A Hose and a Nose.

This story is told about one of our most noted stationmasters:

There was only one hose at the station, and the porter whose duty it was to keep things properly washed down had got tired of repairing it. He was in despair when he saw it left lying in front of a fast approaching shunting engine, but he failed to catch the driver's eye in time, so the hose was damaged beyond repair.

Sometime later, on this unlucky day, the same porter was in the parcels office, where a package of fish was stored. The fish was rather past its prime, but the occupants of the office had got used to it. The Stationmaster, however, coming in from the fresh air, was assailed by the strong smell, and, after glaring belligerently, enquired sarcastically of the porter: “Haven't you got a nose?” He was made speechless by the astonishing reply: “No, sir, it was run over this afternoon.”

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