No 25

MISCELLANY NO. 25

HOW TO TRAVEL BY (VICTORIAN) TRAIN PART 6

AFTER THE JOURNEY.

COLLECTING BAGGAGE.

LET us now suppose the traveller arrived at his destination. We may premise that as he draws near to the terminus, he gathers together the various articles he has with him, so as to be able to emerge from the carriage immediately the train stops. We are anxious to lay some stress on this provision, because there are persons who neglect to take this precaution, and who at the last moment are to be seen rummaging beneath the seats, exclaiming, in half-stifled voices, “Dear me, I’ve lost my bag.” “Where’s my hat-case gone?” “I can’t find my umbrella,” and so on. What ought to be done is to collect the things together, and to consider whether you have all. Place these under your arm, in your hands, or otherwise conveniently dispose of them; if you are travelling in company let each bear his share of the burden. If your ticket has not been taken, be sure you have it handy and ready to deliver up.

MEETING FRIENDS.

If any friends are going to meet you at the station, do not increase their anxiety by putting your head out of the carriage window before the train stops, because as you must withdraw your head to allow other passengers to alight, your friend loses sight of you, and becomes confused in his search from one carriage to another. Keep your place quietly, let your fellow-travellers leave the carriage, and then show yourself at the carriage door, standing full in view, and conspicuous above the surrounding crowd. If you have appointed to meet someone to whom you are personally unknown, you should, by pre-arrangement, have some mark or sign by which you may instantly be recognized; a piece of ribbon in the button-hole, or a card inserted beneath the hatband will answer this purpose.

ENGAGING CAB, ETC.

If you wish to engage a cab or a fly, hand your bag or rug to one of the porters who comes to the door as the train enters the station, desiring him to engage you a cab, and noting his number, so that you may afterwards request him to point out the vehicle he has engaged. If you do not see a porter, then hail a cab from the rank drawn up in the station, keeping your eye upon the man you have engaged, and making straight for him directly you leave the carriage. It may here be observed that the drivers of four-wheeled cabs prefer persons with luggage to those without, as they can see a clearer prospect of profit, and the chances are that if you have only a small handbag, and walk down the rank, each driver in succession will tell you he is engaged, and you will therefore have wasted your time to no purpose. We should advise luggageless travellers to hail a “ Hansom,” that vehicle being a species of light cab, set up rather for speed than capacity. But perhaps the quickest way of all is to quit the station yard. as speedily as possible, outside of which there will generally be found plenty of vehicles ready and eager for a job. If it be an omnibus you are going by, make towards it without a moment’s hesitation, for the chances are that there will be more passengers wishing to go by it than it is able to accommodate.

DISPOSAL OF LADIES AND CHILDREN.

Should you be accompanied by ladies, by children, or by both, it is essential that you should remove them out of the noise, bustle, and confusion inseparably attendant on the arrival of a train. If the arrangements you have to make will occupy only two or three minutes, you may leave them in the carriage till you can rejoin them. If you are likely to be any length of time in completing your arrangements, then the best plan is to conduct your companions to the waiting-room, there to remain until you have done all you have to do. If you succeed in engaging a vehicle immediately on your arrival, and have nothing further to detain you, then you may at once conduct them to the vehicle, and afterwards see about your luggage.

LOOKING AFTER LUGGAGE.

As a matter of course, a railway traveller should, on reaching his destination, look after his luggage as speedily as possible. If the number and position of the van in which, or upon which the luggage has been placed, has been noted, as previously advised, then there will be no difficulty in finding it. As the luggage is delivered from the vans, porters are standing near to convey it to such place as the owner may direct. Directly you recognize your articles claim them, and ask one of the porters standing by to carry them for you. At such a juncture beware of thieves, who infest railways for the purpose of misappropriating luggage that is unclaimed, or claimed hesitatingly. Be cautious, also, that you yourself do not lay claim to luggage that is not your own. Many packages closely resemble each other, and in the hurry of the moment they may be confounded; but in nearly every case there is some distinctive feature perfectly familiar to the owner, and which he should look for to avoid error. It is an extremely awkward affair to be detected in the act of walking off with some other person’s property, and although the mistake may be explained subsequently, it yet entails a considerable amount of mortification humiliation, and delay.

RECLAIMING LOST LUGGAGE.

