MISCELLANY
NO 22
TRAVELLING
BY TRAIN PART 3
ARRIVAL AT THE STATION.
Supposing you to arrive at the station in a cab, you
will there find a porter ready to remove the luggage on to his truck;
superintend this removal, see that you have all your packages, give a glance
inside the cab to ascertain that nothing is left behind, and as a further
precaution note the number of the driver in case anything should have escaped
your notice. If you are accompanied by any persons, conduct them to the
waiting-room, there to remain until you come for them after having settled the
preliminaries of the journey. Although the railway company have new charge of
your luggage, you are still expected to exercise supervision over it to prevent
its being mislaid or missent. Therefore, after having conducted your travelling
companions to the waiting-room, you return to look after the luggage which is
in the hall, or may have been in the meantime wheeled on to the station. When
you recognize the truck upon which your effects are deposited, you call the
attention of one of the porters to it, and he will wheel the things to the
proper department, where a printed label of the name of the place you are
destined for will be affsixed upon each package. This process is an important
one, and ought to be personally superintended by every owner of luggage. While
this is being done, you may select the smaller articles or those you may wish
to have with you in the carriage. The next duty is to see your luggage stowed
away, making a memorandum of the number of the van in which or upon which the
luggage is placed; while to facilitate your lighting upon the van at the end of
the journey without hesitation, it would be as well to remark its relative
position from the engine; and thus note it in your memorandum book, “Luggage in
van No. ,the --th carriage from the engine.” We have now to notice the quantity
of luggage which each person is entitled to carry with him free of charge. In
this particular there is a slight variation between the different Lines; those
which run their trains to commercial and manufacturing districts are more
liberal in their allowance than those lines which convey chiefly pleasure
seekers; for instance, the Great Northern allows first class, 112 lbs.; second
class, 100 lbs.; third class, 561bs.; while the South Eastern stipulates for
first class, 100 lbs.; second class, 601bs.; third class, 56 lbs. The average
quantity of luggage allowed on the various railroads may be calculated to be
between these two extreme rates. It will here be seen what an advantage the
light leather travelling equipage of modern days possess over the heavy and
lumbering trunks of a former age. The truth is, that owing to the difficulties
and expenses of travelling, our forefathers were more settled in their habits
than we are; they contented themselves with a journey perhaps once in seven
years; we, on the contrary, deem it not excessivc to take seven journeys in one
year. If a lynxeyed railway porter suspects that a railway traveller has a
larger amount of luggage than he ought to have, he settles his suspicions by an
appeal to the weighing machine, and for every pound of luggage in excess a
charge is made at a certain rate. This excess the owner has the option of
taking with him by the same train, or of sending by a “goods train,” which is
cheaper than an ordinary passenger train. If, however, his luggage is comprised
in one large package, he must perforce take it with him, and submit to pay the
higher rate. It is an excellent plan, where a person has a much greater extent
of luggage than he knows he can take with him, to send the quantity in excess a
day or two previously by a goods train, directing it to be left at the station
till called for, or sending it to some friend or acquaintance to take charge of
for a few days. On some lines, passengers by express trains are not permitted
to carry the same weight of luggage as passengers by ordinary trains, on other
lines no such distinction is made; but this point should be clearly ascertained
by the traveller before-hand. Travellers by ordinary excursion trains are not
allowed to take with them luggage, properly so called, what they may take being
restricted to such sized packages as can be conveniently stowed away in the
carriage by which they travel.
CHOICE OF ROUTE.
Many places may be reached by three or four routes,
the competition among the various companies prompting them to annex such and
such towns to their line at whatever cost or sacrifice. These bids for the
patronage: of railway travellers exercise an appreciable influence on the
comfort and convenience offered, and the rate of fares charged. The various
routes also afford passengers an agreeable change, and give them the opportunity
of judging which is the most desirable line to travel by. When, therefore, a
person is about to proceed to a certain place, he should ascertain whether it
is accessible by more routes than one, and if it be so, he should compare the
several fares charged, the relative distances, the time occupied in the
journey, the number of stations stopped at, etc. Some regard is also to be had
to the direct or indirect nature of the route. For although the fare in one
case may be lower than the other, yet there may be involved change of carriage,
halting at junctions, and other disagreeable hitches, which are more exacting
than the mere disbursement of a few extra shillings. Excursionists who are not
bound to any particular place, but to whom all points of the compass are alike,
will do well to study attentively the excursion schemes put forth by the
various companies, for by exercising this selection a more pleasurable
excursion at a much less cost may be devised than could be obtained by hasty
adoption. Another consideration in the choice of lines is the proximity of the
terminus to the town. In the one case the station may be situated in the very
centre of the place; in the other it may be some miles distant. The time lost,
and the extra expense in the latter case forming important considerations.
