The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-11-15
CThe End.)
TRAVELLING CHILDREN.
Woe. of a Conductors life.


From the Washington Star.
In the course Of recent trip from the
far northwest to the eastern states a re-
porter made It a point to inquire of each
about the practice Of shipping children
from place to place by means of passen-
ger trains. The conductors all said that
the practice was increasing.
An old conductor on a sGuth bound train
out of Chicago said that he had father
ed" more children on his train this year
than ever before.
Twice as many?" 1 asked.
Hardly that, but a great many more
than last year." he replied.
What was the ages of the children this
year,"
From to - years. I noticed that
they were all bright children, and almost
able to look out for themselves, but the
increasing number scared me, and l be-
gan to think of what would become of
us conductors If people afflicted with
economy developed a great habit Of send
ing their children to their grandmothers
i'm the country, to their aunts and sisters
or cousins for fresh air or some other
reason"
What would you do under such circum-
stance?
"Oh, don't know Go crazy. Con-
ductors have very little time to father
brood of children en- route, especially If
business is good and the coaches are full"
/ then suggested to this old conductor.
who was really careful kind-hearted
man, that the railroad companies could
easily provide for the increased juvenile
traffic by furnishing nursery cars.
THAT is what the roads will have to
do" the conductor replied, "and they will
have to furnish matrons, too, and relieve
us from being mammas and papas, too.
II suppose the nursery car would be
full of rattles and drums and toy pianos,
horns rocking horses and other toys, and
a tank Of milk and medicine chest full
Of paregoric, cough balsam and soothing
syrup?"
Certainly, and If papa Is forced to re-
main away from home for a long time and
wishes to see his children, they can be
sent to him at reduced rates under the
most favorable conditions.
Nursery cars might be a good thing,
anyhow The number Of young children
which are carried daily is enormous, taxi
ing the whole country into consideration,
and the conveniences are not worth mem
tioning. Coaches are all built and pas
senger service Is adjusted to adults, not
to children"
The conductor said that last summer ne
carried two young children who had come
from Texas, and were going up into the
northwest Two other children, about
years Of age. had got on at Memphis and
rode under the fatherly care Of conductors
to Chicago. These children were tagged,
the card bearing the name and address
Of the relative to whom they were cons
signed, and the names and addresses OF
the two bright young members of the con-
signment
Numerous instances of shipping chill
dren were mentioned, but none of them
were as remarkable as the instance of
baby girl who was one of the reporters
fellow passengers during a daylight Trip
through Wisconsin. She was put on at
station I'm the extreme western part of the
state, and the people who came TO tho
train with her gave tag to the con-
ductor II read as follows:
mamie -, aged 3. Going to Chicago.
To be delivered to NJ R. or D.
R."
on the reverse side of the slip was The
name and address in Chicago Of the child's
mother.
Baby R. was warmly clothed and sat
very stin In the car seat where the con-
ductor placed her. Her bright eyes
twinlxled, but she did not say anything
She kept so quiet that very few of her
fellow passengers knew that she was trav-
cling alone. After little the conductor
induced a woman to sit beside the little
girl, and after that one woman OF an