Evening journal., 1899-11-24
A GATEMAN'S TRIALS
MANY REQUESTS TO REFUSE AMI
QUESTIONS TO ANSWER.

Trains at Railway stations IL
Great Cities--Means OF Evadini
Regulations.
~rd ike to 90 out to the train will
this lady
Can't 80 unless you have a ticket
"But I'm only going 20 the
Please step aside and let the peopl
pass
The woman made way for the crowt
behind her, and mixed mean thing
and hateful bear" so literally with
her goodbys to her companion that the
short, jerky sentences were highly
amusing to those who witnessed the
scene Admission to the train shed
had been refused 70 her by the door
man at the Grand Central Station.
The crowd about the door gradually
melted away, the doorkeeper shouted
the warming Five o'clock limit train
--all aboard!' A gong struck sharply
somewhere near the platform outside |
The doorman shouted again, less de-
liberately "Allaboardl" banged thel
door. turned the key and the last
chance for the 5 o'clock train for thatl
day was gone Gone for the ordinary
traveller for the man or woman who
does not know that there is stir al
chance for the feet footed train CATCH
en- The late man comes through thel
door sprlnting like a professional on al
cinder path, but less comfortable, With
grip and cane and umbrella. Onel
glance at the door shows him that thel
last signal has been sounded, andl
without a word he rushes past thel
people who are already forming In linel
for the next train, past the groups oil
idlors, sightseers. porters and passen
gers. to the north door Of the station.
into the baggage room to a Stat gatoI
which Is for the use of station employees
only. He knows how the catch works,
the gate opens, he reaches the platform
and swings himself at the risk OF life
and limb on to the rear platform OF the
last car-but he gets there. That's
the way ] always catch a train he Isl
apt TO say when some one who saw
his performance wonders at his meth
cd.
Life would be less burdensome to the
man at the gate If more people would
disobey the rules and catch the moy-
ing trains He would have fewer
questions TO answer TO the people who
come just q minute too late. The leit
behind men are as a rule, less philoso-
Dhical than the women. Its too bad,"
the women say, and they put their bags
and bundles down on a seat and sit
down next to them and then they think
what the men usually say After a
few minutes they sneak up and ask
when the next train leaves, and then
either settle down and wait or check
their belongings and leave the station
Some worry a bit. and some put on a
don't care face, open a box OF candy
which was intended for company on
the trip, and take It out in that.
Men fuss and fume and fret, and of.
ten tell us our clocks are fast and thai
the timetables are wrong and make
themselves a nuisance generally" saiI
the gateman. There is hardly a da,
that some one does not come TO thl
door just a few minutes late. and whel
the first steam has been blown of, h
will tell us how he has taken trains q
all hours Of the day and night. IN al
parts Of the country, and never missel
train before That story is so OLE
that we know Il by heart. Then W.
have men who want company Will
they wait for their trains, and knowing
that the man at the door has nothing
to do but change the indicator so tina
people may know at what stations thl
next train will stop; stand at the doc
and examine every ticket and see tina
no passenger goes out whose ticket 4
not good on that train; punch all tn
tickets; keep a record of how man.
passengers go through the door ant
where they are going; keep peOpl
back who have no tickets and answe
all sorts of questions from those per
tanning to the weather to timetabl
conundrums-knowing that the mai
at the door has only these little thing
to attend to. they make him their con
fidant and tell him where they are 80
ing, why they are going and whei
they expect 10 return, and the poo
gateman must listen and look pleas
ant.
"One Of the most disagreeable per
sons who come here is the man VIII
has an hour or more to wait for hi
train, and employs the time In visitin
places in the neighbOrhood to sc
what time It is and to keep himsel
awake He often does too much visit
ing and comes back in an unstead
condition and too late for his trail
p Sometimes he loses his ticket, an
NNOlN NAltM MN AAAnhn lnIA nt mas Ala
Il, and the man al the gate usual
finds it for him in an inside poke
and then gets jumped on by the pa.
= senger for being so particular and nj
e letting the man out without shown
his ticket
An amusing incident took place
the station a few weeks ago. A port
man with clothes Of foreign cut, ou
= landish baggage and a decided Ge
man brogue. bought a ticket for
r Western point and then bought
Z sleeping berth and waited for his trai
e to be announced. AS soon as il wa
Y called he got into line. occupied muC
{ space with all his bags and bundle
. and made people in front and benin
/. him uncomfortable. He had no sool
S er reached the platform than he drol
e ped his baggage and freight and pusl
= ed his way back into the waiting roor
t ran up TO the police officer and sa
e breathlessly:
Q SAY lost my birthmark."
n Your birthmark? Where was it?'
T. Here In my pocket in
a 'ln your pocket? That's a MI
a place to have one. said the Office
It wishing to humor a crazy man "Ho
II did IL lO0k2'