CHOICE OF TRAIN.
On every railroad there are trains running at
certain rates, and distinguished by some speciality. First in importance is the
special train; and although this does not apply to the public generally, still
it is as well to know that on great emergencies, and in matters of life and
death, a train may be despatched to any point, and placed entirely at the
disposal of the person or persons demanding the convenience; they, of course,
defraying the extraordinary charge, which is necessarily a heavy one. When a
special train is required, the usual method is to apply to the station-master,
who will at once put the matter in hand. The express train takes second rank as
a class of conveyance. The speed at which this train goes is very great;
thirty, forty, and sometimes fifty miles an hour being attained. Very few
stations are called at, the object being to perform the journey as quickly and
with as few interruptions as possible. The express has seldom a third class attached
to it, and in some cases consists of first class only. There is usually some
limit with regard to luggage, and the fare is higher than by ordinary train,
ranging from an eighth to a fourth more. This train is well adapted for
business persons, or for those bent on any pressing errand. The times of
departure are usually between nine and ten in the morning, and between four and
five in the afternoon. At the first blush it would appear that a train
travelling at the tremendous pace indicated is peculiarly liable to meet with
accident, whereas the exact reverse is the case. The engine selected for the
express train, the carriages the most secure, and the employees the most
intelligent and trustworthy which the management can select. Then every
precaution is taken to avoid collision with other trains, and the advent of the
express is signalled from station to station along the whole route. Finally,
the extraordinary momentum which is attained, enables the train to dash through
interposing obstacles without communicating scarcely any shock to the
passengers, whereas an ordinary train under the same circumstances would
experience a concussion, resulting in all probability in the loss of life and
limb. But to many persons the excessive vibration felt when travelling by
express is most disagreeable, and when it is remembered how violently the body
is thrown from side to side, and every now and then pitched in an opposite
direction, and this incessantly for perhaps three or four hours, it is not to
be wondered at that the delicate and ailing who have been subjected to such a
process should feel shaky for some days afterwards. The mail train is preferred
by many persons travelling on business, for inasmuch as it is employed in the
postal service, its movements are necessarily regulated by the most scrupulous
punctuality. The mere idea of travelling by the same train as the mail imparts
a kind of confidence in the superior efficiency of the locomotive arrangements.
The drawback with regard to the train is that it travels by night, generally
departing at nine o’clock in the evening, and arriving at its destination in
the “mall hours.” The parliamentary train, so called because, according to act
of Parliament, every line is compelled to despatch a train at least once daily,
by which passengers shall travel at the rate of one penny per mile. It need
scarcely be stated that as this is the cheapest, so is it the slowest mode of
railway conveyance. Its maximum rate of speed is seldom greater than twenty
miles an hour, and in some instances considerably less. It stops at all the
stations. The time of departure is usually early in the morning, so that a
person having a distance of more than a hundred miles to go may calculate upon
passing the best part of the day on the rail. Although the parliamentary train
is obviously tedious to many persons, yet there are others for whom it has its
advantages. The slow pace and the frequent stoppages adapt themselves to the
exigencies of invalids, and tend to quiet the apprehensions of the timid.
Excursion trains, although a great boon to the humbler classes and the
economically inclined, are not best calculated for the ordinary traveller. The
confusion and bustle, the irregular times of departure and arrival, and the
boisterous company into which one is thrown, although of very little moment to
the person who has only a travelling bag, and who sets out for a few days’
jaunt, are ill-calculated for the railway traveller who has a sober journey to
perform, and is burdened with its attendant responsibilities and cares.
RAILWAY PRIVILEGES.
Every inducement to travel, in the form of fares and
accommodation, is held out by the various railway companies. First of all we
have the return ticket, enabling the traveller to accomplish the double journey
at the rate of about a fare and a-half. These tickets are in some cases limited
to use on the day on which they are issued; while in other instances an
interval of two or three days is allowed. The season ticket or annual-ticket,
payable monthly or quarterly, acts as a great encouragement for persons to
become permanent residents in country places accessible by rail. The rate at
which this privilege can be secured, is probably one-half or one-third less
than would be paid in the ordinary way. It permits the person to travel as
often as he pleases by any train, and to or from any part of the line. It also
obviates the inconvenience and delay occasionally experienced in procuring the
ticket, the holder of the season-ticket having nothing more to do than to make
straight for the carriage.
