The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-17

anu ltCI N4Itt lI was 10 travel.
We were making up lost time with Il
vengeance; the engine swayed from side
10 side, as she jumped the track: the
I long and heavy train Numbered and
cracked behind, aud the wind howled
through the window Ike forty thousand
devils.
To sit or reeline on a softly-cushioned
chair or sofa behind curtained windows
in palace car, dawdling over a worth
less novel, or feebly attacking stale
sandwiches, chicken drumsticks, or over
ripe pears, is one kind of travelling, and
to ride high and dry on the engine, be
fore and beyond ever! body else, is quite
another.
Fields, valleys and harvest meadows
shot behind us with fearful velocity.
Willow trees on either side, enve.oped
in a thick, white mist, Ioomed up like
gigantic ghosts wrapped still in their
winding sheets, tall, spectral shadows,
with arms stretched hungrily over us,
and it was with a sort Of a glad shudder
we passed, and left them to guard the
undiscovered wealth, perhaps, lying
deeply among their roots, under con
fusion of wild bramble vines and ripe
red clover.
As said before, it proved matter Of
utter impossibility to watch the brawny
young stoker dashing and banging things
about, pulling valves, making strange
noises, and looking very much like pull
ing one string for fun, and sending us
all to Davy Jones locker in three jerks
of sleeps tail, just for the sport of the
thing, without certain amount of awe
and respect.
We understood at once that firing up
was merely optional with him, and simp-
| ly done to accommodate the engineer,
who only holds on TO that ridiculous
throttle and keeps his eye skinned.
We knew right off that the fireman
had to be treated mighty polite, as they
say in Jersey. or he wouldn't stave in
another coal, and we'd all have to east
our fortunes together and pass away the
night in dingy coal pit, such as We
were rushing on to with almost lightning
speed.
We could see with half an eye that a
stoker's position was by all odds the most
important one on the train, not except
ing that of the ugly phantom in the
red shirt, who opens the door OF New
burg and bawls-''Now, Bob, in sort
of file-like voice, aud whose business it
is to swear at the old lady in the poke
bonnet, with the bag of homemade buns
and carrots, who gets Off ten miles away
from home because she could not under
stand what he said to her.
Then the engineer seemed 10 look up
to his fireman-seemS TO regard him rs a
sort of '.ioker," better than both bowers
in the game he's playing. He cannot
get along without being good-natured
with this important personaye, and the
stoker gets TO chewing tobacco while on
duty, and calls the engineer plain 'Bill,''
which settles the businesS ut once as to
who is of most Importance on that loco
motive.
The engineer thinks with a sigh of his
own hard days rs a stober, when his en-
gineer. who had a sword cut on the
cheek. and who wore the biggest, black
est moustache on thu road, swore at
him awful ard kept hirS well under his
thumb, threatening to throw him head
and heels off the coal box if he gave
him any of his lip" He felt that he had
not begun with right understanding of
his position. But he thought less of
those arduous day and night runs with
Nesbit. when he reflected that Nesbit's
discipline had made him one of the crack
engineers on the road. Here was Jem
Petts: he never would be credit TO the
profession; lie was too much of boss 10
begin with, AMI iie was too fond of his
beer.
Nobody wants "A man with that repu-
tation.
Climbing grade, there was chance
| fer word or two. We could stand it
no longer.
''Do you take us through io-night: ?
s.I.ord. miss, there haia't locomotive
OH the road "a could stand it. No, we
leave you now in little vile, and Joe
Harper gets on. His engine is one of
the oldest on the track, but Joe's a rat
tier; he'll make Jhirty-five an hour or
bust things up. You see the wear and
tear is awful rough on the men, as well
| as the old woman; Chats the engine
| miss don't never crowd the old lady
TO do more'n size can with ease. Least
WAYS not often. Ihave done it, though,
on a pinch. but don't sleep well after
it. for thinking OF things that might
have happ med. Icouid tell you things
about Joe as would make you nervous,
I'm afraid-b-ir,'s he's comm on direct
Iy with old - BIt mind you, III trust
Joe every d. ii ,.ie wesk.
These aInaigi .us remarks were flung
at us over jelu Potts brawny shoulders,
! as he delvei into lirS coal pile, aud ierked
omen the furnace dDJrs with tedious mo
notony. p-r-piration stealing in heavy
lines down his grimy fac.
Pull that whi-tIe-pulI it hard, Jam;
don't YOU see we're crossing at the old
mans. It's abour time for Tyson's train.
Abal hear hilu--he'> just screechin' away
down in the hollow"
sDo You ever ran iato another train
at a crossing:
"WaH. no. mi.s-.hat is-not often.
You see we have TO know the road by
heart. in t1a pitch dark-it's all the
sane. Thu's why every engineer has
to stand p lon: appr, ntiesship a~ a fire.
man. Its the only war 70 learn the
business. Yon have to have experience
in this because yor are responsible for
human life. You see: that's what makes
it tough.
We began to think We would ike TO
be the Inventor Of safe aerial machine.
why. you do not stop here now:
This Is not a station
..No: we wait for the Middleton ex-
p,e.s here. I've Just had a telegram
and it's a IeeGe Iate. Such thins7 will
happen"
..What was it about, Mr.. Harper:'
"Oh. Joe. you mean. oh, nothing