The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-02
UNIQUE.
A BaggageCar
Ride.
FLYER.
A Glimpse at the Car and
the Men Who Are In 1t,

Many stories have been written about
rides in locomotives, and there is a GER
tain thrill about them, an excitement,
novelty and pleasure that fascinates the
reader and makes him wish he could
enjoy similar experience. Lots of
amusing incidents have been picked up
in the smoker, where the men have a
little world all to themselves and listen
to the stories of drummers, play cards
or read, while they blow great blue
rings of tobacco smoke into the already
over-charged air The parlor cary the
dining car and the plain ordinary pas
senger coach have each received their
share Of attention and it seems strange
that any portion of the passenger train
has been overlooked by the wielder of
the pen, all the more so because it's
good Held, and a new one But looking
closer 1t is easily explained. The casual
glance shows nothing. the exterior view
Is plain and the interior undressing;
put II one really wants to enjoy a trip
he should ride in the baggage car.
Its not an easy place to enter. Unless
the visitor has some real excuse for
being there, he Is looked upon with dis
FAVOR, the atmosphere will be cold and
chilly, and the hidden mysteries will
not be revealed. To see natures mys-
teries one must enter into close com
munion with her and so to penetrate
into the UNEMPLOYED depths of the bag
gage car one must be in harmony with
the place. In a word the baggage car
passenger must be, for the time at
least, railroad man in every sense of
the word. When this task, not an easy
one, has been accomplished the curtain
hits and the little play that is enacted
IS certainly unique, very replete with
dry human instruction, incident and
warm friendship.
My entrance in the territory was a
chance one, and the excuse for being
there came about from the fact that I
had two valuable bird dogs in my pos
session which 1 did not care to trust
out OF my sight. The passenger coach
was crowded and there was no room for
the dogs there, so the baggage car was
sought. The reception was not a warm
one The train was within a few min
utes Of starting as / made my way in
the dogs Juggling at their chains ner-
vously.
Got a release?" growled the baggage
master, tall man with a bronzed face
and an iron gray moustache.
A what?" I queried, never having
heard of such thing before, and at the
same time insisting that l had taken
dogs in the passenger coaches scores Of
times without opposition, but it was Of
no avail.
"A release! A releaseY, roared the
baggage master fiercely. Hang it all.
DON'T you know what a release is?
Hayn't you ever carried live stock on
train before. Get a move on you, hus-
tie over to the baggage room and ask
Tor release for. two dogs. This yer
train starts in two minutes, and it
dont wait for no one, I can tell you
that"
The release" was secured, and as I
hurried across the station, reaching the
train just as it started I was tremend
ously conscious that had signed some
thlng that was very far-reachinR. /
knew that l could not get a cent Of
damages If a big trunk fell on my dogs
ana Killed or manned them, whether
through carelessness of the baggage
master or otherwise, or any recompense
If the dogs should break loose -and
plunge headlong off when it was going
at full speed. began to suspect why
the baggage man was so anxious that
l should get the paper for him. 1 was
also aware of the fact that was liza
Die for damages to any extent. / knew
that If the dogs, in their excitement,
bit any one, should have to support
that person for life; or if they chewed
any portion Of the car / should prob
ably have to rebuild it. And besides, /
had vague misgiving that something
was going to happen. 1t was a tre-
mendous responsibility, and / felt al
most ready to walk 60 miles to my des-
tination rather than assume it.
Hitch 'em thar" growled the bag
gage master, as I entered, and he took
"a Lao -
indicating at the same time a lamp
bracket on the side of the car, which
held q very dirty oil lamp.
L obeyed silently and sank dejectedly
down upon great roll of scenery tied
up in long canvas bag. AS I looked
about I noticed at the front end of the
car the express messenger, a bright
faced young man, who was very busy
with big book, long manila envelopes
adorned with imposing looking wax
seals and rubber stamp. But he dis
tanned to look at me- / glanced at the
baggage master, who was checking off
the baggage and arranging it in piles,
talking to himself, and asking what this
and that contained as he poked things
over. Not once did he look my way, but
every now and then he cast a fierce
glance at the nervous dogs, or tossed a
valise dangerously close to them
went into the smoker and bought
q paper, but it did not interest me.
Then l began to ask questions, slowly
at first. After a while the baggage
MASTER the express messenger and
myself were chatting away like mag
pies. I learned how both started in
and had worked up, step by step, and
that each had an ideal they were striv-
ing for faithfully and honestly. Then
the express messenger came over and
fed peanuts to my dogs. That was
too much, and l hurried to the smoker
and bought three flve-cent cigars, for
which I paid ten cents straight. Then
we fast became good friends, and l
heard all about railroading experiences
and bloodthirsty attacks on express
messengers. About Bill Jones, the
4 brakeman, who was killed in a wreck,
and whom the boys all loved because
4 he had a big heart, and knew all about
railroad wrecks and hairbreadth es-
/ capes, and lastly, about "old man"
! Golddust, president of the road, who
was good to the boys
| Then the train slowed up and the ex-
press messenger began to hustle about,
and the baggagemaster opened wide
! the DOORS On one side saw great
trunks tossed about like foot balls, va
Uses handled recklessly, and heavy
trappings cussed at. ! noticed that
the express messenger studious-
side up" upside down, and toss pack
ages labelled "Glass. handle with
care" recklessly across the car. But
nothing was injured, and | began to
realize that such inscriptions on pack
ares amount TO about as much as the
words the newspaper man puts on the
i,envelope IN which he sends copy to his
paper, News, rush."
A moment later the train had stopped
and / had reached my destination al
most before / was aware of it. | rose o