The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-25
HE'S A COMMON CARRIER NOW.
A suburbnnite's Invention That Solves n Prob
lem or life In the Country.

lem Oh hu VI uht
"If n perfect stranger should hand me q
bundle in the street and tell me to deliver 1t at
900 Railroad avenue. do you know what 1
would do T. asked Mr.. Suburbanite. with his
conundrum face as no dropped in at his club on
his way to catch the 6:03.
Hit the perfect stranger in the nose,' sug.
Rested Madison Avenue.
THAT wouldn't do at al" said Mr.. Suour-
banitc. sadly. Tho perfect stranger would be
strictly on his rights in rendering to me q
bundle to deliver, provided, Of course. he ten
dered also the regular local express rate. Under
the law 1t would be my duty to accept it."
why ~ asked Madison Avenue.
"Simply because at this season Of the year I
am q common carrier, on the same footing with
the railroads and the express companies, and
all that. II you know anything about the laws
governing common carriers you know that they
cannot discriminate unjustly. It's their busi-
ness to carry freight IL the freight is paid. For
the past two weeks / have been carrying pack
ages back and forth from Wavecrest. Some of
them have been mine. many of them have been
Mrs. Suburbanite's. and others have belonged
to other people. 1 tell you this in conf
dence because I recognize my danger. Just
think of the possibilities in this thing.
The express companies have more business
than they can handle. Every one in Wavecrest
is anxious to send packages to New York., II
they knew that as q common carrier / wouldn't
loaded up With them until 1 staggered. There is
inst one consolation 81; I'm glad don't live in
interstate commerce commission sitting on me.
and then where would i be- 4
But you would move into the country" sug-
Eyes, sir, and l wouldn't move back again"
said Suburbanite fercely. "Ill admit that the
year. and the greatest OF these is bundles. /
dream of bundles all night long. Sometimes
they are filled with glassware, and Just as
bundles fall under the wheels. Then awake
with a wild yell: Again. haye placed a
wake up to find it only a dream. During the
forty-one bundles of various sizes from Wave
crest. make 1t a point to faunt them before
manager, seeing how / am interfering with his
That is the only way that 1 can legally stop
| carrying packages, now that I have become q
common carrier. Unfortunately the manager
has all he can attend to, and he simply gives me
There are some compensetions in every
hardship II you only know where to look for
banite's Delight. or Country Life Made Easy 1
NOTICED til, that = mSst c Of my n .hs h were bur mc
invention. Some of these men carry their pack
ages in their arms. and that is dangerous. The
walking: One man attaches them to a long
string. like 50 many Alpine climbers, and
Mount Vernon. Hell puzzled me for a long time.
Every Wednesday and Saturday he would
hoard our train into New York with a big dress.
suit box in his hands. At first l thought that
Mount Vernon probably had social engagements
on the evenings of those days, and that he found
1t more convenient to dress in town than to
make the trip home and back again; When !
every Wednesday and Saturday evening on my
train and that he carried his dress-suit case n,
If II we're loaded down; 1 changed my theory. a
Vernon did his own marketing and that h,
bought all his meat In town. That explained hi,
carrying the case. Mount Vernon has beer
bringing it into town every morning this pas
week. Not a bad scheme; but It's old. and II
the, end 1t doesn't deceive any one. Besides
such q case will not hold enough. Two mel
down the Line carry their bundles in Gladstone
bags and from a long career at it their RICH
arms are several inches longer than their left
That is an advantage in tennis, but it's adraw
occurred TO me not long ago that a modification
of the old-time pack basket would solve tn,
problem beautifully. and a test of it demon
ented the idea., and there is million
in it. The baskets are TO be hand
somely woven and ~ornamented in goot
table, and on the other a small slate, protecte,
by Il cover. on which may be written the list o
articles to be purchased. The straps to go owe
on them In silver II he SO orders. Tho basket
will range in size from youths up to an athlete
weight. An ordinary man can carry about fift
= ders in this fashion. When he boards his trail
|; he may walk into the baggage car, slip Off hi
basket and leave 1t in perfect safety until h
p reaches his station. You see, this basket ide
!. leaves a mans arms free to fight Off dogs O
hold an umbrella as the occasion demands. It
going to rev9lutionize suburban traffic, Hello
! hustle for the 6:O3." And out he rushed, looi
ing like an express wagon.