Through the carelessness of passengers, luggage is frequently lost or mislaid, and it will be as well to know the best method of regaining such missing articles. In the first place, it should be known that when the train is emptied of its passengers one of the company’s servants enters every carriage, lifts up the seat and the carpet, looks under the seats, and otherwise makes a careful inspection, and any articles found by him are forwarded to the terminus. Here, there is a lost luggage office, in which all stray property is received. A description of each article is entered in a book, stating the day, the time, etc., when found. If the articles inquired for are not traceable at the chief station, a description is sent to each of the offices where lost luggage is kept. If this application be unsuccessful, the superintendent applies to the manager of the Railway Clearing-house, who writes to all the stations on the various lines of railroad, and if it be at none of these stations, a letter is then addressed to the inquirer, informing him that his lost property is not on the railway. All unclaimed property is forwarded to the head station, and kept there pending inquiries made with a view to ascertain the addresses of the owners; and if such addresses can be ascertained, the property is forwarded on the payment of a fine of 6d. for each article. If the property be not claimed within two years, it is sold by public auction. Obviously, therefore, what a person has to do when he misses any portion of his luggage, is to make such loss known immediately to the stationmaster, giving as correct and minute an account of the missing articles as he possibly can to facilitate inquiry. He should also charge his memory as to the last place where he saw his luggage safe. But in respect to these, we may mention a well-authenticated

circumstance in connection with lost luggage, namely, that property is frequently not regained because persons are so positive that they have left it in such and such place, and therefore do not think it worth while to inquire at any other place. We see instances of this treachery of memory combined with overweening confidence in every-day life. Let all persons, therefore, take the hint, and be upon their guard accordingly. If a person has reason to think that his property has been taken in mistake or stolen, the best plan is to advertise instantly in The Times, and at the same time to put himself in communication with the police, who will materially assist his search. In all these cases delay is dangerous; active measures must be taken on the instant, for every lapsing moment renders the chance of recovery more remote. It should also be known that every cab which leaves a railway station has its number taken by a person stationed at the gate, together with the place to which he is engaged to drive. Thus, any traveller who may have left any property in a cab has only to state on which day and by what train he arrived, also whither he was conveyed, and from these data the driver’s name and address can at any lapse of time be readily ascertained. But beside this, it is advisable that a person should take the number of the cab-driver previous to entering the cab, thus rendering the task of recovery easier still.

SENDING INTIMATION OF SAFE ARRIVAL.

When a railway traveller has left behind him those who are near and dear to him, it is but natural that they should be anxious to hear of the safe arrival of the “ dear departed ;” and in such cases it is a great piece of cruelty to withhold that which may be so readily imparted. And yet it is common enough for a traveller to promise that he will write, but on his arrival to neglect to do so. He himself is perfectly conscious of his safety, and appears to think that others, however far removed, ought to be cognizant of the agreeable fact. When he gets to his hotel or lodgings, he pretends that he is too tired to write, that it will do very well to-morrow, and thus suffers those from whom he is separated to be in a state of the greatest anxiety for four-and-twenty hours. The remedy for this is simple enough. Let the railway traveller, just previous to starting, write a note headed with the name of the place to which he is going, and stating that he has arrived safely; this, put into an envelope ready addressed and stamped, the traveller can take with him, so that upon his arrival he has simply to post it, and the purpose is duly answered. Anything by way of postscript may be added in pencil, or if it is considered more genuine, the whole of the note may be written in pencil, and placed into the envelope prepared for it.

DESPATCHING TELEGRAPHIC MESSAGES.

At any time during the journey, or when he has arrived at its termination, the railway traveller may call to mind some important matter which he is desirous of communicating to those whom he has left behind. For such emergencies the telegraphic wires are ever ready to obey the behests of their employers ; and through their medium any error may be rectified, or any neglect repaired while the traveller continues his journey at his ease. Nearly every station has a telegraph office attached to it, so that all a traveller has to do is to write his message on a slip of paper, and at any station deliver it to the guard, together with the fee, and everything is then done.

HIRING PORTER.

If a person does not require a vehicle, he will seldom have any difficulty in finding a porter to carry his luggage. A crowd of men and boys are usually to be met with outside the terminus who, for a trifling fee, will convey the luggage to any part of the town. It would be as well to hire a clean and honest-looking messenger, and also to take the precaution of making him walk on in front, as you will then have your eye upon him, and he cannot well decamp without your knowledge. On the principle of seeking information from everybody, you may, while jogging onwards, glean from your luggage-bearer such items of intelligence as will prove advantageous.

LEAVING ARTICLES AT THE STATION.

