Year: 1878

Catching a train" in England Is 6
very different affair from catching it in
this country, for there it signifies the
individual has sufficient time to enter
the railway carriage before the guard
closes the doors and gives the signal to
start. After that, no matter who arrives,
it is too late.


The laws against getting on or off
moving trains in England are very strict,
and also in guarding the tracks at the
station and vicinity and are not to be
infringed upon or broken with impunity,
as an American friend recently found to
his soToW.


He chanced to be on g train going to
London, and had written to have his
baggage sent from certain point to
meet him, to be put on board the train
at an intermediate ststion, where also
his wife and son were to get on. Ar
rived at the latter place, where the train
stopped for few moments, he left the
railway carriage, put his family on board
and sought for his luggage to place on
the train but in vain. Meanwhile the
time for starting the train arrived, yet
still he tarried, thinking to jump on at
the last moment, American fashion, and
started to do so, but was restrained by an
official. fE4 .i-t45E3 2ILl1


"But I must go on this train; my
wife's aboard, said the anxious Ameri-
can.


"Can't help i, sir; trains in motion ;
against regulations"


''But yon are going" said the traveller,
as he marked the long train gradually
moving, car after car, past them, and the
official preparing to take his place.


Certainly; I'm the guaTd-last man
on. take the van. Stand back J"


So saying, the guard, or, as we call
him, the conductor, pushed back the
American and leaped to his place on the
step of the guards van, or last carriage
in the train.


Quick as he was, the American was
equal 20 him, for with two or three
bounds, despite the cries and rush of
the porter, he leaped after the guard,
clung to him on the step of the carriage,
and both were hurled out of the station
inthat manner, after which they tumbled
into the compartment of the guard to-
gether. The official was white with
rage


q told you that you could not get
upon the train when it was IN motion"


HAhl but you see I did"


gDo you know we both narrowly
missed being hit by that crane as the
train went out of the station 2"


"a miss, my good fellow, is as good as
a mile"


aAnd you have broken the regula-
tione, and made me and yourself liable
to prosecution"


"0h, fudge The company won't take
trouble to proseeutes I guess" said the
Yankee. But this time his national
guess was incorrect. @


The train was an express, and he rode
in the guards van more than htty miles
before another stop enabled him to re-
join his party in the other carriage and
continue his journey to London, during
which the matter passed from his mind!


Arriving at the station in London, our
American secured a four-WheeleT, ses
lected his baggage, had it placed on the
roof of the vehicle, bestowed his wife
and party inside, aud was about to fol-
low, when he was tapped on the shoul-
der by quiet, plainly-dressed indlV1d-
Tal, who remarked:


Sorry to detain you, really very
unpleasant duty, but you are wanted on
charge of assaultng the guard IN the
discharge of his duty, as the train LETT
Leamington9 :
f Here was a dilemma. A stranger IN
London, after dark, arrested What
should he do? He at once explained.
'He was an American tourist; he was
not aware of the law. His wife and he
both strangers. Hadn't even been to
their hotel yet. Couldn'tit be arranged
in the morningH


"Oh, certainly, if he would kindly
give his card, the official would call at
his hotel at eleven tomorrow"


No sooner said than done. The Amer
lean whipped out his card-case, handed
over the bit of pasteboard to the officer,
who glanced at it, nodded to the cab
driver, who closed the door Of the
vehicle, and the party were soon rattling
over the London payements. AS they
whirled along, the first view of London
by gaslight was forgotten in the explana-
ton Of the affair by the American to his
wife.


"But it is all over now, guess, " said
he "for although l gave the fellow my
name, 1 didn't give him any address,
and he won't know where to come after
ALL" =


here again was mistaken guess loI
a second thought might have informed
him that the number of every cab adj
mitted in the railway station was knoWnj
that he had given direction to the driver
before being accosted by the officer, and
thereby the latter had obtained his ad-
dress; and that if the case had been OF
sufficient importance, the cab could
easily have been followed by. another,
even if the driver had not been in-
structed to notify the officer where he
left his fare.


However, our tourist, being somewhat
uneasy, related the affair to an English
friend whom he met on arrival at the
hotel. who did not relieve his anxiety
bv looking grave, shaking his head, and
remarking they had better both 60 to
the railway managers Office. This they
did. and through the Intervention OF a
personal friend to one of the directors
after apologies and explanations, the
American departed, glad to have got flo'
as he supposed, of the unpleasantnesss


About five days AFTER having mean.
time changed his hotel, our American
citizen had business down in the city,