We may here remind season-ticket holders to renew
their privilege when the current term has expired; the omitting to do this,
either by accident or design, and still travelling on the line, has before now
led to awkward exposures and unpleasant consequences. Through-tickets are
issued to enable travellers to take a certain route from one point to another,
and to stop at various intermediate places. Before such ticket is taken, the
intending railway traveller should make sure that he will be entitled to stop
at those places he desires to visit, and he should also explicitly understand
what interval of time is allowed him at each halting-place.
Excursion-tickets are of varied kind and character;
the leading idea is, however, to afford an opportunity of enjoying the greatest
amount of pleasure at the smallest possible cost. Sometimes there are certain
restrictions which excursionists are expected to pay attention to and abide by.
As, for instance, a limit in the quantity of luggage; not being allowed to stop
at intermediate stations; being obliged to travel by certain trains, and none
others, etc.
RAILWAY INSURANCE.
There is a certain amount of hazard in railway
travelling, and although the number of accidents are few, when taken in connection
with the immense amount of traffic, nevertheless, there are such unfortunate
occurrences, and they may visit any person at any period. One person may take
long journeys, day after day, and year after year, and escape for a time on the
principle that “the pitcher that goes often to the well is broken at last.”
Another person may perhaps venture on a railway for the first time in his life,
and meet with an untimely end. One of the characteristics of railway accidents
is that the injuries sustained are for the most part severe, and when not
fatal, frequently incapacitating the sufferer from pursuing any active business
during the remainder of his life-time. Sometimes the accident is of so peculiar
a nature, that although there is no external appearance of injury, yet the
shock given to the system has been so violent as to interrupt the functions of
the brain, disturb the equilibrium of the mind, and even to suspend vitality
itself. To meet such catastrophes as these, there exists a Railway Passengers’
Assurance Company, which undertakes to pay compensation in cases of accident or
death, upon the following principles :—Insurances may be effected for a single
or a double journey, for periods of time from one to twelve months; for terms
of five or ten years; for the whole term of life. The system of insuring for
each journey is conducted at nearly all railway stations, by the traveller
taking an insurance ticket of the booking clerk at the time of taking the
railway journey-ticket. The addition to the railway fare is very trifling,
namely, one penny for the third class, twopence for the second class, and
threepence for the first-class, whatever may be the length of the journey. The
sums insured for these payments are £1000 to a first-class passenger; £500 to a
second-class passenger; and £200 to a third-class passenger. These amounts are
paid in case of death, and proportionate compensation allowed in cases of
personal injury. The same amounts can be insured for a double or return
journey, and for excursion trains, at corresponding rates of premiums.
Insurances for periods of time may be also effected at the various railway
stations, securing compensation for death or accident occurring on any railway
in the United Kingdom, or on the Continent of Europe, namely, to insure £1000,
a premium of £5 for one month; £10 for three months; £16 for six months; £20
for twelve months. Annual insurance may be effected by the payment of a small
premium yearly; and insurance for a term of years by a single payment at a
proportionally low rate. The easy and ready manner in which these insurances
may be effected, leaves no excuse for the railway traveller neglecting to take
so wise a precaution. All that has to be done is to place the insurance fee
along with the railway-fare on the pay-counter, and to receive the
insurance-ticket with the railway ticket. Against this mode of insurance as
against others, some weak-minded persons are prejudiced, because they fear that
the very catastrophe against which they are providing will be all the more
likely to occur; an illogical and unfounded mode of reasoning unworthy alike of
argument or refutation. One important feature of railway-insurance is, that
compensation paid by the insurance company does not invalidate any claim\ that
may be made on the railway company; and in the event of an action being
brought, the payment of such compensation cannot be pleaded in mitigation of
damages.
Supposing the railway traveller to have insured for
the journey he is about to take, the next consideration is the disposal of the
insurance-ticket. It is not safe for him to retain it about his person, because
in the event of an accident the ticket may be destroyed, or may fall out of the
pocket and be lost; thus precluding either the sufferer or his survivors
reaping the contemplated benefit. The best plan is, therefore, for the railway
traveller to take with him an envelope stamped and addressed to his wife, or
nearest and dearest friend, to insert the ticket in this envelope, and to post
it either at the station, or at an office in the immediate locality. Or if he
be accompanied by a friend, he may hand the ticket over to him without any
further trouble. But if these little matters are objected to as distracting the
attention and harassing the mind of the traveller at the important moment of
starting, then let him insure by the year or for a term, thus becoming a
policy-holder, as in the case of ordinary life insurance.
CHOICE OF CLASS.
The three classes of railway travelling may be said
to correspond with the degrees of comparison, positive, comparative,
superlative. He who regards economy as of paramount importance, he who aims at
combining respectability with moderate charge, or he who is indifferent to
cost, and studies his comfort only, is duly catered and cared for. At the time
when lotteries were in vogue, a person of low estate purchased a ticket; on the
day when a list of the prizes was posted up at the lottery-office, he proceeded
thither to ascertain his fate, and to his great joy and astonishment beheld the
number of his ticket adjudged a £20,000 prize. To calm the agitation of his
mind, produced by this event, he determined upon taking a walk round St.