It is sometimes of the utmost convenience to leave your luggage at the station while you settle any preliminaries incidental to an arrival in a fresh place. For instance, if you have not yet secured your lodgings, you will be able to do so much better without your luggage than with it. Or if you are going to stay at an hotel, you may select at your leisure the house at which you would prefer to stop, without being forced to put up at any particular hostelry, through the cajolery of the fly-driver and the pertinacity of the landlord. Frequently the fly-driving and hotel interest work into each other’s hands, the flydriver receiving from the landlord so much per head for every customer brought. When, therefore a person arrives at a town he has not hitherto visited, and places himself and his luggage in a fly, intent upon putting up at an hotel, but without any knowledge of which is the best, it is a common thing enough to appeal to the fly-driver, and he, as in duty bound, drives you straight off to his employer for the purpose of receiving his reward. It need scarcely be remarked that the proprietors of hotels who descend to this system of bribery have ordinarily not the best of houses, their larder and cellar being alike indifferent, and their accommodation execrable. But there are a variety of circumstances which render the leaving of luggage preferable to carrying it about. The stay in the place may only be a short one, perhaps not more than a few hours. When, therefore, the passenger arriving, wishes to leave his luggage, he should have it conveyed to the office set apart for that purpose, paying a small fee of some 2d. or 3d., and receiving a ticket in return. The production of the ticket will be sufficient to insure the delivery of the articles, so that the owner need not trouble to go for them himself if he does not feel so disposed.

FORWARDING PARCELS BY COMPANY’S EXPRESS.

At almost every terminus, parcels will be taken charge of and forwarded by what is termed the Company’s Express, carts and other vehicles being employed for that purpose, and a great deal of trouble being thus taken off the hands of the traveller who is saddled with packages to be delivered at various places. The rates charged are moderate, and safety and speedy delivery are insured.

NOTING TIME OF DEPARTURE OF RETURN TRAINS 

 

When a person alights at a station, from which he intends returning the same day, he of course ought to know the times of departure. If he is not provided with a railway guide, this information will be gained on consulting the time-table which is usually hung up near the entrance of the station, and if there be no time-table, or there be any difficulty in understanding it, the necessary information may be obtained from the porter who takes the ticket at the gate. In such cases memory is not to be trusted, and a memorandum of the times should be taken.

NOTING THE POSITION OF THE STATION.

When a person is about to return to the station at which he alights, and will in all probability have to do so in a hurry, in order to catch the that is passing through, he should observe the relative position of the station in connection with the other buildings by which it is surrounded, and the turnings right and left which lead from it to train the town. So that on coming back, the station may be reached without difficulty without inquiring the way, which consumes time, and without going in a wrong direction, which is worse than all. Should the traveller be at a loss, let him look about him for the telegraph wires and posts, running his eye along these till he recognizes the top of the station, and then following up the clue.

REACHING ACROSS COUNTRY AND OUT-OF-THEWAY PLACES.

A railway traveller is destined occasionally to alight at a station which is removed some seven, eight, or ten miles from the place he wishes to reach. Possibly no cab, fly, or omnibus is to be had; he cannot walk it; what then is he to do? The best plan in such a dilemma is to repair to the nearest; inn, and make inquiries for any vehicle under a post-chaise and four. Generally speaking, the landlord has a pony and gig with which he goes to ;the nearest market, or a four-wheeled chaise that he drives his wife and daughters in to the next town, or, if he has not one, he knows some neighbour who has, and if it even be an ox-cart, it is preferable being conveyed by that, to passing the best part of the day in some dreary and desolate hamlet.

WHILING AWAY THE TIME AT STOPPING STATIONS. 

 

It sometimes happens that a person has to wait the arrival of the train at the station of some little country town. Under such circumstances, time hangs most heavily, and an hour appears as long as a day. The amusements within reach are of the most meagre description. The two or three persons who wander in and out of the station may have no marked peculiarities, and they are but two or three after all. There may be a few cocks and hens in the adjacent poultry-yard, but they are probably lazy or replete, and their movements are of the most commonplace and uninteresting description. As to the town itself, the chances are that it has little worth seeing, and a peregrination of its utmost limits can be accomplished in ten minutes. To while away the time under such unpromising aspects is somewhat of an art. If a person have a book with him, he need look no further for recreation. If not, let him procure three or four sheets of writing paper, a pen, and a bottle of ink, bring them back to the waiting-room, and sit down to write two or three letters to as many friends. It is astonishing how quickly time flies with those who are using the pen. If the thoughts come with difficulty, then much time is consumed in bringing them to bear; if thoughts come. readily, then the noting them down consumes time also. Another end is accomplished, since time is economized and put to a good use, which would be otherwise frittered away.

RATES OF TELEGRAMS.

