Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-15
The Bridgton News is right up with
the best of 'em in the matter Of 2 Ho'i-
day issue.

| -
day issue
Lewiston Journal: The attorney
general of Massachusetts has given an
opinion that the trading stamps OF
trade coupon scheme Is contrary to
law. Merchants who buy and give oui
these stamps in connection with their
sales, and the agents of the company
or companies which sell the stamps,
are thus liable to nrosecution-under
the anti-lottery laws. 1t is SAID. Iha
Springfield Republican says tnat
doubtless the courts will sustain the
position taken by the prosecuting
officers of the State. AS our readers
know. one such case has just beef
passed upon by the court of appeals or
the District of Columbia, and against
the trading stamp company ana any
merchant who buys and distributes rs
stamps. This decision was reached
under an ordinance or act or Congress
applied to the district. prohibiting gift
enterprises. Steps are being taken in
Connecticut to test the legality OF the
practice, and we have lately seen the
law quoted against it in oneor tWoother
states. 1t has already kicked up quite
a rumpus in several Maine cities.
Oxford County Advertiser: One OF
our young men, who made prolonged
call en- his lady-love the other night.
was a little shocked on parting to hear
voice in the darkness from the upper
part of the house saying,-"Leave dn
extra quart, this morning, please.'
Mr.. j. J. Gerrish Of Portland, who
worked on the construction of the At
lantic & st. Lawrence in 1916 and was
one Of the old time conductors. re-
lates some entertaining anecdotes in
the Portland Times. Il well remem-
ber the impression the first telegraph
message / ever received made on me.
What would train conductor OF today
think of starting off with his train TO
be gone a day, a week and sometimes
more, to plunge into the woods in the
midst of winter and to he buried in
snow for several days at time with
out any means faster than railroad
train to communicate with the head
quarters in case of break down or an
accident? The trains were not
run in haphazard manner, however
as what have said might lead you to
believe. There was one fundamental
order for running train over the road
and this order must never be broken.
no matter what the emergency. You
were instructed that your train was TO
cross another train at such and such a
point. When your train got there you
pulled out on a siding and waited for
the other train to come along. How
long must you wait? Wait until the
iron wheels rusted off under you II
necessary. wait though the snow drifts
piled up about YOU and buried you,
train from sight. Wait on that siding
though your wood and water were eX
hausted and your engine poweress to
move a train"
The telegraph changed all of this
and as / was saying | can we'll remem
Der the first order | ever received 30
break this rule. My train was on a
siding near some station up the road in
which a telegraph instrument had just
been located. | must wait on that sid
ing for the passage Of Il down train. Ii
might be hours, it might be days bul
wait there | must. Suddenly the
brakeman comes running hack TO me
with a little slip of paper in his hand.
1t was a telegraph message. 1t read,
Proceed to such ana such point and
there cross train number SO and SO.
Should / move? That message had the
proper signature. 1t was. | know,
telegraphic order from the proper
authority But how did | know
whether it was correct or not? If Ii
were not correct what might happen
So many women and children, so many
men and so many dollars worth of
property might nali be ground to
powder in an instant of time. How
could | know whether or not the in
formation held in the headquarters
from which that message came was
right or not? \ few miles of wire. a
clicking instrument, a few, To me.
meaningless characters? Well, can you
not understand what that first tele-
graphic message meant to me? |
obeyed it of course in fear and
trembling and found that it was all
light but it was long time before |
learned to rely absolutely upon that
talking wire"