Paul’s, and during that short promenade, he settled within himself the manner
in which he should expend his newly-acquired fortune. His walk ended, he
thought he would just go to the lottery office again, to feast his eyes on the
agreeable announcement. But, oh, horror! on reading over the list, he found
that his ticket was no longer included among the fortunate numbers. In a state
of bewilderment bordering on distraction, he entered the lottery-office to
inquire into the discrepancy; the matter was soon explained : by a slip of the
pen one little figure had been substituted for another, thus entirely altering
the context, and raising false hopes. The victim of this blunder was often
heard to declare, that the ten minutes of ecstasy which he enjoyed under the
impression that he was a man of fortune, more than compensated for years of
actual poverty, and to the day of his death he persisted in declaring he had
once been worth £20,000. The relevancy of this anecdote is, that the meanest of
mankind may, as a railway traveller, taste for once in his life the luxury and
ease supposed to be the peculiar privilege of the rich and great, and,
providing he occupy the compartment alone, he may boast in after life that he
once rode in his own carriage.
Let us now glance at the comparative cost and
comfort of the three classes. The fare of the first class is usually one-third
more than that of the second class, and double that of the third class. But the
superior accommodation is more than commensurate with the excess of fare. The
carriage is unexceptionably fitted up, and the occupants polite and well
conducted. It is said that a greater amount of respect is accorded to the
occupants of first class carriages than to others; and Punch once presented to
his readers a kind of gamut or scale of railway civility, as thus:
Collector of tickets (to first class passengers), “
May I trouble you for your tickets?”
(To second class), “ Tickets, please.”
(To third class), “ Now then! tickets.”
We, however, who have always found railway servants
uniformly civil and obliging, have no complaint to urge on this score. First
class travelling is undoubtedly most suitable for ladies, and for delicate or
sickly persons. In the latter case, especially, it should be borne in mind that
the excess of fare is trifling as compared with the probable doctor‘s charges,
consequent upon a cold caught by an invalid journeying in second or third
class. Another recommendation of the first class is, that the carriages are
never overcrowded, and even if they have their complement of passengers, there
is still ample sitting room, without any of that crowding, jostling, or edging,
which are so peculiarly irritating. For the enjoyment of ease and comfort in
the highest degree, we would commend the traveller to what are termed the
saloon carriages, for in these a person may recline with perfect freedom and
may shift his position as often as he pleases, without incommoding or annoying
his fellow-traveller. The second class fare is usually one-fourth less than the
first class, but the difference in comfort is immense.
The seats and backs of the ordinary second class
carriage are of wood, and the travelling with these surroundings, for any
length of time, is of the most unpleasant description. There is, in point of
fact, but little distinction between second and third class, the main
difference being in the quality of the company. It is to be observed, however,
that on some lines the second class carriages do not answer to the general
description; an attempt is made to render them comfortable, and the seats are
partially cushioned. But even this occasional concession would appear to be a
matter of caprice, for some trains run the better sort of carriages, while
other trains, even on the same line, adhere to the inferior kind. The
far-seeing and provident traveller, therefore, will do well if, previously to
taking his ticket, he run his eye along the departing train, and ascertain
whether the possibility exists of his having something approximating to first
class comfort at second class fare.
The discomforts and inconveniences of the third
class are too notorious to need much dwelling upon. Of course, the lowness of
fare is the grand recommendation, but even in this particular, a return journey
can be performed at a cheaper rate by second class than by third, inasmuch as
return-tickets are not generally issued for the latter. Some persons, attracted
by the lowness of fare, and unacquainted with the attendant drawbacks, have an
inclination to ride by third class. Under such circumstances they may be
destined to pass the next few hours of their existence tightly compressed
between two rough specimens of humanity. They may be doomed to
semi-suffocation, to partial extinction of vision, and total deprivation of
motive power by several large bundles, boxes, or baskets, which every other
passenger insists upon carrying, and which no amount of force or persuasion can
apparently induce them to relinquish. It may be that the shoulders, shins,
toes, or other parts of the body, will from time to time be brought into
contact with angularities or cubes. Let us be understood as not deriding third
class passengers, but as merely pointing out that these little rubs, which are
patiently borne by the humbler and more enduring portion of the community, may
prove a source of great disquiet and pain to him who is unaccustomed to be thus
tried.
