The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24
TRAIN DIDN'T BREAK A RECORD.
4 wasted Demonstration by the Peop'e
OF a Southern Town.

| TRAIN DIDSI DHEhn :"
| A Wasted Demonstration by the People
| OF u southern Town.
| Just because the train from the West
wes two hours late, the tall, thin man with
-, the prominent cheek bones emitted few
! howls In the smoking room about the rank
service the ruilroad company was handing
| out and told how much better II was III
other parts Of the country.
! In the South, for instance remarked
the lame man
aYes in the South, If you like" said the
kicker.
| WELL said the lame man. maybe you
know what you're talking about and maybe
you don't. But anyway, saw something
| in the railroad way in the South once that
l never saw along the line of this road,
or any other road, North or South, either
| for that matter.
J Down in North Carolina there is town
called Charlotte. It's some shakes OF
town. too, and at noon every day train
was due there. 1t was the star train OF
the road. 1t had all kinds of fancy names.
| The newspapers referred to 1t as the Tier
and at other places along the line it was
variously known as the 'whiriwlnd,' the
'cannonbaH and the meteor
| THE people were proud of 1t. But strange
as It may seem, it never got into Charlotte
less than three hours late. This Is not
joke. but just plain statement of fact.
1.-THE people there got used to it. II
they were going to take this train they
| began to pack their trunks about the time
she was due, and, of course, had plenty
Of time after that to say good-by to their
| friends, dine and reach the station
THE first day / got into Charlotte went
into the hotel dining room for dinner. 1t
was few minutes before noon. A waiter
was taking my order when there was sud-
! denly great blowing Of whistles and ring
| ing of bells in the town The din increased
steadily and my waiter went out to see
what was the matter.
| 4He didn't get back at all. All the other
walters disappeared too, then the cashier
left and when went out to the hotel office
to kick, by thunder! the clerk and beboys
had all gone too! 1 found lone guest
| from New York wandering around like
myself and asked him " hat had happened.
| -I'll he hanged II know he said, but
! the whole town seems to be making for
the station. Let's go down.
We started for the station, and mean
while there was more noise than ever
Street boys were throwing their hats In
the air and whistling bet ween their fingers.
The fire bell had begun to ring. all the
church bells were going and the factory
| whist les added to the general disturbance.
when we finally got to the stat ion there
wasn't thing there but a train, he engine
| putting and snoring and the engineer and
fireman, dirty and grimy, bowling and
smiling at the throng beneath, who were
| cheering uproariously.
"Ry the time we got mixed up with the
| crowd it must have numbered 1000 per-
sons. One little old man, with whiskers
down to his waist, was in such frenzy
that / decided to save his life by interrupt
ing his paroxysms long enough TO inquire
the cause for the utburst. After five
minutes of shaking l managed to reduce
him to a state OF fair intelligence and made
some inquiries.
aier's got IN on time, Man and boy. i've
lived In this town for forty years, and never
before has the hier come In on time. The
South is progressing, sub There's train
for you, sub! Right on the minute. Suhl l
when heard the snort of that steel giant.
turned to my wife and asked her what lime
it was. Noon" she says. 1.-THE fer,
by gosh'' says l, and then dropped every
thing and come down here
Now, the arrival of this train on time,
gentleman, said the laiIe man. pa using to sip
a bottled cock, all, had reused this own as II
hadn't been reused since the war 1t wasn't
a sarcast 10 demonst ration. The people were
entirely sincere in their enthusiasm over
the feat of the railroads. met eoric train.
|. AT first | marvelled hat this should be
but | finally accepted the situation ano
got q quiet corner where could observe
4 committee of citizens was urging the
! engineer and conductor 70 say few words
to the people Of Charlotte and they were
; thinking of doing 1t when suddenly my
! little old man with the whskers. who, by
the way, had relapsed once more into VIC.
and began roaring out that he wanted tt
when he got a few listeners his fac.
assumed an expression Of sad disappoint
. ment and he said
;. my heart to say 1t, but we've all clear
forgot that the fier didn't get in at al
Yesterday, and instead OF being or
time to-day she's just twenty-four hour
late
THE news spread like wldfire, and il
q | less than five minutes the whistles hat
Q ceased to blow, the bells stopped ringing
and the crowd at the station had meltet
away. The engineer. the fireman and thu
3 conductor, deeply affected by the chang
: Of heart on the part of the people wen
n back to their places and there was no speech
making. A little freight was thrown OF
a little baggage taken on, and the last
saw Of the fler she was sslowy making
her way to the next town and losing hit!
more lime each mile.
Il never have been able to understand
how the good people OF Charlotte cam
to make that mistake, but they did max
/. il and just mention the incident 20 shov
!. that there are worse trains than these WI
. use going from Chicago to New York
. And az it's about lunch time now
: remarked the chronic kicker. ~ wisI
, all of you gentlemen would have a Bit
with me. Ii is certainly on me this time
. Porter bring some of that canned sprinl
F. chicken and some of that American cham
= payne In French bottle"
Telephone Communication between Sham
roCLs and Their COnSOrts.