Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1869-07-22
Sn sftnal gift Tatf.
The Conductors Story.

We were smoking one night be-
fore the hotel smoking-room CRATE
when one man said: a
81 have always thought I'd
like TO be railroad conductor
/ for a little while at least"
The old conductor smiled and
knocked the ashes off his cigar.
"WelI," said he, 81 believe al
most everybody has had that feel
ing at one time or another
There is something fascinating to
a sober business man in the idea
of doing business and earning your
living at 80 miles an hour, and
the spice. of danger that, yeu
mag at any moment be sent to
kingdom come by lightning ex-
press is just vague enough to not
frighten, but attract. But to a
conductor it's a prosaic business
enough. Soft is to engineers and
brakemen. Don't you remember
that at the inquest over the Nor
wich Bridge accident, it was shown
that the engineer was in the habit
of opening everything, and then
reading a newspaper? He was
neglecting his business, of course
but it shows what habit will do;
twill make a reading-room of an
express engine.
Railroad men learn the lesson
of punctuality very thoroughly
1t won't do to be late, or the train
won't start on time, and then an
awful row is certain. One time
was at Albany, and that afternoon
the Hudson River, Boston and
Central trains all started at 5 o.
clock. Well, the conductors of
the trains and the engineers, too,
went down the river on a little
propeller-the Julia, l think she
was called. We turned round in
plenty of time, but about ten miles
below Albany we ran aground
We were in a nice scrape. There
wasn't a conductor at the depot
to take any ones place, and, the
tide was falling. Williams, a
splendid. great big fellow, got des
perate, jumped into the river, put
his shoulder under the stern
where the propeller had caught OIL
mud bank, and as the boat was
; about nine cat power only and
he was a perfect Hercules, he &C
tually lifted her of, and we got t.
; Albany just in time-only Viii
f liams had to run to Syracuse with
, his wet clothes on.
"It's a queer existence, too
running day after day through
a lot Of little places that you dom
take any interest in, or know any
} thing about, more than that th'
stations are called such stations
1t isn't such dangerous life eth
J er. Accident insurance compa
MES don't rate passenger conduc
tors very high, but if ever yol
want to feel how helpless NOR
tai you are in the hands of th'
} Almighty, just get on an express
, engine, and get the engineer t.
open everything on a dark night
, It's positively awful to see you
headlight boring into darkness
and to think that between yoJ
and instant death there's only th'
| chance of the two pieces of iror
you're travelling on being contin
nous and clear; that if somebody
has just pried up rail since th'
! last train went over, or anchored
| something on the track, your
: friends won't know your body
, when the coroner's jury calls then
: as witnesses to your identity
That's the way Thought the frs
] time ] tried it, but the enginee
4 was smoking a pipe, and the fire
/. man was whistling 'Jim-a-lon;
] Josey."
:. "When conductor runs a traii
: out of town and runs another ii
again the same day, it isn't sucl
a queer life as when he runs
train ont one day and an the next
D Then he lives two lives. On
e night he's a married man at on
] place; the next night he's bach
: elor at another place, and the mex
night married man again-and S
, on. see saw. af
r "There's a kind of feeling O
: responsibility, having three o
: iourhundred lives in your keeping
4 But then, if anything happens j
isn't your falt. When you ar
out Of time, and have to, wait
you're sure to be crossed, and sur
to be badgered by questions. 4
covo;r,,or once told mo that on
!, of the most surprising things he
seen in America was the respec
paid TO conductors and the wa