To sum up the respective
merits of thevarious modes of railway travelling, we should say, let all
persons who can afford it travel first class, and let even those who imagine
they cannot do so, and who have a long distance to go, expend a few extra shillings
in this direction, and economize them in some other. For short journeys,
however, the second class may be ridden by without any material sacrifice of
comfort, and for very short journeys, where a person wishes to view the
country, enjoy the breeze, and indulge in a cigar, the third class will answer
the purpose sufficiently well. The assertion may appear a startling one, that a
person cannot always travel by the class he would wish, but is compelled, by
that regard for appearances which influences society at large, to ride by the
dearer class, when his means are better suited to an inferior class. This is an
important consideration for persons who are about to take season-tickets, and
who will, in all probability, have occasion to travel frequently in company
with those with whom they are associated by commercial or social ties, and when
to travel by an inferior class would argue either poverty or meanness.
Here is a case in point: a
London merchant resided a few miles from the City, in an elegant mansion, to
and from which he journeyed daily, and invariably by third class. It happened
that one of the clerks in his employ lived in a cottage accessible by the same
line of railway, but he always travelled first class; the same train thus
presenting the anomaly of the master being in that place which one would
naturally assign to the man, and the man appearing to usurp the position of the
master. One day these two alighted at the terminus in full view of each other.
“Well,” said Mr. B———, in that tone of banter which a superior so frequently
thinks it becoming to adopt. :I don’t know how you manage to ride first class,
when in these hard times I find third class fare as much as I can afford.” “Sir,” replied the clerk, “ you, who are known
to be a person of wealth and position, may adopt the most economical mode of
travelling at no worse risk than being thought eccentric, and even with the
applause of some for your manifest absence of pride. But, as for myself, I
cannot afford to indulge in such irregularities. Among the persons I travel
with I am reported to be a well-paid employee, and am respected accordingly; to
maintain this reputation I am compelled to travel in the same manner as they
do, and were I to adopt an inferior mode, it would be attributed to some
serious falling off of income; a circumstance which would occasion me not only loss
of consideration among my quondam fellow-travellers, but one which, upon coming
to the ears of my butcher, baker, and grocer, might seriously injure my credit
with those highly respectable, but certainly worldly-minded, tradesmen.” Mr. B
was not slow in recognizing the full force of this argument, more particularly
as the question of his own liberality was involved, nor did he hesitate to give
it a practical application by immediately increasing the salary of his clerk,
not only to the amount of a first class season-ticket, but something over.
CHOICE OF CARRIAGE.
In the selection of his carriage,
the railway traveller has to take into consideration both comfort and security.
The old stager is fully alive to this, and makes his choice with as much deliberation
as an alderman would select his port. His decision being influenced by actual
experience, as follows:—The middle of the train is the safest, because in the
event of being run into from behind, or meeting a train in front, the force of
the concussion would, in either case, be considerably expended before the
centre part were reached. The carriages nearest the engine are regarded as
dangerous in case of an accident occurring to the engine itself, or in the
event of its running off the line, when it usually manages to drag the next two
or three carriages with it. The tail of the train is not liked, because it
moves—in summer-time especially—in a perpetual cloud of dust, which is not
calculated to improve the attire or benefit the lungs. The oscillation,
jerking, and other eccentric movements of the train are also felt with greater
force at the end than in any other portion; and it does sometimes happen that
the last carriage or two, by the severance of the coupling-irons, become
separated from their travelling companions, and are left standing stock-still
on the line, while the forward portion of the train speeds on its way
unconscious of, and therefore unheeding, the catastrophe.
Observe that the first-class carriages lined with
cloth are warmer than those lined with leather or horsehair; therefore, in
winter the former are the most comfortable; in summer the latter are coolest.
If you wish to recline at full length, and have reason to believe that the
carriage will not fill, one having no division of seats may be selected, but
under ordinary circumstances the carriages having divisions are the most
comfortable, as they afford a great support to the body when in a sitting
position, and effectually prevent persons monopolizing an undue share of space.
If there are two kinds of second-class carriages, the one having ample window-room,
and the other with a small opening on each side resembling port-holes, avoid
the latter as you would the plague, especially if the weather be hot, unless
you wish to realize to yourself what the terrible position might have been of
those unfortunate occupants of the Black Hole of Calcutta. When you are going
on a long journey, bring the principles of Lavater to your aid, and scan the
features of the persons already in possession of the carriage, with a view of
ascertaining whether they are likely to prove pleasant travelling companions or
the contrary. Life is so short, that even a few hours miserably or happily
spent are objects of consequence. Do not select a carriage which is obviously
already in the possession of a party, the forming “one too many” is anything
but agreeable. A conversation carried on across you and behind you, and upon
topics in which you are in no way concerned, is apt to prove uninteresting.
