Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1913-09-04
NOT LIKE OUR WAY.
English System Of Handling Bag.
gage Worries an American.
Views Of Woman Writer Who objects
to 6riton's Mild Answer to crItl-
cIsm, the Said Answer Usual
ly Being "oh, Reallyr

Except for people with pennies In
hand the sanitary convenlences and
decencies Of this great terminal land
OF most railroad stations in England)
are an outrage upon all refinement,
according to Margaret Deland in the
Ladies' Home Journal "And as for
their baggage system" the American
says bitterly-but words fail him to
say what he thinks of that. why do
they put up with this sort of thing?"
he says to his party that first day
while they wait interminably for their
trunks in Euston station. After a
while his gathering steam Of irritation
bursts out In an ejaculation to the por-
ter who stands beside him with a
handbarrow all ready for the trunks
that are somewhere In a pile of lug
gage that is spreading itself out on
the platform, awaiting Identification
by more or less patient owners.
I'm our country" he says, I'VE
check our baggage-luggage ! mean.
All we have to do is to show our
checks, the baggagemen do the rest.
We never stand around the way you
people do, looking for It."
To which the porter replies: Really,
sir?'
Nor does his calm person, who
makes his living by the incon-
venience, show any discomposure at
the growing discomposure of the wom-
en- In the cue:
Papa. when are you going to get
the trunks?"
Uncle, how slow they are!"
my dear, you can identify our
trunks easily; they all have large
D."
The American, between closed
teeth: big, big d."
The porter doesn't notice the explo-
sion. He knows that the trunks will
be found shortly. Why should he
fuss because the Americans fuss? And
why do they fuss because the trunks
are found in twenty minutes instead
of ten? In the long run what differ
ence do twenty, or even thirty min
utes make? Perhaps the porter pom
ders over this in his waiting silence.
Probably he comes to no other conclu-
sion than that it is the American
"way'-like boasting or chewing gum,
or letting the women order the men
about.
We've been here an hour!" the
youngest girl says despairingly, and
the porter looks at her and then at
the clock-twenty-three minutes! But
what can you expect from an Amer
lean?
I'm afraid Wen lose our rooms at
the hotel" the tired stout woman
says. "You know you wrote them
we would arrive at g."
The porter almost smiles. How
foolish they are, these American wom-
en-! But though he may be thus sum
ming us up he is alert enough when
the prodded, badgered head of the
family. who has at last climbed into
the luggage van. and, by dint of strik-
ing matches (for the little car is per-
fectly dark and leaping over other
peoples trunks, succeeds In locating
his own.
These your boxes, sir?" the porter
says smartly. The next minute he is
trundling off an enormous load Of
baggage-trunks, grips, hat boxes
hold-alls.
The irate American strides after
him, and behind him comes the jost.
ling party of his womankind. Why
did they all fuss so? The baggage
was procured. The hotel had not Civ.
en- their rooms to anybody else. Prob.
ably this is what the porter thinks
and does not say. The travellers, how
ever, in their impotence, do not do
much thinking, but they say a good
deal, and all to the same effect: "How
stupid not to have our baggage sys.
tent"
For the first few days they say il
to English friends, but they find them
selves gradually silenced by the silent
English smile, or If the friends make
any comment 1t is only out of patient
kindness, and it is just as silencing:
Papa says our system would save all
the trouble you people have with your
baggage. He says your system isn't
in It with ours"
"Oh, really?' says the listener po-
litely.