The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-12-29
Especial to The Times)

West Haven, Dec. 29.-There was a | time something like 30 years ago | when Col. William H. Stevenson was | vice president and general manager of the great Housatonic railroad sys- tenn. that a good railroad story was always acceptable. no matter how | something appertaining to a railroad Therefore if that irrepressible railroad manager were alive today he would jump at the opportunity to relate the railroad service which occurred yes
 tcrday.
 This is the interview MT. Sterling
 gave to a Times inquisitor:
 Mrs. Sterling and myself procured tickets and Pullman reservations in | the Broad street station of the Penn sylvania railroad in Philadelphia, good on the Colonial express by the | Hell Gate route from Philadelphia to | New Haven, Conn. We were told by | the gatenan in the Broad street depot | delphia and there wait Is minutes l for the Colonial express, which starts 1 from Washington and makes a stop
 at West Philadelphia. We did as di- | delphia station for the announcer to | call out the train. When the time | was up I asked a colored porter, How
 soon does the Colonial get here?' Said
 "'Gone?' we both yelled Why no | one called out the train! No mann, | said the colored porter. 'we's not call
 ed out trains in oveha year! Yer see;
 we had to cut down expenses because | the government said so.'
 ''Thereupon my wife, who used to
 be one of the best writers on the
 Bridgeport Times and equal to all
 sorts of emergencies and quick action.
 told that porter that it was shame
 sylvania should let its patrons get | left when they had bought through | tickets by the Hell Gate route and
 Pullman reservations, too. All lost | and good for nothing and that train | racing away all because the great
 Pennsylvania was trying to economize
 at the expense of its patrons, etc, etc.
 The colored porter listened respect
 fully and scratched his head though | fully. I looked on helplessly and
 thought how like hell that Hell Gate
 train was scooting along and we been gone ten minutes. At last that porter said, Come with me, Missus l I'll get the station agent to hold up York, an you can catch it there. You see, mann. them Pullman reservations will compe11 the station master to take notice Off they went and sat
 few minutes they returned to the waiting room with the information that following in 20 minutes was fast Washington express that made e
 
 the Pennsylvania station in New York and that it always arrived there at 1:57 <. m. and the Colonial always left for New Haven at 1853 D. n., but that the station agent had telegraph ed ahead to hold the Colonial back those two minutes SO that two ladies with through tickets and Pullman reservations were on the Washington express and must catch that Colonial.
 'I asked the colored porter what
 he meant by two ladies. Said he,
 miss she so excited she kept telling the station agent. there's two of us, and showed him the tickets that he sort of got 1t into his head they was two young ladies. so he sent it off that way I therefore found out I was young lady In 25 minutes the Wash l ington express drew in. We boarded, explained the situation and were giv- seemed to fly. No stops was made,
 and we reached New York exactly on
 scheduled time. Waiting beside the
 who enquired of my wife if she was the party for the Colonial train, and
 where was the other lady? She point
 ed to me. The guide looked sort of
 puzzled and said: You'll have to hur- ny; they are holding the Colonial for | you and 1t Is now two minutes over tine.' We rushed up stairs and down another pair of steps and jump ed in a Pullman, whereupon before
 we were seated the Hell Gate route was begun-two minutes late-I felt | Ike General Foch or General Per shtng or some other one of the big guns for whom trains are held up. But when the conductor came along, who was one of the best on the New York and New Haven road. Jimmy Man ming, and he inquired: Was it you they held up this train for" re- piled Yes Whereupon he said: If I had known 1t was you I wouldn't have waited Then did not feel so great. My wife, however said: T call this splendid service Something for which the great Pennsylvania railroad should receive full praise 1 for one am greatly pleased for such unusual courtesy. We reached New Haven on time. First class service on two great l railroads.