The rates for forwarding telegraphic messages vary with the different railway companies; the following scale will, however, be found to approach the general charges as nearly as possible: For 25 miles, 1s., 50 miles 1s. 6d., beyond 50 miles 2s., for messages not exceeding 20 words. Half these rates are charged for every 10 words, or portion of 10 words, not exceeding 20 words. Cypher communications sent according to same rates, four cypher or private signals being considered equal to 20 words. Each word underlined, in Italics, or within parenthesis, or between inverted commas, will be counted and charged as two words. Messengers are despatched immediately on arrival of message. The charge, if within 3 miles, 6d. per mile on foot, or ls. per mile by cab, horse, etc., if beyond 3 miles ls. per mile by the readiest available means. No porterage is charged if the distance be within half a mile. For distances within 10 miles, if sent by rail only 6d. per mile is charged; and porterage in London is charged 6d. per mile for the first 3 miles, and 6d. for every half mile beyond 3 miles, 1s. per mile if by cab. As the charge for telegraphic messages is regulated by the number of words, it is obviously essential to make the message sent as concise as possible, pruning it of all redundant words and tautologies; but while aiming at brevity, care must be taken not to relapse into ambiguity, as illustrated by the following anecdote. The husband of a lady of rank, residing at Edinburgh, engaged the services of an eminent London practitioner for his wife’s approaching accouchement. About the time the auspicious event was expected to occur, Dr. received the following message: “Don't come too late;” and in obedience to this summons he immediately set out for the North. Arrived at the mansion, he was received by the husband with an air of astonishment, and an inquiry as to whether the telegraphic message had been received. Dr. - replied that he certainly had received such message, and that was the immediate cause of his appearance in Edinburgh. “God bless me!” said the husband, “that is very extraordinary, for I should have thought the message would have had the effect of preventing your coming, as, indeed, was the intention, for, to tell you the truth, the little stranger had already come to light when the message was sent, and as that was the case, word was sent to you not to come, as it was too late.” “Well,” said the doctor, “ you may have meant such a message to have reached me, but the one I received was, ‘Don’t come too late,’ and thinking that the event was momentarily expected, I did not hesitate a moment to place myself in the train, and here I am.” “ I see it all,” said the husband, “it is simply an error in punctuation, the message as sent being, ‘Don’t come— too late,’ so that although the same words were transmitted, their meaning was widely different.” Similar misunderstandings, equally as ludicrous as this, have occurred over and over again, arising, in nearly every case, from a want of explicitness.

ACCOMMODATION FOR RAILWAY TRAVELLERS.

A few words on this subject may prove useful. If you intend staying at an hotel, and are a stranger to the place, make inquiries among your friends as to which is the best house to stop at. Under any circumstances, never select a second or third-rate hotel, its accommodation is always inferior, and its charges usually exorbitant. If there exists the probability of an influx of visitors into the town, the precaution should be taken of pre-engaging a room by writing to the landlord a few days previously. Should the bustle and noise of an hotel be objected to, very good accommodation is to be met with at a boarding-house. If apartments are desired, and some difficulty is experienced in obtaining them, temporary quarters may be taken to afford time for looking out for the more permanent home. In some cases, neither hotel accommodation nor apartments are to be had. To remedy this want, a bed-room may be engaged at a private house, and the meals taken at an hotel. It should be borne in mind that where private apartments are occupied at an hotel, the charges are much dearer than when the ordinary accommodation of the coffee-room is accepted. The same remark applies to dinners, etc., specially ordered, instead of partaking of the fare provided for the common table.

Some persons are desirous of securing the comforts of an hotel, without incurring the expense or the obligation of taking intoxicating liquors. To meet this view, many towns have what are termed Temperance Hotels, where the desired end may be achieved.

Finally, we would warn travellers that in many instances they will have to put up with discomfort, and they will rarely meet with all the comforts of a home. Instead of chafing at these drawbacks, the best way is to be prepared for them, to treat them as lightly as possible, and as the French say, “accept the situation.”

Having thus brought the Railway Traveller to the end of his journey, and seen him safely housed, we cannot do better than devote the few remaining pages of this little volume to items of information which cannot fail to prove generally useful, and especially so to the excursionist and to visitors from the country.

To be concluded with this useful information next week.

Return to Good in Parts Contents page

No 24

MISCELLANY NO 24

TRAVELLING BY TRAIN PART 5

HOW TO ACT IN CASES OF THREATENED  ACCIDENTS.

