The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1869-07-29

lOtSe' II yOu hSep ~ tLtIil, anu IN ytLilS
happens, 1t isn't your fault. When you're
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 thing he'd
seen in America was the respect paid to
conductors, and the way they were obey
ed by passengers. But passengers will
ask questions when you're waiting and it's
provoking. One day l was out of time,
and ran off on switch TO wait for either
the down train or a telegram to come on.
BY and by pompous man come to me
as was sitting on the fence.
'"Mr. Conductor says he, what are
we waiting for 2
'"For the down train we're out of
time. There's single track here, and
she has the right of way
'"But suppose the down train is be-
hind, too
'''Then I'll get telegram
""But suppose they don't telegraph you,
how long will yon wait 2
F"TW tie echcels rust or said I.
she went back TO the coach, growing
something about having an engagement
in town at the hour the train was due,
and / afterward found out that he was
Vice President of the road. But he was
a sensi BILE old fellow. though quick tenn
pered, and stood better with the officers
for what l had said He used to poke
heavy fun at me sometimes, and recon-
mend me to wet the wheels and they
would rust eff sooner.
''Its astonishing how reckless some
railroad men become. l was on a side
track waiting out of time once, and a
fellow comes to me and says, 'Why don't
you go on ? Cause my orders are to
stay, l said rather sharply.
"He was the new superintendent,
yonng follow whom had never seen, be-
cause he'd just come on the road. He
was coUrting girl on the line of the road,
| afterwards found out, and had an en-
gagement to 60 TO a ball with her that
night. which this lay over interfered
with.
$50 he says, very quickly, no they
amt ; and when | looked surprised, he
says, I'm the the Superintendent OF this
road, and l 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. l have calculated and knouU.'
f' I've got my printed orders, Mr.. Su-
perintendent, says /, and he broke right
in
" Never mind your printed orders, I
order you to go ahead
''Well, | wouldn't, and he was awful
mad, and sTore that should not run a
week longer on that road. Probably af-
ter he had got 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 in~
terested, and regular printed orders are to
be obeyed till other regular printed orders
are issued. But | thought, at first, he'd
complain to the President, and l was
bound to have the first talk if possible.
"The President heard my story and
sent for the Superintendent. He denied
that he had ordered me at all, or made
any threats, but ne had told me had ten
minutes to spare So it was a question
Of veracity, and began to think l would
be sent back to run my train, and that
running a train on that road would not
be my business very long
''Al at once a gentleman who had
been sitting with a newspaper held in
front of his face at the back of the Office,
came forward.
&c 'Mr President said he, Il happened
to be standing by these two men when
they had that talk. The conductor is
right, and the other man lies. If the
train had gone on l had made up my
mind to walk back to the next station, the
chances for an accident seemed SO great
'sThen the President ,oas mad
"'Why, good heavens = said he my
wife and family were on that train. Mr..
Superintendent, 60 and draw your wages
to the first of next month, and leave the
road nOtU
s'But sometimes conductor is put in
such position that the rules won't guide
him. Then the responsibility is very
great l remember once being so placed,
and 1 thought at the time my hair ought
to have turned white that night with anx-
iety.
s'It was when the Hudson River Rail-
road was just built There was no tel
egraph along the line then, and every
thing was quite primitive compared to
what it is now. The fagmen had got
on a sort of strike about those days,
too, SO that you trusted to luck for safe
running. was running a sort of way
train between New York and Poughkeep-
sic then. Running an express is much
pIeasanter than running way train, you
may easily imagine. An express some
times don't stop for an hour at time,
and after you've worked your coaches
once, you have nothing to do but sit down
and earn your money that easy way
Then when you reach the next station, if
your brakemen mind their business, they
can tell yon how many passengers have
got into each coach, and then you are al