A Funny Incident on the Sussex Railroad
We have somewhere read an incident of
a forgetful gentleman who on a certain occasion prepared to get his
effects off a steamboat at a landing. He had piled his three trunks
and innumerable bandboxes and parcels on the landing, when the thought
forcibly struck him that he had forgotten something. He went over
his inventory and found that everything on it was safe on the wharf.
Yet his mind was unsettled, and the more he thought of the matter
the more convinced he became that he had forgotten something. In his
perplexity he went to the Captain of the boat and inquired, and received
from that dignitary the curt reply:
"I don't know what you've forgot, but
the boat starts in just two minutes, and you'd better get that woman
and those six children out of the cabin."
"By hokey, that's it," exclaimed the
relieved and happy man, "I knowd I'd forgot something."
This incident was recalled to our mind
by a funny little episode that occurred on the Sussex Railroad on
Tuesday evening of last week. Billy Nolan, engineer, came rushing
into the Andover depot, and as he pulled up the station agent shouted
out:
"Haven't you forgot something, Billy
?"
Billy looked back over his train and
exclaimed in astonishment:
"Where the deuce is that passenger car."
And sure enough the passenger car was
missing. His mind became at once filled with vague fears, for he knew
the car was with the train at Waterloo. It might lay a wreck on the
track or fallen down an embankment for all he knew. Nothing remained
for him to do but to proceed slowly back toward Waterloo. This he
did all the way till he arrived there and found the car and its load
of passengers standing safely on the track at the station.
When the Morris & Essex passengers
had arrived at the depot and were seated in the Sussex car, Conductor
Burrell, gave the word "All aboard," and jumped upon his car. But
strange to relate, the car was uncoupled, and did not start, while
the engine with the rest of the train sped away around the curve.
Conductor Burrell ran out on the platform and shouted with all his
might, but too late to stop the engine. Nothing was to be done therefore
bit to await the return of the engine, when should find that, (although
through no neglect of his own) he had let his passengers. The only
result of the mistake was a little delay and a hearty laugh at the
expense of our good natured and obliging friend, Conductor Burrell.