Presence of mind is essentially demanded in all the accidents of life, but in none more so than accidents by railway. Also, when accidents are imminent, but do not actually occur, coolness and judgment are necessary. When the train comes to a sudden standstill at an unaccustomed stopping-place, it is usually a sign that there is something amiss; but this something may be of very trivial moment. At all events, do not vex yourself with the idea incessantly that catastrophes are about to occur, nor pester the guard with questions only to receive ambiguous and evasive replies. If an absolute stoppage takes place, the best plan is to quit the carriage, and then whatever may occur you will be safe. In cases where the carriages are felt to be overturning, there is but one method, and that is to jump from the upper side as the carriages go over, and in taking this jump the feet should be placed close together, the arms held close to the side, and the body inclined forwards.

Many concussions give no warning of their approach, while others do, the usually premonitory symptoms being a kind of bouncing or leaping of the train. It is well to know that the bottom of the carriage is the safest place, and therefore, when a person has reason to anticipate a concussion, he should, without hesitation, throw himself on the floor of the carriage. It was by this means that Lord Guillamore saved his own life and that of his fellow-passengers some years since, when a concussion took place on one of the Irish railways. His lordship feeling a shock, which he knew was the forerunner. of a concussion, without more ado, sprang upon the two persons sitting opposite him, and dragged them with him to the bottom of the carriage; the astonished persons at first imagined that they had been set upon by a maniac, and commenced struggling for their liberty, but in a few seconds they but too well understood the nature of the case; the concussion came, and-the upper part of the carriage in which Lord Guillamore and the other two persons were was shattered to pieces, while the floor was untouched, and thus left them lying in safety; while the other carriages of the train presented nothing but a ghastly spectacle of dead and wounded. If a person be buried among the debris of the carriages, and is still in possession of life and limb, he should endeavour to make his way out of his perilous position in an upward direction, and in the event of the windows being blocked up, force a passage in the best manner he can by the aid of a stick or umbrella. If the accident occur in an open part of the line, a person on escaping from the carriage should remove himself as far from the scene as possible, until all immediate danger is over, and he is permitted to return and assist his fellow-passengers in distress. If the accident occur in a tunnel, then a person should grope his way along by the side of the wall, feeling with his hand, and keeping his body as close to the brickwork as possible.

In numerous cases of concussion, severe and fatal wounds have been caused to the heads of passengers by the hard, sharp brim of the ordinary hat, which, when impelled forward, would appear to cut like a knife ; this hint is worth attending to. On the same principle, it is obvious that the softer the body a person has to oppose, the greater are his chances of escape, and bearing this in mind, a seat in a first class carriage, opposite one that is unoccupied, is the safest, because the body is then opposed to the padded back of the carriage, and, under these circumstances, seldom sustains serious injury. Although it is perhaps easier to lay down rules of conduct in such cases than to follow them, yet the following incident will show that foresight and presence of mind, as in the case of Lord Guillamore, work to the greatest advantage. In the terrible accident that occurred on the North London line, at Camden Town, one of the passengers at the moment of concussion spread out his arms and inclosed with them as many passengers as he could. A mass being thus welded together offered substantial resistance to the shock, and the whole of those persons escaped with only a few slight bruises, while others around them were killed or severely injured.

Railway accidents are rendered less terrible by the presence of lamps. On some lines the second and third classes are unprovided with lamps, but on all lines lamps are provided for first-class passengers; if, therefore, a person on entering a carriage find there is no lamp, he should call the attention of the guard to the omission, and insist on its being rectified previous to starting.

TREATMENT OF RAILWAY SERVANTS.

At every station there is an officer, termed a stationmaster, or superintendent, who has under his control all matters connected with both the passenger and goods traffic at that particular point of the line. To him all communications should be made in reference to any special arrangements that a person desires to make. To him, also, representations should be made of any irregularities, shortcomings, or neglect on the part of his subordinates.

The porters at the various stations have to take charge of the luggage of passengers arriving and departing, and to render such other assistance as may be required. These porters are usually attired in a suit of dark-coloured corduroy, and will always be found in and about the station. When a passenger desires to have his luggage removed or conveyed from one place to another, he has only to mention his wish to one of these men, and it will be instantly attended to. In order to insure their prompt attention, care should be taken to address a porter who is disengaged, not one busied in loading or wheeling baggage, or otherwise obviously preoccupied.

The guards are those men who are specially appointed to certain trains, and who have a train under their charge from the moment it commences taking in its freight of passengers and luggage, until it arrives and is cleared at the terminus. They usually wear a uniform of blue or green cloth, and are distinguished by a small whistle hanging at their breast The guard is the proper person to make inquiries of respecting the train previous to starting, or to prefer any complaints to during the journey. In addition to their strictly defined duties, they will undertake such other little oflices on behalf of passengers or their friends as will not interfere with the usual routine.

