The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-24
HIS WILD RACE FOR HOME.
Exciting and Expensive Home Trip
Chicago Tribune.l

Chicago Tribune)
one of the most expensive trips home
from Europe on record was recently
made by Chicago man. He had to pc
IN New York by a certain date to at
tend an important meeting of stock
holders which meant many thousands
OF dollars to him. When he blew into
the London steamship office he was
confronted With the information that
unless he wanted to hand over $500 for
a superfine cabin on the only available
ship he would have to stay in Victoria 5
| domains unless he had a mortgage on
an airship. He paid the $500 like man
and engaged his stateroom. Early on
the day the ship sailed from Southamp-
ton he inquired of the clerk at the Lon
don hotel What time the train left for
that town,
Ten o'clock, SIR said the Britisher
Leisurely the Chicago man ate break
fast and strolled over to the Waterloo
station. How beautiful was the Eng
fish morning! How clear the air
Your trine?" echoed the official he
bumped up against, wy, the trine
left twenty-five minutes ago. It's
changed time"
The locks on the head of the Chiea-
Soan We're Visibly agitated. He dashed
madly to the office, raved a little, was
passed along to another parsonage in
uniform, raved some more and then a
third man took charge of the apparent
maniac, who was shouting for special
trains and delivering himself of the
opinions of a regiment of men in re-
gard to English railway systems.
A fourth man, a director, next took
him in charge. He regarded the eX-
hausted and gasping American with a
stare which had been in cold storage.
We'll, he said there is special train
AN engine and one car-on the tracks.
Fifteen minutes later and you couldn' t
have had it. There is clear track to
Southampton and you can go if you
want to-but it will cost $3.50. The Chi
cago man swallowed hard but argued
that it was a wise thing to save $500 by
paying $3.50, and grabbed at the per-
mission. 1t was a two hours ride, and
usually costs under 81 to make the trip.
Therefore the Chicagoan took grim
pleasure in his $3.50 ride. But they sour
ried into Southampton at a tremendous
rate, and the lone passenger got down
to the dock in time to see the tender
which takes passengers out to the big
liners, cheerfully putting away mile
out. All was lost again.
He dashed into a group of boatmen.
1 want the fastest tug here" he ex-
planned, " and I'll pay anything for it.
Got to catch the steamer" The men
surveyed him with no curiosity. One Of
them spoke.
Sorry" he said, i've got the fastest
boat, but just had telegram from the
president of the line, who will be here
in half an hour. and he has chartered
it." They let the Chicagoan go into a
fit of apoplexy and come out again be-
fore a man on the outskirts awoke
from his trance and said he'd try to
get the steamer in his boat if the gen.
tleman liked, but it would cost $25.
In hysterical relief the $25 was hand
ed over, the passenger embarked, and
then began race for the ocean liner.
Two miles away from it they saw the
ships tender turn back. After all, there
was no hope, and unless he wanted to
continue the trip across the Atlantic
in tug with no provisions he would
have to stay in England. But, strange
to say, the ships official had seen the
little tug scrambling so madly to catch
them, a signal was given, and they
waited until the tug shot up beside
them, and the Chicagoan. more dead
than alive, was dragged aboard. But
he was in time for the stockholders
meeting in New York, so he was salts
fied-at cost of $475