Then there is that system of private telegraphing from one to the other, which
might be interpreted thus, “What a nuisance, this man coming in our carriage!”
“ If he had any sense he might have known that he wasn’t wanted here.” “Did
ever you see such a guy—I wonder who and what he is,” and so on. So if a party
wish to travel in perfect comfort, and to keep together, they should engage a
carriage for their exclusive occupation, and this might be done by sending word
to the stationmaster a day or two previously, and to insure attention,
forwarding at the same time the amount of fare.
CHOICE OF SEAT.
The
most comfortable seat in a railway carriage is a corner one, and if you desire
to be undisturbed and at the same time to have an opportunity of viewing the
country, the corner furthest from the door at which the passengers enter, is
the best. If, however, you have not far to go, or wish to witness the bustle
and commotion of the platform, then take up your station at the corner nearest
the entrance door. It is generally acknowledged that sitting with the back to
the engine prevents the motion of the carriage being felt in a great degree,
but to some persons this makes no difference. Certainly, in sitting with the
back towards the engine, one escapes the dust and ashes which are constantly
flying about. The centre compartment of a first-class carriage is said to be
safest in the event of a collision, because this portion of the carriage is
more substantially built, and consequently better calculated to resist the
shock.
In
second and third-class carriages avoid sitting near the doorway; the constant opening
and shutting of the door subject those near it to cold and draughts, and the
incessant passing to and fro, with the usual accompaniments of
shoulder-grasping an d toe-crushing, is more than suffieient to test the best
of tempers. It also frequently happens that one of the passengers, a “navvy,”
for instance, is ever and anon thrustinghis head out the window, thus favouring
you with an uninterrupted view of his substantial but by no means picturesque
proportions, and at the same time beating time on your shins with his
hob-nailed and iron-shod high-lows.
SENDING FEMALES AND CHILDREN BY RAILWAY
UNACCOMPANIED.
It frequently happens that a
female is compelled to undertake a journey by railway unaccompanied. She can
generally contrive, however, to secure the services of her husband, brother, or
other male relative to see her off by the train; and as the departure is the
most harassing part of the journey, she will then not have much to dread. In
such a case we would advise the person who has charge of the lady, to put her
into a carriage where there are others of her own sex, especially those of
matronly appearance, and with family surroundings; they might be asked in a
respectful manner if they were going as far as the unaccompanied female. Any
woman of ordinary shrewdness and kindly feeling would understand the question,
and determine within her own mind to extend the required protection. But a
person of tact could manage this matter in a better way. He might enter into
conversation with the ladies, and incidentally mention that her companion was
compelled to travel alone; then after a few other remarks he might claim their
protection, and having thus established a sort of introduction, leave the
future fellow-travellers to improve the occasion. If a female is obliged not
only to travel alone, but to go to the station alone, she should place herself
under the care of one of the policemen or guards, of whom she will find many,
and he will see her luggage stowed away, assist her in procuring a ticket, in
selecting a seat, etc.
In some extreme cases it is necessary to send a
child of tender years by railway without a protector. There was an account in
the newspapers some time since of a little boy, seven years of age, being
despatched alone from York to London, a label,inscribed with his name and
address and destination, was attached to his clothes, with no further direction
than that he was to wait at the terminus till called for. The account goes on
to state that this strange living package was conveyed “ with care,” and that
he arrived at the place to which he was sent in perfect safety. We do not
altogether advocate such a mode of despatch as this, but we would advise a
person having to send a child unaccompanied by railway, to place him in a
carriage where there is a family party, so that he will stand a chance not only
of being protected but amused in company with those of his own age. Under any
circumstances, the bare mention of such a fact to even the most inexorable of
bachelors, would prove a sufficient claim on his sympathies, and induce him to
treat his little travelling companion with kindness and consideration. The
attention of the guard might be also drawn to the circumstance, who would see
every now and then how Master Halfprice was getting on, and thus the journey
would be accomplished in safety.
RETAINING SEAT.