Every railway servant has a distinctive number affixed either to the collar of his coat or to his cap, so that when a complaint is made of any of them, this number should be stated. All representations of misconduct or neglect of duty, which are made in writing, should bear the name and address of the accuser. An anonymous communication only serves to raise a. vague kind of prejudice against the accused person, while it is inoperative in redressing the particular grievance to which attention is called. While we are on this point we think it right to impress upon the railway traveller how essential it is that he should be not only charitable but circumspect in preferring complaints. Some persons are exacting, and require too much to be done; others are hasty, and demand prompt attention to their desires; others again are captious, and imagine rudeness and incivility where none has been intended. Added to these special fault-finders, there are a number of grumblers and objectors who are continually giving vent to incoherent utterances depreciatory of all persons and all things. As a rule, the various railway employés are civil, intelligent, and obliging, and in this spirit any request courteously and distinctly made will be duly responded to. All railway servants are strictly prohibited from taking any fee or reward, and persons who act in contravention of this wholesome regulation lay the foundation of an incalculable amount of mischief. Another foolish custom is the treating the guards with drink while on the journey; this is usually done, from ostentatious motives, by those who consider it a fine thing to take railway guards under their patronage in the matter of brandy-and-water. To such a mischievous extent was this pernicious custom carried on a certain railway, that a terrible accident was clearly traceable to the inebriety of the person in charge of the train, and the inebriety was occasioned by drink with which he had been plied by some of the passengers in the course of the journey.

ECONOMY IN COMPANIONSHIP.

Individual charges are considerably lessened when they are divided between two or more persons. A cab or fly for two is little more expensive than for one. The same candles and firing will equally as well serve a company as a solitary individual. Two persons may call for a pint of wine between them at an hotel without being considered mean; whereas one person ordering half a pint would be regarded as stingy. A double-bedded room is much cheaper in proportion than two single ones, especially if accommodation be scarce; and so on through the whole catalogue of travelling charges. From these remarks it is obvious, that, where practicable, it is not only a great saving, but considerably more pleasant to travel in company than alone. But companions are sometimes not readymade. We saw an advertisement in the Times a short time since, where a gentleman advertised for another to accompany him to the Continent, on the share and share alike principle. And although we do not counsel the cultivation of acquaintanceship with strangers except with the utmost discretion, yet, from a casual meeting on the road, many companionships are undoubtedly formed which prove mutually advantageous and economical.

TREATMENT OF UNPLEASANT TRAVELLING-

COMPANIONS.

Railway travellers are occasionally thrown into company with persons who know not how to behave themselves, or rather those who consider it the height of manliness and propriety to insult inoffensive and quietly-disposed passengers. These monsters are especially fond of molesting females, well-knowing that for the time being the unfortunate objects of their persecution are in their absolute power. A few words decidedly and firmly addressed to such individuals will sometimes have the desired effect, but this only seldom. Another method is to lodge a complaint to the guard, and insist on the offender being removed; but inasmuch as the officials frequently exhibit great tenderness on behalf of the culprit, and are apt to imagine that the other passengers are over-squeamish, the guard usually contents himself with administering a few words of mild reproof, without attempting removal. A case of this kind once occurred on the Eastern Counties line. A big hulking fellow, with bully written on his face, took his seat in a second class carriage, and forthwith commenced insulting everybody by his words and gestures. He was asked to desist, but only responded with language more abusive. The guard was then appealed to, who told him to mind what he was about, shut the door, and cried, “all right.” Thus encouraged, the miscreant continued his disgraceful conduct, and became every moment more outrageous. Filling  one part of the carriage there were four farmers sitting who all came from the same neighbourhood, and to whom every part along the line was well known. One of these wrote on a slip of paper these words, “Let us souse him in Chuckley Slough.” This paper was handed from one to the other, and each nodded assent. Now, Chuckley Slough was a pond near one of the railway stations, not very deep, but the waters of which were black, muddy, and somewhat repellent to the olfactory nerves. The station was neared and arrived at; in the meantime Bully’s conduct became worse and worse. As they emerged from the station, one of the farmers aforesaid said to the fellow, “Now, will you be quiet?” “ No, I won’t,” was the answer. “ You won’t, won’t you ?” asked a second farmer. “ You are determined you won’t ?” inquired a third. “ You are certain you won’t ?” asked the fourth. To all of which queries the response was in negatives, with certain inelegant expletives added thereto. “Then,” said the four farmers speaking as one man, and rising in a body, “out you go.” So saying, they seized the giant frame of the wretch, who struggled hard to escape but to no purpose; they forced him to the window, and while the train was still travelling at a slow pace, and Chuckley Slough appeared to view, they without more ado thrust the huge carcass through the window, and propelling it forward with some force, landed it exactly in the centre of the black filthy slough. The mingled cries and oaths of the man were something fearful to hear; his attempts at extrication and incessant slipping still deeper in the mire, something ludicrous to witness; all the passengers watched him with feelings of gratified revenge, and the last that was seen of him was a huge black mass, having no traces of humanity about it, crawling up the bank in a state of utter prostration. In this instance the remedy was rather a violent one; but less active measures had been found to fail, and there can be little doubt that this man took care ever afterwards not to run the risk of a similar punishment by indulging in conduct of a like nature.

