| Show an old time hallway among the various exhibits secured by chief smith of the transportation department of the worlds fair during bis recent visit to europe is a small brass pocket piece resembling an ordinary baggage check which ia worth a great deal more than its weight in gold it is of octagon shape and on one bide is stamped the inscription L S railway barworth bagworth Bag worth no 29 on the opposite side the number is repeated the relic represents the kind and form of tickets in use in 1832 for open carriage passengers on the leicester and swan ington railway the distance covered by the main line was a trifle over sixteen miles and the passenger fares charged were 1 pence a mile there was one class only and the passengers stood up in an open carriage generally known as a tub which was nothing better than a high sided goods wagon having no top no seats no spring buffer these brass tickets were used to the various stations the guard of the train carrying a letter bag something in the style of a collection box having eight j separate divisions one for each station at the end of each passengers journey bis ticket was taken up and placed in the bag by the guard to be returned recorded on the beoka and again used mcw york recorder |
