It Stopped.

Otago Witness, Issue 2207, 18 June 1896, Page 47

It Stopped.

A resident of L called at tbe office of the pinnager of ■ a big North ef England railway bompany the other day, and sending in his card, promptly admitted to the private room of ijthat official. As be sends torn of goods over jthe company's line, his reception wai a cordial We, ' *' lam about to take ray family up to London Saturday morning,'*' he said, " and have come to ask you as a favour to have the 8.30 Bxpreas stopped at L— — so that we can get to Down early in the afternoon. It would be extremely inconvenient for. us to go on to B )n order to catch the train, - and I think I can wrfely ask the favour of having it stopped for jae," '- The manager picked up a time-table from his fleEkjglanced over it, and saidi" "Well, the rules of the road are-very strict on the subject of stopping' express trains to take pn 'passengers at stations nob de&iga'ated as jjtbps on the train schedule. We seldom grant snob requesta, even to important officials of the iroad. -If we 'were to comply with one quarter of the requests of this sort .that we receive, oar expresses would be able to make no better time IhMV the ordinary trains. But we appreciate the faotthaVwe receive V good share of bual- ' BtSB from you, and'for that reason are disposed fco acoominodate you. ' You dan depend upon jthefi.3o train stopping at L— — next Saturday , Jpijorning." ,tr The.raller expressed his. grateful thanks to the manager.ana departed; At 8 20 the follow - . Jng Saturday morning he and his family, with too little luggage, were driven up to the station ut great haste In two carriages. Having purchased ticket* for the party the gentleman bustled out upon the platform, asd approaohIng the ttationmaster with the haughtiness of % railroad'magnate, said « ■ '■ "I suppose you received orders from the manager to stop the 8.30 train for me P " '■ The stitlonmaittr looked at him meekly. " No, lit i f received no; orders whatever.""Well, thafa strange. Th« manager told me positively the train, would be stopped here Sor nje."" '"*,.-. v - * • • (The smile that spread over the station- - 4n»ster 767 6 face wu interpreted by the gentleman -so indicate a doubt as to his veracity, ' and he ■ became* properly Indignant, ' The other still . insisted that he had recaived no orders regarding the stopping of the train. " Well, the order must certainly have been tent out, and^may have miscarried," said the gentleman. " But of oours* you stop it P " ' ' -" No, sir, that's out of the question. I can't ltop that train without orders from head- . nuarters to do io. It would cost me my post ' ifldid. j> At that . moment the train was sighted in , the distance, and the gentleman began to prance j&bont the platform in a state of great exoite- - jment. He pleaded, begged, and entreated the *• jstationmaster to stop the train, and finally threatened to repprt him to the manager, bub ,»11 in vain. As the train drew -near the station . Its' speed' slackened, and finally] it stopped. ■ {then the' waiting fanjtily was hurriedly bundled in. As the train, started the gentleman looked ' put of the , carriage .window at, the at»tion- - faster, and shouted triumphantly, in a 'voice that was audible to every one in the train i ',' Didn't I tell you this train was ' ordered to ftop here for me? 6 - ; The statipnmastor- grinned, and retorted in stentorian tones T ' „ ' * , » > "Why/ this' train has been' stopping' here every morning for the last 15 years. '