POPULAR RAILWAYMAN RETIRES.

Shannon News, 25 January 1924, Page 2

POPULAR RAILWAYMAN RETIRES.

PASSENGERS’ FRIEND,

-; - familiar figure of Mr. John <• 0 j platform storeman at tne Railway Static, for the i, it cloven years, will no longer be b passengers arriving and departCarroll is retiring at his own r ‘ t . He has thirty-two years_ . 1 o his credit, and he fc’els that ; ■ o-uia most benclit by entering roriromeiit while ho has his health and strength, intend of hanging on until his sixty-fifth birthday. It is no exaggeration to say that Mr. C-irroU is one of the most popular men who evier donned the railway uniform Tn New Zealand. Mr. Carroll's friends are to be found throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion, lhey are the thousands of railway passeners who at some time or other have had occasion to go to him for information or advice -The great majority did not know Mr. Carroll's name; they merely knew him as the platform man ui the cheery smile and the obliging manSr A position, such as that filled by Mr’ Carroll in Christchurch demanded the exercise of a considerable amount of tact and patience and qualities were possessed by him m abundance Moreover, Mr. Carroll was a veritable mine of information, and, no matifcr how stupid the questions addressed to £ might sound, he always answered them courteously and went to end trouble to help-his questioners, lie has never been known to adopt what is commonly termed “an ofiimous manner" in his dealings with the public. Mr. Carroll was especially well liked

bv liis fellow-railwaymcn. V duties of platform storeman brought Mr. Carroll into closer touch with passengers than possibly any othei railway servant in Christchurch. His -job was principally to attend to the wants of passengers and to sce platform was kept m proper order Th iindine- of scats on crowded trains tor harassed mothers with children was .a duty that devolved upon Mr. p arrol almost daily, and in this connection his absence from the Christchurch station will be greatly deplored. Mr. Carrol was .always busy; as soon ashehad attended to one inquiry he was ready for the next. And though always m constant demand at train times he.was never ‘ ‘ bustled.' 5 He is especially popular with pressmen because of his un fa When C the rt la£ Earl Grey visited the Dominion early in 1914, Mr. Carr was specially detailed to look after him and attend to his luggage. Qmtoa number of Cabinet Ministers and others nrmninent people have always asked C Mr? CarVoll to see to their luggage at the Christchurch station, because thev knew that he was a man who could boltcpSa on absolutely. Tbe Prmce of Wales, Lord Liverpool, COX,', General Godley, General Eobin, Surgeon-General Henderson, and all t present Cabinet Ministers are among the hundreds with whom Mr. Carroll became personally acquainted ih the C °Naturallv I , S Mr. t Carroll was asked silly questions It times. The most common question was: What time does the midL train leave for Rangiora? The

question is really not; as suiy as sounds for although the tram depart* at noon, the idea at the tack of the question is that itmightpossibiy leave a little before or after mid-day. Even the silliest of questions, remaikU Mr. Carroll to a reporter recently express a desire to obtain certain information, and the thing to find ou is actually what the questioner is anxious to know.'* riormli has In his experience, Mr. Carroll has found 99 per cent of the public out on their own" and the other one pe cent, “the opposite.” A few—veryfew —people would adopt an overbearing manner towards him and order im ablut, but by using tact it ™ P“ ss ‘¥® to mate these people realise.their mis f„irn And when it came to the exer

cise of tact tliere were few Tailwaymen in New Zealand who could equal Mr. Carroll. Mr. Carroll’s railway career commenced at Pukerua (now Pukerua Bay), near Paeteiariki, in 1802 wjjn to joined the maintenance staff of the old Wellington-Manawatu Railway Com pany, Ltd. Two years later he was transferred to MaJiakau, near Levin, where he remained for fifteen years. In 1908 the Government took over the railway from the company and in Mr. Carroll was transferred to the traffic staff and stationed at Ngaio. He came to Christchurch from Ngaio in 1?1as platform storeman, which position he continued to hold until his *e 1 - mcnt. He has now entered upon three months’ leave of absence and will be superannuated as from April otn. Christchurch Star.