Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-10-15
From the Kansas City News.
ELgine Drivers,
THEIR LIFE, ITS POETRY AND IT'S HARDsuIPs,
ANECDOTES, sc.

ANECDOTEs, sc.
Upon the eight on nine railway lines
which. enter our stirring city, are at
work night and day from fifty to sixty
men whose lives have more within them
OF weighty esponslbility, of ceaselesS,
Wearing care, OF varied pleasure and
peril, excitement and eanui, than perhaps
any other field OF labor; lives, wi,hal.
whose pains and pleasures, endurance
and heroism, are entirely unknown to the
unlnltated. In times ofpublic peace there
Is possibly no other profession of men
upon whose unerring skill and care rests
more of life and limb than upon the un-
known and little thought OF railway en-
glneer. A few moments will not be
misspent, then, in consideration of his
life,
= In this profession, above all others, d
man must be ''born in the purple" He
must be perfect in physical development,
hardy, capable OF unlimited endnrancg.
quick OF sight as an eagle, calm in time
OF peril, not knowing fear, inStaUt aud
nnerring in iudg t-and, after all,
must be.a 6JT1 engineer or he will be
tried in the balance and found wanting
He must serve his long and wearisome
apprenticeship as stoker (seven years IN
higland-no definite time here,) and f.
naily enter upon his 'perilups profession
with no be!tc pay tlan comes 10 many
q dry goods cl' rk.
In the course OF many thonsand miles
of railway travel that we have passed
over, large portion of it has been ac-
compllshed while setting on the cushion
ed sides of IN engine-house, and in our
experience we have never met set of
men more genial and courteous, more
thorough gentlemen !, than itese same
blackened and begrimmed engine-drivcrs.
And If. any one would know how rarely
pleasant such travel is let him try 1t, il
he can. In the coldest weat her it is
warm and cozy and in the hottest, cool
and free from dust Open the window
III front.of yon and. there comes stream
OF air, fresh gas Norway gale, and while
you spin on, swaying like cradle from
side TO side. Of your thread-like road,
VIII cllng each gap aud curve for fear OF
danger ahead, your nerves in perfect
thrill OF pleasnrable excitement-st a
moment to watch the black brOwed king
beside yop. How calmly and joyially he
chats, as II he We're nestled with beer
and cigars in club-room, while all the
time one eye is watching every valve
and lever of his ponderous machine, the
other scanning every rail and bolt in the
track ahead, and each ear listening for
signals from the rear.
, IL is wonderful b,,,,, l.. o..oal
ed these men become to their particular
engines. NVie'ftar They 1ove them more
and caress them oftener than they dc
their legal wives and children, and wei
we know that their dress is more cared
! for -ltiBNtaT -uaNfVi .st ...s.
A few years since, driver on the c.
B. Il Q, road, had returned from AN al
night trip, and had seen his locomotive
safely III the round-house. She was an
old, ugly, battered up draught engine OF
forty tons, but her brass was cleaned as
bright as a mirror, and her house decked
up with every little ornament that love
could suggest. The driver had Quilted
the depot, and was hurrying to his wife
and children, when he heard from a mate
| That his engine was going out again.
Hprrying back to the Superintendent he
asked, us it true, sir, that the elephant
Is going out this morning ?" eyes, Will
lis, everything else is busy, and we must
send Jones with her on the up train
The driver hesitated moment looked
sldly toward his home, and said, 81 think
Ill sub Jones, if you'll let me, sir.''
"You ! you've been up all night, and are
all battered up" 81 can stand another
twelve hours, sir; and you see, Jones
don't know how TO use the poor thing.
He'd spoil her. The Superintendent let
him go.
Illustrative of the intense force of hab-