The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-09
LAZY IRISH RAILWAYS.
Delightfully."- Regardless of Tin
 Tables.

I Tables.
 Dublin Correspondent in PalI Mall Ga zette.
 | The amusing incident of the angler who caught a fifteen pound salmon
 while waiting for the repairing of ar | engine on the Lough Swilly Railway l by no means exhausts our Irish rail
 way stories. Some years ago, while
 touring in the West with the author of
 'The Englishman in Paris" the late Albert Vandam, we were told a few tales which will bear repetition. There is line which runs between Athenry and Ennis, which at that period was at war with the Midland Great Western, with the result that all of the trains of the big line were timed just to miss connections with the smaller one. The result was. that as soon as the train for Ennis steamed out of the town or | Athenry. the other from Dublin would steam in. As a result, passengers for the capital of County Clare had to wait for hours for the next train in the little Western Galway town I was one of the victims, and found several passen- gers for Clarge in a similar predica- ment.
 This was my introduction (said my informant) to a remarkable line, and my personal experiences were no less amusing. We left Athenry and stopped at a wayside station so long, that l got out to see what was the matter. The guard sat on a wall, very coolly smoking small clay pipe. and seeming in no hurry whatever. What on earth are we waiting for here. guard?'' ask ed with much curiosity. The guard took his pipe out of his mouth and pointed away to the summit of small mountain in the distance. observing: Il. l. one of our passengers coming" Look ing in the directions indicated. I saw woman and a girl coming down the mountain side, with a basket of newly washed clothes. from laundry. They looked mere specks in the distance, and seemed to me over a couple of miles away. The train waited nearly an hour, and the woman. who seemed in no hur- ry whatever. got into the train with their burden. Quietly knocking the ashes from his pipe. the guard took metal mace in his hand, and going down to the engine, he gave 1t to the driver. Let us be off" now driver" said he, and don't be delaying the passengers" I then resumed my seat, and the train steamed on few miles further.
 At the next Junction there was fur ther long wait and again l appealed to the guard as to the cause or the delay on. SIT, ne FepIiCu. 'hSic iS only a single line from this on and we must wait here to let the train from Ennis pass us.' Being now in state of resignation mildly ventured to ask when the train would come through and let Us pass to our destination. "Oh, sir" replied the guard as he lighted his pipe once more, and again sat on a wall. "she ought to be in here about three quarters of an hour If she Is mt late this morning"
 Fully forty-five minutes more passed \ when we heard some tremendous whis- 1 ting in the distance. There she comes at last" observed the guard to me as he calmly knocked the ashes out of his pipe. Now. driver. get us out of the way" All the passengers remained on the platform and our train was very slowly and deliberately backed into a siding, when the Ennis train, still whistling. slowly steamed into the junction. There was consid- erably more delay and after friendly chat, in which tho guards and engine drivers of both train took part, the new conner steamed away. We then took our seats and finally reached En- his without any further incidents worth recording
 You do not seem to be in a hurry in this part of the country" I observ- ed to farmer fellow passenger, as we got our baggage out of the luggage van. "oh, no," he replied: ''l once TNAAa A wager with one of the directors