Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-12-20
From " Every Saturday. Christmas Number
The EN GENE-DRRvEKs.
BY ANDREW HALLIDAY.

BY ANDREW HALLIDAY.
Altogether? Well. Altogether, since
1871, Eve killed seven men and boys. 1t
amt many in all those years.
These startling words he uttered in g
serious tone as ne leaned against the Sta
tion-wall. He was thick set, rudy faced
man, with coal black eyes, the whites of
which were not white, but brOwnish yell
low, and apparently SCARED and scanned,
as if they had been operated upon. They
were eyes that worked hard in looking
through wind and weather. He was dressed
in short black pea jacket and grimy white
canvas trousers, and wore on his head fat
black cap. There was no sign of leVity in
his face. His look was serious even to sad
ness, and there was an air Of responsibility
about his whole bearing which assured me
that he spoke in earnest.
eyes, sir, have been for fye-and- twenty
years a Locomotive Engineldriver; and in
all that time, I've only killed seven men
and boys. There's not many Of my mates
as can say as much for themselves. Steadi-
ness, sir,-steadness and keeping your
eyes open, is what does it. When | say
seven men and boys, l mean my Mates
stokers, porters, and so forth. / don't
count passengers"
"My father" he said, "was a wheelwright
in a small way, and lived in little cottage
by the side of the railway which runs be-
tween Leeds and Selby 1t was the second
railway. laid down in the kingdom, the
second after the Liverpool & Manchester,
where Mr.. Huskisson was killed, as you
may have heard on, sir When the trains
rushed by, we young 'uns used to run out to
look at 'em, and hooray. | noticed the
driver turned handles, and making it 60,
and thought to myself it would be q fine
thing to be q engine driver, and have the
control Of wonderful machine like that.
Before the railway, the driver of the mail
coach was the biggest man ! knew
thought / should like to be the driver of q
coach. We had a picture in cur cottage Of
George the Third in red coat. I always
mixed up the driver of the mail coach
who had red coat, too-with the king, only
he had low crowned broad brimmed hat,
which the king hadn't. In my idea, the
king couldn't be greater man than the
driver Of the mail coach. I had always q
fancy to be a head man Of some kind
When I went to Leeds once, and saw man
conducting orchestra, thought I should
like to be the conductor of orchestra.
When | went home | made myself baton,
and went about the fields conducting o
orchestra. 1t was MT there, of course, but
pretended it was. At another time man
with whip and speaking trumpet, on the
stage outside show, took my fancy, and
thought should like to be him. But when
the train came the engine driver put them
all in the shade, and was resolved to be q
engine driver. 1t wasn't long before had
to do something to earn my own living,
thought was only young 'un. My father
died suddenly-he was killed by thunder
and lightning while standing under a tree
out of the rain-and mother couldn't keep
us all The day after my fathers burial
walked down to the station, and said
wanted to be engine-driver. The station
master laughed bit. said l was for begin
ming early, but that / was not quite big
enough yet. He gave me penny, and told
me to 60 home and grow, and come again
in ten years time. didn't dream of dam
ger then. If couldn't be q engine driver,
| was determined to have something to do
about engine; SO, as | could get ching
else, went on board Humber steamer,
and broke up Goals for the stoker. That
was how | began From that, became
stoker, first en- board boat and then on g.
locomotive. Then, after two years service,
Ibecame driver on the very line which
passed our cottage. My mother and my
brothers md sisters came out to look at me,
the first day ] drove. / was watching for
them and they was watching for me, and
they waved their hands and hoora'd. and
waved my hand to them. | had the steam
well up, and was going at rafting pace,
and rare proud l was that minute. Never
was so proud in my life
"When a man has liking for a thing it's
as good as being clever. In a very short
time i became one of the best drivers on the
line. That was allowed. 1 took pride
in il, you see, and liked it. No, | didn't
know much about the engine scien-
tifcally, as you call it; but could put her
to rights if anything went out of gear-that
is to say, if there was nothing broken--but
/ couldn't have explained how the steam
worked inside. Starting an engine is Just
like drawing drop of gin. You turn a
handle and off she goes; then you turn the
handle the other way, put on the brakes,
and you stop her. There's not much more
in it, so far. It's no good being scientific
and knowing the principle OF the engine in
side; no good at all. Filters, who know
all their and outs of the engine, make the
worst drivers. That's well known. They
know too much. It's just as I've heard of
q man with regard to les inside: if he knew
what a complicated machine it is, he would
never eat, or drink, or dance, or do any
thing, for fear of busting something. So it
is with filters. But us as are not troubled
with such thoughts, zee go ahead.
"But starting engines one thing. and
driving Of her is another. ANY one, a
child, Almost, can ta71es Of the steam and
turn it off again; oul it amt every oIa r .l ..
can keep engine well on the road, no
more than it amt every one who can ride
horse properly. 1t is much the same
thing If you gallop horse right off for
mile or too, you take the wind out of him,
and for the next mile or two you must let
him trot or walk. So it is with a engine.
you put on too much steam, to get over
the ground at the start, you exhaust the
boiler, and then you'll have to crawl along
MI your fresh wa.er boils 10. The great
thing IN driving is, to go steady, never to
let your water get too low, nor your fire too
low. It's the same with the ettle. If you
NIL 1t up when it's about half empty, it
soon comes to the boil again; but if you
don't fill it up until the waters nearly out,
it's long time in coming to the boil again.
Another thing: you should never make
spurts, unless yea are detained and lose
time. lou should go up q incline and
down incline 1T the same pace. Sometimes