So soon as the railway traveller
is admitted to the platform, he should hasten to the train drawn alongside, and
having first ascertained that it is the train he is to proceed by, at once select
his carriage and seat according to the hints previously given. If he have
companions, then the choice must be made with a view to the comfort of all; if
he has only himself to please, the task is extremely simple. There is a certain
etiquette in connection with the retaining of seats which it is considered both
rude and unjust to disregard. Thus, the placing of a coat, a book, a newspaper,
or any other article, on the seat of a carriage, is intended as a token that
such place is engaged. This principle is to be acted on in the retaining of
seats, and, whatever the number you require, should have deposited
conspicuously upon them anything that comes to hand. This system of occupation
by proxy refers, however, more especially to the first class. With the majority
of travellers by second and third class this delicate intimation does not
appear to be understood, or, if understood, not recognized. In such cases it
would be necessary to place some article of size and bulk in the place where
you wish to sit, as a portmanteau or box, which some persons would be too
timid, and others too idle, to remove. But where there is a party of some three
or four, one of the company should see after the luggage and tickets, while the
others sit wide, and thus retain between them a seat for their absent
companion. If a person finds that he will not be able to arrive at the station until
the very last moment, he should send his servant, or some one upon whom he
could depend, to procure the ticket, retain the seat, etc. And if he have any
business to transact, such as the posting of the railway accident insurance
ticket, he should retain his seat at the earliest possible moment to afford
ample time for the performance. Under any circumstances the number of the
carriage and its position should be noted; otherwise, and especially if the
gage de séance has been removed or
accidentally displaced, the “unseated member” will be rushing from carriage to
carriage in a state of bewilderment, and will be at last compelled to settle
down anywhere, and take the chance of regaining his missing articles either
during or at the close of the journey. Supposing you to have companions in the
waiting-room, you will, after having selected seats for them, hasten to where
you have left them, and escort them to the train; and this being off your mind,
you will be enabled to see to the stowing away of the luggage if this be not
already done, or to perform any other office you desire. Occasionally an
ill-bred person is to be met with, who will unceremoniously remove articles
from a seat, disputing the right of pre-occupation, and appropriating the
coveted place to himself. Such persons should be mildly remonstrated with, and
if this fail, then an appeal should be made to the stationmaster or the guard, who
will possibly be able to prevail upon the usurper to abdicate. But if he still
persists in holding out, avoid anything like collision (ominous term on
railways!), leave him to triumph in an ungentlemanly action, and seek a place
in some other portion of the train. We hold that altercations under such
circumstances are not only useless, but unpleasant in their results. Here is an
example:
“ Excuse me, sir, but you have taken my seat.”
“Your seat, sir! nothing of the kind.
Possession is nine points of the law, and you see I have it.”
“ But, sir, I placed my
travelling bag upon the seat ten minutes since.”
“ And supposing you did, what then?”
“ What then! why, sir, you surely
cannot be ignorant of the custom among railway travellers of securing seats by depositing
articles upon them.”
“I recognize no such custom; when
I find a seat with nobody on it, I take it. I have taken this; and I mean to
keep it.”
“ Well, sir, all I can say is
that you are no gentleman.”
“Perhaps not, sir; and on that
account I should advise you to be civil.”
“ What, sir, do you dare to
threaten me? What do you mean ?”
“ Pooh! pooh! don’t bother me; go
away and sit down.”
“ But I’ll let you know, sir,
that——”
At this moment the familiar face
of the guard appears at the carriage window, the door is closed, the whistle is
blown, and the train starts, the claimant of the appropriated seat is obliged
to find another where best he can, and the antagonists perform the journey
either in open conflict, by talking at each other, or by silently looking
daggers drawn, to the amusement, the annoyance, or both, of the other
passengers, but to the decided chagrin, humiliation, and discomfort of him who
has been worsted in the contest. We may perhaps be allowed to put in a word in
favour of this custom of retaining seats. We consider, then, that there is
nothing unfair in it, inasmuch as the opportunity is open to all, and on the
universally recognized principle of “first come, first served,” the earliest
comers at a station are certainly entitled to a choice of places. The book, the
bag, the newspaper, or other representative article ought to be respected, for
this shows (or at least in nine instances out ten) that the person himself has
been there, and it is somewhat exacting on the part of others to require a
traveller to coop himself up in a close station a quarter of an hour previous
to starting, in order that he may the more effectually defend his right against
ill-bred and wrong-headed pretenders.
When a train
passes through the station from which the railway traveller departs, it is
obviously impossible for him to retain a seat, unless some sort of influence be
brought to bear upon the station-master or the guard in charge of the train, or
the good offices of some friend or acquaintance at the starting-point are put
into requisition. Nevertheless, we would advise the intending traveller to take
up his station on the platform, in such a position as will enable him to
observe the interior of the carriages as they flit by him, so that when the
train pulls up, he will be enabled if not to fix upon a particular seat, at
least to select a carriage that is not overcrowded, or the occupants of which
appear most congenial to his desires. We also suggest that a person thus
waiting for a train to pass through, should post himself on the platform a few
yards in advance of the station, and not absolutely within it, for it is here
that the crowd mostly congregate, and from this point a certain amount of
squeezing and hustling is brought to bear, which it is as well to avoid. Also, generally
speaking, the engine and foremost portion of the train shoots beyond the
station, so that a person placed as we have indicated may take his seat
leisurely and quietly in a half-filled carriage, while persons lower down are
struggling to possess the vacant seats of carriages already over-crowded.
