A taxi meets the transatlantic train Paris-Cherbourg and arrives first

Cherbourg, February 7. This is a film that was shot, or more exactly filmed, this afternoon, on the Paris-Cherbourg route, and one of whose partners is Mrs. Talmadge, precisely an American screen star, who left France today in the company of her husband, to return to the United States.
One of their compatriots and friends, who had booked his passage with them on the Mauretania, of the Cunard-Line, had lingered so long to do his last shopping that, when he presented himself at the Saint-Lazare station, the special transatlantic train from Cherbourg had left.
The American, his packages in his hand, went on foot from the Rue de Rome to the Place de l'Opéra, hailed a hired car, called "first class" because the taxi is not visible there, and gave the driver the Cherbourg maritime station as his address.
A speed race began: 371 kilometers for the express, but, for the car, 350. Perhaps this advantage of the road, fortunately less congested beyond, than on this side of the Parisian fortifications, contributed to the success of the automobile. At Cherbourg, the train had not yet arrived. The steamers, the ferries, were empty.
—Are they returning from the harbor? asked the traveler a little anxiously.
—But no, they are waiting for the train.
—All right! I won!
And the passenger, early for having been late, had nothing left to do to wait but buy flowers for the vedette which finally arrived by train. (L'Oeuvre.)

• The situation has not improved on the Paris-Normandy lines. To see this, just type Paris-Cherbourg train into your favorite search engine.