The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-22
LITTLE THINGS IN TRAVELLING.

LITTLE THINGS IN TRAVELLING.
An Experienced Transatlantic Trotter Tells
Of other Attractions Than Fine scenery.
I am always interested in the trihing
things of a long journey, said the
transcontinental traveller, because /
find as much entertainment in them as
in the scenery and in my fellow pas
senpers. For instance, / was travelling
from San Francisco to Portland, Ore,
recently, and we stopped for water at
some little station in lower Oregon. I
learned it was the custom of the porter
of the buffet car to throw away the
scraps at the station. To my surprise
l found group of chickens drawn up
awaiting for the train to stop. The
buffet car was at the rear of the train
and the porter appeared on the last
nlatfc-,-, st yvhan the train -
q standstill- The chickens recognized
him at once and set up clucking and
talking that showed that they were
there for some purpose.
When the porter threw them some
bits they screamed and raced and
scrambled for them in fashion that
set the porter and the few spectators
who knew what was going on into
great laughter. The porter had his
favorites and especial friends among
those chickens and gave them curious
names as he tossed out bit after bit.
The chickens stood off and looked at
him first with one eve and then with
the other, and the porter declared that
| ~, lii OF 10
care that each chicken. got a square
meal, but the fowls didn't leave until
the train had started. The porter told
me that for a wear he had been feeding
those chickens and their intimate
friends. He only passed through that
place three times a week, but every
time he came through those chickens
were on hand. The curious thing
bout it, the porter said, was that
those chickens never went to meet any
other train than his. He had asked
the other porters about it and they had
told him so. The porter declared that
he was sure those chickens knew the
DAYS of the week and were able to keep
track of them in some way.
remember another trivial incident
that interested me very much, said the
traveller. 1t was at Detroit, late in
August I was on the new steamer
Northwest, going from Buffalo to Du-
luth. A dog tried to jump aboard the
steamer when we drew up alongside the
dock and he fell into the water He
went under the steamer and did not
come up. The people on the dock and
steamer could not have taken great
er interest in the matter had man
fallen into the water. The children
began to cry and the ladies began to
shudder, and several of the men made
frantic endeavor to have the boat
moved. In fact, they did have the
boat warped away for little distance.
but the dog did not come up, and the
children's tears did not diminish. It
was soon noised about that the dog
was valua BILE animal, and the lamen.
tations were doubled.
A small boy who knew a thing or two
quickly disappeared from the crowd
and ran into building on the pier
where there was some loose planks-
He raised them and saw that there
were some steps going down into the
water. He went down these as far as
he could, and began to make a great
commotion in the water. He kicked
with his feet and he swished his hands
about for, it seemed to us, three or
four minutes. To our great surprise,
and when every body had given up the
dog for dead. we saw that something
was moving near the boy. Then there
was poked up out OF the water the
brown nose of an exhausted dog. What
a mighty breath the dog took in! The
boy reached down and brought him up,
and the dogs life was saved. In a few
minutes he was running around and
the children were laughing instead OF
CRYING, and dozens of women were
crowding around to pat the dog, wet as
he was. He was a water spaniel and
that explained why he was able to live
under water so long?
After pause the traveller went on:
wish that some of our transatlantic
lines would adopt little wrinkle that
saw recently on the Canadian Pacific
line. It was mere trifle but illus
trates the desirability of looking after
little things when persons are making
a long Journey We were in the heart
of the mountainous region and Of
course practically cut off from the
world for two or three days. 1t was az
a time when there was big news in the
| world. Soon after we stopped at a
station the porter came around with
several sheets fastened together and
passed them from passenger TO pas
senger. II was a bulletin of the day 8
news telegraphed each morning from
Montreal especially to the passengers
on the through trains In dozen
items 1t gave all the important
| news in America, Europe and China.
We heard the latest war news and
knew the situation at Washington in
| national affairs. 1t was three days be-
fore we reached any large place with
| newspapers having satisfactory news
service, and you do not know how
much we enjoyed that little attention
and forethought on the part of the
| company / found that at the chief
/ hotels. where passengers drop off for a
| day or two TO enjoy the scenery, the
same system was carried ont OF
! course, when one is travelling he wants
| to get away from newspapers TO some
extent. but he is always glad to know
VIVA: is going on. and by this system
he could get everything OF Importance
! in three minutes Iwish the American
| lines used the same care of looking
after their patrons. II wouldn't cost