The Republican journal., 1871-01-05
THE CONDUCTORS STORY.

We We're smoking one night before the
hotel smoking room CRATE, when one man
said:
81 have always thought Td like to be Il
railroad conducor-for while at least"
The old conductor smiled, and knocked the
ashes off his cigar
''Well," said he, 81 believe almost every
one has had that feeling ut one time or an
other There is something fascinating to y
sober business man in the idea of doing busi-
ness and earning your living at thirty miles
All 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 trighten but to attract. But to 4 con-
ductor it is prosaic business enough. SO it is
to engineers and brakemen. Don't you re-
member that at the inquest over the Norwalk
bridge accident it was shown that the en-
ginecr was in the habit of opening every
thing, and then reading newspaper. He
was neglecting his business, of course; but
it shows what habit will do; twill make 4
reading room of an express engine.
RAILROAD men learn the lesson of punctu-
ality 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 lIud-
son River, Boston and Central trains all
started at five o'clock. Well, the conduc-
tors of the trains, and the engineers, too,
went down the river on n propeller-the
Julia | think she was called. We turned
round in plenty time, but about ten miles
below Albany we ran aground. There wasn't
a conductor at the depot to take any ones
place, and the tide was falling. Williams, n
splendid great big fellow, became desperate,
jumped into the river, put his shoulders I'M
der the stern, where the propeller had caught
on a mud bank, and rs the boat was 4 nine
cat power only, and he was 4 perfect Her
cues, he actually lifted her off and we az
rived in Albany Just in time-only Williams
had to run to Syracuse with his wet clothes
on.
s.It'a a queer existence, too, running day
after day through q lot of little places that
yuu don't lake any Interest in, or know any
thing about, moro than the stations are call
ed stations. 1t is not such dangerous life,
either Accident insurance companies don't
rate passengers conductors very high, but if
you ever want to feel how helpless creature
YOU are in the hands of the Almighty Just
get ON an express engine, and Get the en-
gineer to open everything on a dark night
1t is positively awful to see your head light
boring into darkness, and to think that be-
tween you and instant death there is only the
chance of the two pieces OF iron you're trav-
elling on being continuous and clear; that if
somebody has just pried up a 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 call them as
witnesses to your Identity
That's the way | felt the first time | tried
it, but the engineer was smoking pipe, and
the fireman was whistling Jim along Josey.'
When y conductor runs Il train out of
town and runs another in again the same
day, it isn't such queer life as when he runs
Il train out one day and in the next. Then he
lives two lives. One night he is a marricdman
at one place; the next night he is 4 bachelor
at another place; and the next night mar
ii ed man again-and SO on, see saw.
There is a kind of queer feeling of respon-
siblity, having three or four hundred lives
in your keeping. But then there's the rules.
If you keep to them, if anything happens it
isn't your fault. When you are out of time
and have to wait, you are sure to be cross
and sure to be badgered with questions. A
foreigner once told me that one Of the most
surprising things that he had seen in America
was the respect to conductors, and the way
they were obcyed by passengers But pas
sengers will ask questions when you are
waiting, and its provoking. One dar | was
Oul VI liilt, lIl't ItCll o SW tlNli W Will
for either the down train or Il telegram to
come on. BY and by pompous man comes
to me Us | was sitting on the fence.
''Mr. Conductor" said he "what are we
waiting for?"
''For the down train-we are ont of time.
There's q single track here, and she has the
right of the way"
''But suppose the down train is behind
too ?''
''Thcn I'll get Il telegram"
"But suppose they don't telegraph YOU.
how long will you wait? ?''
It'll the wheels rust off,
He went to the coach growing something
about having an engagement in town at the
time the train was due, and afterwards |
found out that he was Vice President of the
road. But he was Il sensible old fellow,
though quick tempered, and | stood better
used TO poke heavy at me sometimes, and
recommend me to wet the wheels and they
would rust off sooner
It's astonishing how reckless some rail-
road men become! | was on Il side track
waiting on time once, and q fellow comes to
me and says
"Why don't you 60 p"
because my order is to stay" answered
rather sharply.
He was the new superintendent, young
fellow whom had never seen, because he'd
just come on the road He was counting a
girl on the line of the road, afterward found
out. and had an engagement to 60 to ball
with her that night, which the lay over inter-
fered with
So he said very quietly, ''No, they aint,''
and when looked surprised, he says, "I'm
the superintendent of this road. | say 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
know"
"Tve got my printed orders, Mr.. Supern-
tendent, says |, y and he broke right in