On starting for a journey, do not enter a carriage where you observe rough and noisy company, and if you are already seated, and a disorderly character attempts to enter, try to keep him out. There are other passengers who are not absolutely offensive, and yet disagreeable to travel with. There is the fidgety traveller, who is continually shifting his body into every variety of position, and shuffling about his legs and feet without the slightest regard for the legs and feet of other people. The best plan is to remove from the vicinity of such irritating persons. Or if you cannot do that, a slightly angular projection of the knee or elbow may have a quieting effect. There is the inquisitive passenger, who wishes to know more respecting yourself than you care to reveal to a stranger. When you recognize such an individual, take up a book or newspaper, and commence an attentive perusal of it. If this will not answer the purpose, go off into a sound sleep, and respond to his interrogations by a loud snore. Then there is the prosy traveller, who inflicts upon you a series of narratives of most immaterial and inconsequential incidents which are neither interesting, amusing, nor enlightening; to such twaddlers you may appear to be attentively listening -  that is all they require - while in reality your mind is busily occupied with affairs of real moment and interest. There is the staring traveller, who, in the rudest manner possible, deliberately fixes his eye upon you, and never removes it until he has scanned your person, features, and costume to his entire satisfaction. We said never removes his eye, but that is the case with timid persons and those of the softer sex, who feel abashed under the circumstances, and let fall their eyelids. The way to meet this piece of insolence and vulgarity is to return stare for stare, to fix your eye upon the offender at the same moment and in the same manner that he fixes it on you, and, our word for it, he will feel the reproot' and withdraw from the contest. There are other classes of unpleasant travelling companions whose bare mention would only tend to needlessly burden these pages. Of whatever kind and degree, avoid them altogether if you can; if that be not possible, quit their company at the first opportunity; and if this be impracticable, bring your ingenuity and philosophy to bear to lighten the infliction.

PECULIAR REGULATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIOUS RAILWAYS.

French Railways—In travelling by French railways all luggage has to be surrendered to the oflicials, and a fee of two sous paid for a ticket, which the holder has to give up at the end of his journey, to regain possession of his luggage. Sixty pounds of luggage is allowed free of charge, any excess of weight being charged for. On alighting from the train, at the end of the journey, the traveller has to proceed to the platform, where he will discover his luggage among that of others, he has then to give up his keys to the examining oflicer, and to receive a permission to pass. The examination of luggage is necessarily tedious and annoying, and a person wishing to escape it should leave the matter in the hands of his servant. If, however, you have determined upon staying at any particular hotel, you may, by pre-arrangement with the hotel-keeper, secure the services of a confidential person, who will be sent to meet you at the station, to take charge of your luggage, and bring it on to you at the hotel. If, by choice or necessity, the examination of the luggage falls personally upon you, and supposing you to be accompanied by a lady, the best arrangement you can make is to conduct her to a fiacre (cab) close by, there to wait until you rejoin her with the luggage.

