Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-03-15

We were smoking one night before
the hotel smoking room CRATE, wher
one man said:
4 have always thought I'd like tt
be a railroad conductor-for awhile
at least
The old conductor smiled anC
knocked the ashes off his cigar.
well, said he, i believe almost ev
cry one has had that feeling at ont
time or another. There is something
fascinating to a sober business MAJ
in the idea of doing business and earn
ing your living at thirty miles al
hour, and the spice of danger that yol
may at any moment be sent to king
dom come by lightning express il
just vague enough not to frighten bu
to attract. But to a conductor it il
prosaic business enough. So it is t
engineers and brakcsmen. Don't yol
remember that at the inquest over tn,
Norwich bridge accident, it was showI
that the engineer was in the habit o
opening everything and then reading
a newspaper. He was neglecting hi
business Of course; bu: it shows wha
habit will do; twill make a reading
room of an express engine.
Railroad men learn the lesson o
punctuality very thoroughly. 1t won
do to be late or the train won't star
on time, and then an awful row i
certain. One time ! was at Albany
and that afternoon the Hudson River
Boston and Central trains all started
at five o'clock. Well, the conductor
Of the trains, and the engineers, too
went down the river on a propeller
the Julia | think she was called. W,
turned round in plenty of time, bu
about ten miles below Albany we raj
aground. There wasn't a conductor
at the depot to take any ones place
and the tide was falling. Williams
a splendid great big fellow, became
desperate, jumped into the river, pu
his shoulders under the stern, where
the propeller had caught on a mut
bank, and as the boat was a nine cal
power only, and he was a perfect Her
cules, he actually lifted her off ant
we arrived in Albany just in time
only Williams had to run to Syracus,
with his wet clothes on.
It's queer existence. too, running
day after day through a lot of littl
places that you don't take any inter
est in, or know anything about, NOR
than the stations are called stations
1t is not such a dangerous life, either
Accident insurance companies don
rate passenger conductors very high
but if you ever want to feel how help
less a creature you are in the hand
of the Almighty, just get on an ex
press engine, and get the engineer t
open everything on a dark night. |
is positively awful to see your hea,
light boring into darkness, and t
think that between you and instan
death there is only the chance of tn
two pieces Of iron you're travelling o.
being continuous and clear; that
somebody has just pried up a raj
since the last train went over, or an
chored something on the track, you
friends won't know your body whe
the coroner's jury call them as wit
nesses to your Identity
That's the way l felt the first tim
| tried it, but the engineer was smob
ing a pipe, and the fireman was whist
ling jim along Josey'.
When a conductor runs a train GU
Of town and runs another in again tn
same day, it isn't such a queer life a
when he runs a train out one day an
, il the next. Then he lives two lives
f One night he is a married man at on
place; the next night he is a Dachelo
, at another place; and the next nigt
T. a married man again-and so on, Sc
saw.
t There is a kind Of queer feeling {
B. responsibility, having three or fou
b hundred lives in your keeping. Br
: then there's the rules. If you kee
f to them, if any thing happens it ism
=. your fault. When you are out of tim
: and have to wait, you are sure to
: cross and sure to be badgered wit
:, questions. A foreigner once told n
J. that one Of the most surprising thine
,. that he had seen in America was t.
: respect to conductors, and the wa
a that they were obeyed by passenger
/. But passengers will ask question
r when you are waiting, and its provo
G ing. One day | was out of time, al
> ran off on a switch to wait for eth,
It the down train or a telegram to con
d on. By and by a pompous ma
a comes to me as | was sitting on Il
70 fence.
IS Mr. Conductor said he, what a
=. we waiting for?'
- For the down train-we are o
r Of time. There's a single track heI
j. and she has the right Of the way
t. But suppose the down train is t
9, hind too?'
,e Then I'll get telegram
r But suppose they don't telegraI
n. you how long will you waltz
|: Till the wheels rust off,
e. He went to the coach growth
At something about having an engae
,e ment in town at the time the ira
ID was due, and afterward l found Q
:: that he was Vice President of t
t. road. But he was a sensible old f
70 low, though quick tempered, and
n. stood better with the officers for wi
Mt | had said. He used to poke hea
ne fun at me sometimes, and recomme
re me to wet the wheels and they wou
. rust off sooner.
ry It's astonishing how reckless sol
To- railroad men become | was on a 81
ii. track waiting out Of time once, and
v fellow comes to me and says:
n. why don't you 60 on?'
as Cause my order is to stay, l +;
i'd swered rather sharply.
He was new superintendent,
young fellow whom | had never sc
es- because he'd just come on the roi
d. He was counting a girl on the line
,e- the road, | afterward found out, a
m- had an engagement to go to a b
ut that night, which the lay over int