trip. | forgot that |
even pOrters have their troubles and |
that we should treat them kindly, but |
was only half awake at the time, and, |
after all, he was to blame, for seem
ingly he had the most haZy notions !
about the destinations of the various |
passengers in the sleeping -berths. He
parted the curtains, shook me out of
my morning sleep-the most cherished
and valued bit OF sleep a man gets in
long nights ride on sleeping car
and said:
Did you say you wanted to get off
at Buffalo, sir ?'
Now, the evening before | had not
only said / did not want to get off at
Buffalo--what sane man wants to get
off at Buffalo but | had most dis
tinctly impressed on the porter that he
was not to come near my bunk until
the train stopped at Falls View, that
wonderful and unique spot where your
car stands almost over the great green
plunge of Niagara-the most remark
able and striking and amazing sight,
absolutely unequalled in the whole
world of travel. The man who planned
that section Of railway line builded
better than he knew. 1t is the only
place on earth that | know where a
lightning express train is stopped for
the sole purpose of allowing its pas
sengers to look at the scenery. 1t is
station without a statiOn-house or
freight shed; without station master,
or telegraph operator or signal man;
without, in fact, any of the appurten-
ances of a regular stopping place.
Now, if passenger from New York
chooses his berth in a sleeping car with
discretion and some mathematical cal
culation, remembering that the car
turns around at Suspension Bridge and
that right-hand berth there becomes
left-hand berth, he may so place him
self that when the train stops at Falls
View he can raise the blind from the
plate-glass window and without mOV-
ing from his berth, can see framed be-
fore him the most superb picture that
the world can show. 1t is a magnificent
sight, worth going thousands Of miles
to see; had gone thousands of miles
to see it, and | was disappointed at be-
ing awakened a Buffalo instead of at
| Niagara Falls. [ think the porter
gathered from my conversation that l
was displeased, for after apologizing he
hastily shrank away.
1t was daylight, and on raising the
/ blind | saw we were standing under
the huge arch that forms the roof Oi
| the Buffalo railway station. Presently
! the train moved on, with changing bell
| threading its way past wooden build
ings and piles of lumber, passing over
numerous streets on the level, with
painted poles across the roadway
keeping back waiting street cars and
early morning workmen with dinner
pals in their hands. Then through
romantic TOnaWanda with great cube;
of sawn pine lumber, like city blocks
of buildings; over canal with a blunt
nOsed canal boats budding numerous
~ together, a. if for warmth with
glimpses of tall masts, and now ant
then blue patch of the Niagara River
When | caught sight of the river
realized that after all my calculation;
my berth was on the wrong side of tn,
car, if it reversed itself at the Suspen
sion bridge-"The Bridge" as all rail
road men call it, as if there were bu
one in the wOrld--sO got up and ar
rayed myself for the day. 1t was thre
years since | had dressed in a sleeping
car, and man forgets things i'll tina
time. had forgotten that a sleeping
car enjoyed catching a person standin
on one leg with the toe Of the Othe
foot entangled somewhere in the inter
ior of his trousers. AT this critics
moment the whistle always gives a de
moniac shrek Of delight and tn
engineer shoves on the air brake.
found myself on my head about twent
feet up the car, while some lady pas
sengers, probably alarmed for m
safety, screamed and drew the bert
curtains closely around them. | Ougt
to have remembered that jccular jer
of the sleeping-car at that particuls
moment; think l will next time.
At the town of Niagara Falls, on th
United States side, the train paused fC
some minutes. The conductor cam
running along the platform, and sal
to our worried porter:
whats the matter in there ?"
"Well, sir" answered the porte
"that lady ain dressed yet"
Didn't you wake her up at BuflalOi
"I told her thirty miles before "
came to Buffalo,a and she said all right
II can't hold this train here all ds
> for a woman to dress" said the CO..
: ductor, sharply.
He held up his hand, the bell pealC
4 out, and we started down along Il
river bank.
"Porter" cried a shrill voice with
- the car. 'tcoma here ~
. "Oh, Lordy," said the porter und
Z his breath, adding "Yes, ma'am."
!. what place was that we stopped
> just nowP"
z. Niagara Falls, ma'am."
, But told you l wanted to get {
= there"
"Yes, ma'am. The conductor he
!, the train for five minutes, ma'am."
| Five minutes l can't dress in fl
: minutes. Where are you going now
Next stop is the Bridge, ma'am.
you hurry up you can get off there a
take the street car back. It's only tN
miles"
:" "HOw can | hurry up with the t
berth down? Pm hitting my he
against it all the time. Can't y
push it up, porter ?'
If There's man in the upper ber
ma'am," whispered the perplexed pr
ter, lowering his voice.
"Oh, don't mind me-" said a drOw
voice from the curtains of the up[
berth. "Shove me up to the roof if y
w like, as long as you stop this racket
want to sleep"
well be at Falls View in minu
SIR" said the porter, hoping to go
the upper passenger into activity.
That's MI right" said the slee
man; "you go out and view the Fa
for me, porter. I've seen 'em 365 tim
/, and want to sleep"
We stopped at the American edge
- "The Bridge" and then afterwards
FIVE minutes at Falls View. When
4 left the Cataract walked through
train, wondering whether the won
had got off or not. The outside do
between the cars of the vestibu
train were open at one spot and s
the Dorter sitting discOnsOlatelV on