German Railways.—The carriages on German railways are notably fitted up in a superior manner, and the second class so nearly approach the comforts of the first, that few persons travel by the latter. The fare of the second class is one-third or fourth less than that of the first. It is to be borne in mind, however, that smoking—that universal practice in Germany— finds its way into every second class carriage, and there is no way of escaping this but to ride by first class. Stringent regulations are in force on the German railways with regard to luggage; under the most favourable circumstances, forty pounds only are allowed free of charge, and even one pound overweight is charged for as for one hundred pounds. On the Wurtemburg line ten pounds only is allowed; whilst on the Bremen railway all luggage must be paid for. Travellers carrying luggage should be at the departure station some time before the train starts, as the weighing, ticketing, and paying for luggage, is a very tedious process. Numbered tickets are affixed to every article, and a corresponding receipt is given to the owner, which he must produce at the end of his journey, in order to reclaim his property. Austrian Railways.—Travelling by these is not so comfortable as in Northern Germany, the accommodation is indifferent, even of the first class. Here, also, the rules respecting luggage are very strict; forty pounds only are allowed, the remainder being charged for at a moderate rate. Dutch Railways are generally well managed, liberally conducted, and comfortably appointed. Belgian Railways: A moderate rate of travelling, and a low scale of fares, are the most conspicuous features of the Belgian railways. The accommodation is, for first class passengers, luxurious. The second class is comfortable for males but not for females; one great objection being that in order to reach or quit one’s place, the seats, owing to a paucity of doors, and a lack of convenient arrangement, have to be clambered over in the most awkward and indelicate fashion. The third class consists of waggons, open at the sides, and fitted up with wooden benches. On Belgian railways the arrival and departure of the trains is very badly managed, and the traveller will find it as much as he can do to avoid being carried away in the vortex of hurry, crush, and confusion. At certain points of the line the bewilderment is increased by the crossing of trains, the changing of carriages, and the removal of luggage. And the traveller will have to take especial precaution that he is not run over, or carried in a wrong direction. With regard to luggage, passengers are allowed to retain parcels which are not too large to go under the seats of the carriage, all larger articles are taken away, and conveyed as luggage proper. At this point we may appropriately throw out a few hints respecting the luggage of foreign travellers generally. From what has been just stated it will be gathered, that in order to save trouble, time, anxiety, and expense, the luggage should be reduced to the lightest possible weight, and. the smallest practicable bulk. The best plan will be to have only a bag, which may be stowed away under the seat, or carried in the hand. It will thus be necessary to bestow some little pains and reflection on the process of packing up, selecting only those articles which are likely to be absolutely required, and rejecting such as in all probability would be carried from place to place, and finally brought home without having been once put in requisition. When a good deal of luggage is indispensable, it is a great mistake to distribute it into numerous small packages. Three large portmanteaus are infinitely better than six small ones, they are more readily recognized on arrival, more easily found at the Custom House, cost the same when charged by weight, and, of course, half as much when charged by package. American Railways: These present the very acme of comfort and convenience. You can buy your railway ticket in the carriage; and there you can have every convenience of a moving hostelry, excepting the actual meals. You can purchase a newspaper or a book to while away the time; you can have a breath of fresh air on the platform outside the car; you can have a bed at night; in short, you might literally lodge in the train, without leaving it once, for days together. The pace, it is true, is slow comparatively with that adopted on English railways, but this is compensated for by the greater amount of convenience and comfort, and the less liability to accident. LIABILITY AND NON-LIABILITY OF RAILWAY COMPANIES. Railway companies render themselves liable to an action at law for compensation, when death or personal injury has resulted from an accident on the line. But in order to make good the claim, defect, mismanagement, or carelessness on the part of the railway direction or the railway servants must be proved. Where an accident has arisen from the carelessness or misconduct of the injured person, the company is clearly not liable. With regard to luggage and other effects, the company is professedly not liable for any loss, unless the value of such property has been declared, and booked and paid for accordingly. But this view of the case is susceptible of being considerably modified by special circumstances. For instance, a London jeweller was travelling by an Irish railway, having in his possession a jewel-case, containing property upwards of a thousand pounds in value. This case he took with him into the first-class carriage, and placed it beneath the seat he occupied. In the course of the journey he left the carriage for two or three minutes, and on his return he discovered the jewel-case to be gone. He immediately gave information of his loss to the station-master and others, but notwithstanding an instant and rigid search, no traces of the missing property could be discovered. A claim for compensation was subsequently sent into the company, but they declined to entertain it, on the ground that the owner of the property had not exercised reasonable care and diligence in the protection of his property. An action was brought against the company, and a verdict returned for the plaintiff, for it was held that he had exercised reasonable care and diligence; the mere quitting of the train for two or three minutes (the main point of objection) was no contravention of the railway regulations, and the officers in charge of the train were held to be responsible for the property left in a carriage by a passenger while performing the journey. The various railway companies do not bind themselves to the times of departure and arrival advertised by them. They undertake to use their best efforts to insure punctuality, but they disclaim any liability for the loss which a passenger may represent to have sustained by the delay. Some years since there prevailed a sort of passion for bringing actions against railway companies on this plea. A few successful verdicts for the plaintiff encouraged many unscrupulous persons to pursue the same course, and in some cases, speculative journeys were undertaken, with a view of fixing the company with the responsibility of delay. It accordingly soon became obvious that it would be impossible to answer claims of this nature, and hence railway companies were relieved of the onus which was sought to be cast upon them in this direction. There are numerous minor points of liability and non-liability, but they are not of sufficient importance to demand special mention. To be continued                                               Return to Good in Parts Contents page