snowyday Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 The station inspector, new on the job and unknown along the line, was making his first tour of the road. One morning, he stepped into a waiting room of a country station and found it as cold as ice. Half a dozen patrons were huddled around a fireless stove. “Why hasn’t a fire been started?†the inspector demanded. One of the customers jerked his thumb in the direction of the agent’s office. “No use asking him. Says he’s too busy to build a fire.†The inspector stepped over to the agent’s window and asked him the reason for the cold stove. “Got no time for that,†snapped the agent. “This here freight’s gotta be billed and after that, there’s a pile of telegrams to send. The inspector took a blank from his pocket and scribbled a message to headquarters concerning the agent’s neglect, asking for authority to discharge him. “Here,†he said, “Put this with the other wires you have to send.†The agent snatched the blank, hastily scanned it, then slammed it down on the desk and headed for the kindling box. “Got no time to send any telegrams,†he snapped. “I gotta make a fire in that stove yonder!†(From the forties when trains were King.) * * * * snowyday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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