The Washington times., 1895-06-03
Transportation Companies Used to
IN L. C-hiIa rlara Rut IN Ii No More
Trustees.
No. 1410G st. NV

Transportation Companies Used to
Take Children. But DO 1t No More.
Tie big express companies viii take prac-
tically any freight that offers except ex-
plosives, such sgunpowderand nitroglycer-
in. and human beings, says the New York
Herald. Theycarry many dead bodies;there
is scarcely q through run from the west or
south 10 this city that doesn't bring one or
more daily; and formerly the express COM
panies carried living people, but that was
done away with ten yearsago. Thecustom
nowadays in sending persons, usually chill
dUen. from one point 10 another is to buy a
ticket for them and put them in the care
Of the train conductor OF Of the conductor
OF porter OF the Pullman car. Children so
shipped for long distances are sometimes
tagged. When persons were carried by the
express companies they were often tagged
with the name and address, aud they were
always billed like any freight. Conductors
sometimes took them into passenger cars,
but frequently they were carried with the
other freight inthe expresscar. Thecharges
for this class OF freight were double passen-
ger rates, but this included food and care;
whenever q train stopped at a meal station
the express messenger al " avs took ms living
freight To the restaurant with him.
In reality the number Of persons carried
in that manner was Drver very great. but
there Were enough Of them so that every
messenger Of those days can recall runs
that were made Interesting by the presence
Of children carried as freight: perhaps a
small boy sitting still and disconsolate, or
maybe a cheerful youngster followedthe
messenger in his work, his putting off and
taking on freight, checking up way bills,
and so on with lively interest; or il
might have been q pretty little girl in
whom the whole train crew became inter-
ested. so that in the course Of the run all
hands came to the express car TO look at
her.
Finally the railroad compa aniesOb1ected to
the carrying OF that class OF freight in ex
press cars; they thought that they should
have the profits arising from the transporta
ton OF persons, and so came about the gen.
eral obeyance of the custom of buying
ticket and sending the person in charge of
the conductor. Application is Stln made,
however. 10 express companies for the
transportation of children by express.
But while the large express companies
no longer carry living human beings, they
VIII carry anything else alive. They carry
many dogs, and the number of dogs car
RED is constantly increasing. The rules of
express companies require that dogs shall
be boxed and made fast in the box with a
Chain. il often happens that dogs break their
way out of boxes. and then the chain is Of
some use in holding them. Dogs are fed
Bin transit If necessary. ThecxpresS charges
on dogs are double merchandise rates: dogs
shipped to dog shows ut these rates are re-
turned to the point of shipment free.
Birds and snakes and wild animals are
not all everyday articles Of express freight,
hut they are by no means unusual. An eX
press company took here one day last week
8 canary bird for San Francisco; the mes
seagers will feed ii and care for ii en- route.
The same company took last week a tiger
for Chicago. Express companies, however,
do not undertake TO feed such animals as
tigers on The way, and they do Insist that
they shall be securely boxed; and the same
may be said OF snakes