The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-06-12
& @iSrfIIanp.
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.

eut0kIn&.room CRATE, Wnen one man said:
81 have thought I'd like to be railroad con.
ductor.-for little while at least"
The old conductor smiled and knocked the
ashes of HE cigar.
s"Well" said he, II believe almost everybody
has had that feeling at one time or another
There 10 something fascinating to sober bust.
ness man in the idea Of doing business and earn.
ing your living at 80 miles an hour, and the
spice OF danger that you may at any moment be
sent to kingdom come by lightning express is
Just vague enough not to brighten, but attract.
But to conductor it's prosaic business enough.
Soft IL to engineers and brakesmen. Don't you
remember that, at the inquest over the Norwich
Bridge accident it was shown that the engineer
was in the habit of opening everything and
thsn reading newspaper He was neglecting
his'business, or course but it shows what habit
will do; twill make reading room of an ex-
press engine.
"Railroad men learn the lesson of punctuality
very thoroughly. 1t won't do to be late, or the
tram 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 o'clock. Well, the
conductors of the trains, and the engineers, too
went down the river on a little propellor-the
julia, think she was called. We turned round
in plenty Of time, but about ten miles below
scrape. There wasn't conductor at the depot
to,take any ones place, and the tide was falling
Williams, splendid, great big fellow, got des-
perate, jumped into the river, put his shoulder
under the stern, where the propeller had caught
ON a mud bank, and as the boat was about nine
cat power only, and he was perfect Hercules,
he actually lifted her of, and we got to Albany
just in tme-only Williams had to ran to SYRIA
cuse with his wet clothes on.
'lts queer existence, too, running day after
day through a lot of little places that you don't
take any interest in. or know anything about,
more than that the stations are called such sta
tions. 1t isn't such dangerous life, either.
Accident insurance companies don't rate passen-
ger conductors very high, but if ever you want
to feel how helpless mortal you are in the
hands OF the Almighty, just get on an express
engine, and get the engineer to open everything
on . dark night It's positively awful to see
your headlight bearing into darkness, and to
think that between you and instant death there's
only the chance of the two pieces Of iron you're
travelling on being continuous and clear that if
somebody has just pried up rail since the last
train went over, or anchored something on the
track, your friends won't know your body when
the coroner's Jury calls them as witnesses to
your. identity. That's the way thought the
first time tried it, but the engineer was smok-
ing pipe, and the fireman was whistling Jim
along Josey.'
"When a conductor runs a train out of town,
and runs another in again the same day, it isn't
such queer life as when he runs train out one
day and IN the next. Then he lives two lives.
One night he's Q married man at one place; the
next night he's a bachelor at another place. and
the next night married man agsin-and SO on,
sea-saw.A ~ --t
"There's kind of feeling of responsibility,
hoy co., l,, ,.I 1.
ing But then, there's the rules. If you keep
them, if anything happens it isn't your fault.
When you are out Of time and have to wait,
you're sure to be cross, and sure to be badgered
by questions A foreigner once told me that
one OF the most surprising things he'd seen in
America was the respect paid to conductors and
the way they were obeyed by passengers. But
passengers will ask questions when you're wait
ing, and it's provoking. One day was out of
time, and ran off on switch to wait for either
the down train or a telegram to come on By
ting on the fence.
"Mr Conductor says he, "what are we watt
ing for 2"
"For the down train-we're out of time. There
is single track here, and she has the right of
way "
"But suppose the down train is behind,
too"
"Then ri get telegram"
"But suppose they don't telegraph you, how
long will you wait " fr
"'7M the ao|teels rasl Off" said.
'He went back to the coach, growing some
thing about having an engagement in town at
the hour the train was due, and I afterward
found out that he was tho Vice President of the
road. But he was sensible old fellow, though
quick tempered, and / stood better with the
officers for what l had said. lie used to poke
heavy fun at me sometimes, and recommend me
to wet the wheels and they would rust off
sooner"
cit is astonishing how reckless some railroad
men become. l was on side track waiting out
of time once, and fellow comes up to me and
says: "Why don't you go on ~ "Cause my
orders are to stay" said rather sharply.
FHe was the new superintendent, young
fellow whom had never seen, because he'd just
come on to the road. He was counting a girl on
the line of the road, afterwards found out, and
had an engagement to go to ball with her that
night, which this Hay-over' interfered with.
$50 he says, very quickly, No they ANTI and
when l looked in surprise, he says, TIN the
superintendent of this road, and tell YOU you've
time to get over this bit Of single track and
have three minutes to spare before the down
train reaches it. have calculated and haoD'
give got my printed orders, Mr. Superinten-
dent says I, and he broke right in
"Never mind your printed orders, order you
to so ahead"
and swore that | shouldn't run west longer
on that road. Probably, after he had cooled
down he would have never said word about
the matter, for he was clearly in the wrong.
Three minutes is too close shave on time when
six or seven hundred peoples lives are interested,
and regular printed orders are issued. But |