The British railways have evolved a code of telegraph language which draws largely upon the animal and vegetable worlds. Animals, reptiles, insects, flowers, and fruits all contribute to a time-saving code. Thus asparagus means "Do you agree to times of trains as under?" and scorpion stands for "Carriage truck open (ordinary)." Bloater means a "four-wheel large covered fish-truck," dnd beetle a "special cattle waggon." If the goods department at Slowtown-on-the-Mud gets a telegram "Frog" it knows that it stands for "Following waggons (named) detained at your station under load. Get them discharged at once and send to-day full written explanation of detention."
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Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21033, 8 December 1933, Page 7
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102Page 7 Advertisements Column 3 Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21033, 8 December 1933, Page 7
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