Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-08
HINTS FOR TOURISTS
Suggestions From a Western
Railroad Man.
THE QUEST OF BAGGAGE
Styles in All Baggage Checks Have
Changed.
DON'T BE A MICAWBER FREAK
But Do Some Hustling on Your Own
Hook-It Pays to Be
Careful.

while the Transportation facilities of the
present day are practically perfect as COM
pared with those which prevailed and
which the travelling public were obliged to
accept generation ago." said a veteran
railroad man to a Star reporter, "a few
common sense suggestions, based upon
many years of experience, will be found of
value to the travelling public.
MY remarks are called up by an Incl
dent which came under my observation at
Southampton, England, this summer while
on a trip abroad, though my comment has
to do with local travel in this country, l
was one of the last to leave the steamer as
did not go up to London on the special
steamer train, and in company with one of
the ships officers, I found the big inclosed
pier nearly deserted, with the exception of
two ladies, who were seated upon a trunk
crying disconsolately. Inquiry developed
the fact that they were bound for South
Africa, and that only one of their several
trunks had come over from the United
States with them in the steamer. AS they
were obliged to sail within a couple of
days on the Cape Town steamer, there was
nothing left for them to- do but to pro-
coed to their destination without their bag
gage.
Good Things to Remember.
1.-The following rules should be followed
short journeys are undertaken: 1. Do not
take it for granted that the ticket handed
out to you by the agent Is necessarily cor
rect. If 1t is the familiar. small piece of
cardboard for a short ride or single trip,
glance at it to. see If the destination is cor
rectly given. If 1t Is the long slip Of print
ed paper for a journey over connecting
lines, look carefully at the appended cou-
pons to the end that the connections ap-
pear regular up to destination, and the ex-
piratiOn dates are correctly punched. Errors
are infrequentiy made, it is true but If It
is your case which is to fit the exception
you will be a mad man or fearful wo-
man when you discover this fact en- route
'2. Do not leave the placing of your or
der for the removal Of your baggage to the
station until the last moment upon the mis-
taken theory that the express company can
get your baggage down to the station with
the same rapidity that you yourself can
reach it; other people are going on the
same train with you, and the express COM
pany does not allot one wagon and driver
to each order.
'3. The new style pasteboard check has
largely taken the place of the erstwhile
brass square, and altogether where baggage
The numbers Of these checks are of large
denominations usually, as, for instance,
71O546. Do not fail to make careful entry
Of this number In your note book; II you
do it can quickly be traced by telegraph to
the last railroad or express employe who
checked it off his list, for the new system
now in use is patterned somewhat after
the registry mail package method, and
few minutes spent at the telegraph key
will locate your missing piece Of baggage or
tell you where 1t ought to be- Without
this number at hand for unexpected use you
are at sea and you may be placed in very
awkward position, to say nothing of posst-
BILE loss.