Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-10
TRAVELLING CHILDREN.
The Woes of n Railway Conductors
Life.

washington Starr
In the course Of recent trip from the
far Northwest to the Eastern States a
reporter made ii a point to inquire or
each conductor about the practice of ship
ping children from place TO place by
means OF passenger trains. The conduc-
tors all said that the practice was in
creasing.
An old conductor on a south-bound
train out Of Chicago said that he had
"fathered" more children on his train this
year than ever before.
Twice as many?" / asked
Hardly that but great many more
than last year" he replied.
What were the ages Of the children
this year,"
From 10 Y years. noticed that they
were all bright children, and almost able
TO look out for themselves. but the in
creasing number scared me. and I began
TO think Of what would become Of US
conductors II people afflicted with econo-
my developed "A great habit OF sending
their children to their grandmothers in
the country, 10 their aunts or sisters or
cousins for fresh air or some other rea-
SON."
What would you do under such cir
cumstances?'
"Oh, l don't know. Go crazy. Conduc-
tors have very little time 10 father a
brood of children en- route. especially it
business Is good and the coaches are
full"
then suggested to this old conductor.
who was really a careful klnd-hearted
man, that the railroad companies could
easily provide for the increased juvenile
fro flo hv furnfghfnce uttrCarv-cnr
THAT IS what the roads will have to
do" the conductor replied. "and they
will have TO furnish matrons. too, and re-
lieve us from being mammas and papas,
| too"
II suppose the nursery-car would be
full Of rattles and drums and toy pianos
horns, rocklng-horses. and other toys
and tank Of milk. and a medicine-cnest
full of paregoric, cough balsam, and
soothing syrup"
Certainly, and II papa Is forced to re-
main away from home for a long time
and wishes to see his children, they car
be sent TO him a 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
taking the whole country into considera-
ton, and the conveniences are not worth
mentioning. Coaches are all built and
passenger service is adjusted to adults
not to children"
A CONDUCTORS EXPERIENCE.
The conductor said that last summer he
/ 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 or conduct
ors 10 Chicago. These children were tag
ged. the card bearing the name and adj
dress OF the relative to whom they were
consigned. and the names and addresses
OF the two bright young members OF the
| consignment.
Numerous instances Of shipping children
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 a station in
the extreme western part OF the State,
and the people who came 10 the train with
her gave a tag to the conductor. 1t 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 i'm Chicago OF the
child's mother.
Baby R. was warmly clothed, and sat
very still In the car seat where the con-
| ductor placed her. Her bright eyes twin
killed.. but she did not say anything She
| kept so quiet that very few OF her fellow
passengers knew that she was travelling
| alone After a little the conductor In
duced a woman to sit beside the little girl,
and after that one woman or another sat
beside her during the entire journey OF
| nearly three hundred miles.