station master (1853)

[Imran Ghory]

On Thu, 5 Jun 2003, Orin Hargraves wrote:
> OED2 does not concede American provenance to the term

And is possibly right to not do so,

Littell's Living Age.No. 254.31 March, 1849.
(p. 580)

"If any obstruction exists in that direction, the waving of the red flag
informs him of it; and it is not until the white one from the tunnel, as
well as that from the station-master on the platform, have reported to him
that "all is clear", that he returns to his important but humble
office...."

(The station being described is Euston in London)

Imran
--
http://bits.bris.ac.uk/imran