“WHEN AH ‘memba ol’ time story, watah come in me yeye.”
In the bad old days when folks could proceed no further along the East Coast by train than Mahaica, passengers bound for Mahaicony and beyond found it convenient to drop in at Springhall for a ‘si’ down’ and a mouthful of food with Mr. J.B.W. Clementson, the proprietor of the estate, there being a mahogany avenue leading from the house and joining the public road at a point immediately opposite the railway terminus. When lean years came, and ‘Old Man’, as Mr. Clementson was called, could no longer afford to figure so extensively in the role of host, a barricade was erected at the road-end of the avenue.
It was a drastic expedient, and I recall the distress which the decayed sugar-planter manifested, but that it was necessary I knew only too well.
By many travelers, that barricade was an ugly thing to contemplate, and a gross violation of a once vaunted hospitality.
I knew another East Coast gentleman who betrayed far greater strategy in thinning down the number of unwanted visitors.
The Transport Department, in more recent times, ran excursion trains on stated afternoons, and our friend, the strategist, was provided with ample opportunity to figure as a generous dispenser of hospitality to scores of excursionists from Georgetown, who must have proved a nuisance, especially as some of them contrived to get left behind, and had, perforce, to be entertained till the departure of the next train.
Behold the tactician mixing energetically with the newly-arrived excursionists on the railway platform, solemnly uplifting his voice to proclaim the fiction that the train would be off again in exactly two-fifth’s of a minute without fail.
(The Daily Chronicle: April 2, 1938)

Estate manager tells of midnight murder discovery:
GEORGETOWN,  Mon. April 3 – Mr. C.H. Palmer (Manager of Plantation La Bonne Intention), who found his house watchman, Soormaly Bacchus ,(63) , dying from terrible wounds and took him to the hospital shortly after twelve o’clock on Friday night, told a ‘Daily Chronicle’ Special Representative yesterday of his terrible experience.
Mr. Palmer, it is stated, was awakened by the sound of a loud noise in the lower flat of the building.
Getting out of bed, he went downstairs.
As he was proceeding towards the gallery of the dining-room, he saw Bacchus bleeding profusely from a number of wounds.
Although Mrs. Palmer was alone in the upper storey, Mr. Palmer threw on his mackintosh and assisted Bacchus to the hospital, handing him over to Mr. H. Katchay, the Dispenser.
Mr. Katchay rendered First Aid and immediately got in touch with the District G.M.O., Dr. J.E. Ramdeholl.
On Dr. Ramdeholl’s arrival, he examined Bacchus and found him suffering from a number of wounds.
One was on the right side of his head; one behind the right ear; another on the left side of his face, extending from the edge of his upper lip to the left ear, and extending into the cavity of the mouth; one across his chin; one at the back of his left hand; and the first joints of the left second, third and fourth fingers, severed.
Bacchus was admitted shortly before one o’clock on Saturday morning, and about five hours afterwards, he died.

Motive a mystery
Meanwhile, the Police continue their investigations.
A second man, ‘Budhia’, was detained yesterday.
Labourers at L.B.I. seemed unable to suggest a motive for the crime.
They refused to believe it was a robbery, because Bacchus was considered to be a good man.
The mystery, therefore, seems inexplicable.
His wife, who lives on the Estate, said that she never heard him complain recently of threats from anyone.
Some believe, however, that the murderer may have intended to rob the house, and had been discovered by the watchman.

A pan-boiler
Soormally Bacchus was born at Chateau Margot, and attended the School of St. Mary Ye Virgin, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara.
On leaving school, he became a pan-boiler’s apprentice at Pln. Chateau Margot.
In 1903, he went to Jamaica and found employment in a sugar factory.
He also worked as pan-boiler at L.B.I.
At one time, Bacchus was manager of Little Canaan, now Land of Canaan, then owned by Hon. R.E. Brassington.
In 1919, he was appointed a Field Driver at L.B.I., and later accepted a similar position at Vryheid’s Lust.
He underwent an operation in 1936, and in the same year, was employed as night watch for Mr. W.H. Wheeler, then at Vryheid’s Lust.
On the departure of Mr. Palmer on leave, Mr. Wheeler was appointed Acting Manager of L.B.I, and carried Bacchus with him.
On Mr. Palmer’s return, Bacchus retained his post as night watch for the Manager’s house.
Bacchus is survived by a widow, two daughters, eight sisters, 19 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
(The Daily Chronicle: April 3, 1939)

FURNITURE SALE
PERCY C. WRIGHT will put up at Public Auction, by Order of Mrs. Robert Dummett on Monday, April 3, 1939, at 1 o’clock, P.M, at her residence, Lot 36 Bentinck Street, South Cummingsburg: All her well-kept household furniture and effects in dining, drawing and bedrooms etc!
TERMS: Cash, plus 2% Church and Poor.
SGD: Percy C. Wright
Lic’d Auctioneer
B.G. Mutual Building, Hincks Street.
(The Daily Chronicle: April 2, 1939)

RAILWAY SERVICES: EASTER HOLODAY ARRANGEMENTS
The following changes to the published schedule will take place in the operation of the East Coast railway services during the Easter Holidays.

GOOD FRIDAY, 7th April
The 5:15a.m Omnibus Train from Mahaica to Georgetown; the 12 noon from Georgetown to Mahaica; the 2:10p.m from Mahaica to Georgetown; the 6:45p.m from Georgetown to Mahaica; and the Belladrum-Rosignol Omnibus train will not run.

EASTER MONDAY, 10th APRIL
An extra train will leave Georgetown at 7:30a.m for Buxton and return, leaving Buxton at 10:15a.m for Georgetown.
The 2:10p.m Omnibus Train from Mahaica will not leave until 4:30p.m.
The 6:45p.m Omnibus Train from Georgetown will not leave until 7:15p.m.

GOODS TRAINS:
There will be no Goods Trains on any of the holidays.
The Berbice Goods Train will leave Georgetown on Wednesday 5th April instead of Thursday 6th.
Another Berbice Goods Train will leave Georgetown on Tuesday night, April 11th.

SGD: A. Mc Dougall
General Manager
Transport and Harbours Department
23rd March, 1939
(The Daily Chronicle: April 3, 1939)
(Clifford Stanley can be reached to discuss any of the foregoing articles at cliffantony@gmail.com or by telephone: 657-2043)