Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1867-08-08
AlisfRllanenns Attitles.
THE HEROES OF THE LOCOMOTIVE.

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A true manhood cannot be developed without
the discipline Of responsibility Let the nurse
carry the child, instead of teaching him to walk,
and he will become an oyergrown child, but never
man.. He is wise parent who lays proper
and genuine responsibility on his child, and inctes
him to meet it.
It is no new remark that persons are transformed
by the responsibilities they have to discharge. A
delicate and untried girl suddenly ripens into an
extraordinary womanhood, through the agency of
sickness or death in the family, laying her heavy
burdens to be borne. 1t may be that she is now
the comforter of the sick mother, and as mother
to the younger children. Hence the change; lit
tie while ago timid girl, but now courageous
woman. In 1862 young man from Columbus,
Ohio, was commissioned as q lieutenant in regi-
ment then at Camp Chase. He was small in per-
son and almost efeminate in appearance; so much
so that it affected me to see him 60, very much as
would the sight ola boy of fifteen BE was with
his regiment in several seYare engagements in
Kentucky, was at Cumberland Gap, retreated un-
der Morgan to the Ohio, and was afterward in Sc
we're service on the Mississippi He had become
captain, and the remark was made by those who
were with him that he had become man-not 80
much in stature as in mien, word, and act He
lost his life at Port Gibson and his men kissed bis
manly face as fondly as they would child's. 1t
was responsibility that wrought the change.
It may be an admission of weakness, and yet l
confess to high admiration Of class Of men to
whom vast burden of responsibility in the matter
IF human life is constantly entrusted: l refer to
our railroad engineers The locomotive in itself is
marvel of ingenuity and power. Compact, per-
feet in form and adaptation, indispensable to the
wants of civilization, it is one Of the finest instru
ments. The man who controls these thirty tons
of organized iron which we call locomotive, must
secure both selfrespect and sefoonfdence. I
have sometimes stood beside the track when train
has come flying along, and have observed with
; boundless admiration the man on whose vigilance,
skill, and pluck, the safety Of that train SO largely
depended. His left hand on the lever, his right
on the reversing lever-f that be its name-his
body bent forward eagerly, and his eye keenly
scrutinizing the track ahead, lest the tremendous
momentum of his train, meeting with some obsta-
Gle, should dash itself in an instant into horrible
wreck How, now, can man be weighed down
with such responsibility and not be stronger and
more selfreliant man?
Some years ago, with party, it was my fortune
to be on the Erie Railroad when the engineers en-
gagged in general strike. I sided with the engi-
neers, believing them to be wronged. At the
Susquehanna station we found large body of en-
gineers, more than had ever seen together at one
time. They were not noisy, nor braggart, nor tip
sy but then said, what now believe, that they
were the finest body Of operatives ever saw. In
teligent, bold, strong, each the manager Of such
wonderful machine, they found at least one ar,
dent admirer that day.
Some of the most remarkable exhibitions of cour-
age have been made by men Of this class. A few
years ago my friend Orsbone, who has driven the
locomotive for the mail train on the Morris and
Essex Railroad for twenty years at least with fault
less faithfuness, was once delayed by snow on the
track for several hours, butreceived explicit orders
from the superintendent that splendid officer
who has lately resigned his Office on that road
ITO go ahead" for the road was clear no other
train was on the road. After satisfying himself
that he had not misunderstood the order, he left
the summit on steep down grade, and, in round
ing sharp curve came on train that was ascend
ing the same grade under full head of steam. In
an instant he whistled down the brakes and rever.
sed his engine The noble thing, under such q
tremendous strain, as if fully aware Of the danger
obeyed, and threw itself back to avert the catas
trophe Meanwhile the other engineer had done
the same thing with his locomotive; but it was
possible only to modify the shock. Together rush
ed those two painting and reluctant giants, their
joint weight not less than sixty tons, with the gath
cred momentum of their following trains. They
rose like two furious animals in fight, standing on
end, and in trice the two splendid machines were
wreck. The cars behind them were also badly
crushed Orsbone did not leap from his engine
but, never moving his hands from the levers which
controlled it, he stood as resolute as rock at mis-
post until the shock came, and then, quick as
thought, adjusted his valves to allow the steam tc
escape without an explosion. Our war can furnish
no clearer proof of the finest courage than that.
l At the crossing of the Morris and Essex Rail
way and the Orange turnpike, may be seen flag
r man with one leg The other he lost in the wreck
I have just described. Had he had Orsbone'E