PROCURING TICKET.
The
place where the tickets are issued is usually not open until within about a
quarter of an hour of the departure of the train. Supposing, therefore, a
passenger to have arrived at the station previously, he can employ the interval
in looking after his luggage, selecting his seat, etc., and thus have nothing
to attend to but the procuring his ticket. This process is usually so well
managed that there is little crowding or confusion, each person taking his turn
in regular order. In this comparatively trifling matter, as in every other,
there is a right way and a wrong way of proceeding. All preliminary words are
not only a waste of time, but quite unnecessary; the clerk sits at the counter
for the purpose of ascertaining the place you are bound for, the class you wish
to travel by, and the nature of the journey, whether single or double. The
readiest way, therefore, of making yourself understood, is to apply for your
ticket somewhat after this manner, “ Bath—first-class—return,” or whatever it
may be.
We
have previously alluded to the necessity of having a supply of change, and this
applies with especial force to the procuring of.
the ticket. If you know what the fare is, have the exact
amount ready in your hand, and if you do not know it, have the money so handy
that you may make up the sum without hesitation. By doing this you will not
only save your own time, but that of your neighbour. Perhaps some of our
readers may be able to call to mind some such scene as the following, which is,
indeed, one of the incidents of almost every departing train: An elderly lady
presents herself at the ticket-counter, and expresses a wish to go to some
place at a short distance, say Putney. She first of all inquires
what is the fare first, second, and third class; upon being told that, she
hesitates a few seconds, and then thinks she will travel first-class. Being
asked whether she requires a single or return ticket, she appears to be
astounded at the proposition, ejaculates, “Eh! oh! ah!” at wide intervals, and
finally decides upon a single ticket, giving at the same time her reasons for
doing so. Having been informed that the fare is ninepence, she dives for her purse
into some apparently unfathomable chasm connected with her dress, and after
considerable rummaging, accompanied by a gingling of keys and the production in
succession of a pocket-handkerchief, smelling-bottle, a pair of mittens,
spectacle-case, a fan, and an Abernethy biscuit, she at length succeeds in
drawing forth an article which resembles an attenuated eel. Thrusting her long
bony fingers into this receptacle, she draws out what she conceives to be a
shilling, but on nearer inspection she discovers it to be a sovereign. She
makes another dive and produces a half~crown, as she supposes, but this proves to
be only a penny-piece: finally, she manages to fish out sixpence, and
connecting this with the pennypiece, and vaguely wondering whether she can find
twopence more to make up the required amount, but without arriving at any
satisfactory conclusion, she is at length constrained to give over further
search and to lay down the sovereign. Upon receiving her change, she examines
each piece leisurely to ascertain if it be genuine; satisfied on this point,
she counts her change over, repeating the process some four or five times, and
on each occasion arriving at a different result. At length she makes out the
matter to her satisfaction, then having carefully stowed away her change in
such a manner that the first pickpocket may abstract it, she looks about her to
see that she has left nothing behind, and after remarking how wonderfully the
clerk resembles her nephew who has gone to the Indies, she somewhat reluctantly
makes way for the next person. This is no overcharged picture, and we have no
doubt that every one of our readers has in his time had his patience tried by
some obstructive old lady bound for Putney or elsewhere.
When
you have received your ticket, put it in some place where it is not likely to
be disturbed, but where it may be readily lighted on. If you deposit it in a
pocket with other articles the chances are that in withdrawing any of these,
the ticket may bear them company, and so be lost. This is a serious affair,
since the ticket is a voucher that the traveller has paid his fare, and its
non-production at the end of the journey entails the necessity of paying a
second time. When you receive your ticket, ascertain that
it is correct as regards the place you have booked for, the class you wish to
travel by, and whether it be single or return; any error of this kind
discovered immediately is soon rectified, but if allowed to pass, it cannot be
so easily remedied afterwards, if at all.
Elderly or infirm persons, to
avoid the inconvenience attending the procuring of the ticket, should ask one
of the porters to perform that office for them, or prevail upon some person to
obtain the ticket at the same time they do their own. When there are several persons
belonging to the same party, one person will be sufficient to secure the
tickets for the whole. Children under twelve years of age travel at halfprice;
when an adult, therefore, takes a ticket for himself and child, he asks for a “
ticket and a-half ;” for every additional child under the limited age
calculating a half-ticket. Persons should be cautioned not to tamper with the
tickets in any way, and especially not to make use of or purchase passes which
are not transferable; the detection of these irregularities is productive of
the most awkward and humiliating consequences.
To be continued
