Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1875 — The Law of the Rail. [ARTICLE]

The Law of the Rail.

Some one who has taken the trouble to post himself on the laws governing railroad passenger travel, says that extra charges for failure to buy’ tickets are universally sustained by the courts, but there must be a full opportunity to buy afforded by the ticket seller. Passengers must show their tickets when asked for. As to-“stopping off,” there is but one decision, which is that a passenger cannot “stop oft” and resume his journey without the previous assent of the company. As to the obligation of the company to furnish a seat to a passenger, a decision says: “A passenger who exhibits his ticket need not surrender it until he has been furnished with a seat.” A railroad is not liable for things stolen out of a passenger’s seat,’ there being no previous delivery to the company’s servants; for"the same reason the company is not liable for baggage in the passenger’s own care. Passengers who neglect to look ’ after their own baggage on arrival at their destination cannot recover it if it is lost without fault of the carrier. Baggage left in station houses for the passengers’ convenience, after it has reached its destination, comes under a new class of rights and duties, the baggage master assuming the position of a “gratuitious bailee,” who only becomes liable in cases of gross negligence. The obligation of the railroad as carrier ceases when it has delivered to the owner at the place of destination, or when he has had reasonable opportunity of receiving or removing it. It will interest sportsmen to know that they may recover for the value of dogs when they entrust them to baggage masters for hire, because of their exclusion from the passeagers cars. —Exchange.