The Reward of Politeness.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 99

The Reward of Politeness.

President Harahan, of the Illinois Central, at a dinner in New York, compared foreign with home railroads. "And another thing," he said, "our railway servants are more courteous than foreign ones. Foreign porters and 1 ticketsellers are a very crusty lot. "An American and 1 a Briton were once riding up to London in a first-class carriage. Tho American, at a certain, station, leaned out and said 1 to the porter on the platform : " 'What station is this, brother?' " 'Birmingham, of course,' said the porter" in a surly tone. 'Can't you see the name posted up?' "The American, after drawing in his head, said to the Englishman : " 'Now that was a piece of discourtesy you wouldn't meet with in America. An American porter would have answered me with polished politeness.' "The Englishman smiled. " 'Ah, but it was your own fault, that rebuff,' he said. 'Pardon me for mentioning it; but your manner was too bluff, too ' rough-and-ready. The porter took you for i a—ca — cr — a bounder. Now, at the next station, I -will myself ask a porter some question, I

I and I'll ask it in the gracious, condescending way we do do such things over here. 1 warrant you I'll receive the most courto • ous of answers.' " 'All right,' said the American, shortly, a little hurt at having been mistaken for I a bounder. "Well, at the next station, the carriage drew up near a porter, and the English- | man — he was a typical, rotund, rosy old | John Bull — put his head out of the window, showed aIL his false teeth in a glittering smile, and purred : " 'Porter, would you kindly tell me the name of this station?' "The porter glanced up, and then, as he j slouched off, called back over his shoulder : " 'Ah, shut tha' trap, tha' bacon-faced old buffer ! Put tha' daft fat head in before I knock it off for thee !' T>