Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-29
NO. 256
STORY or AN ENGINEER.

longw 20 f80t7
1t was red ribbon meeting, and the man vas .
locomotive engineer, bronzed and strong, having
eyes full of deep determination. He signed hs
name in bold, plain hand, tied . red ribbon In
his buttonhole, and - he left the hall be said;
"As the Lord looks down on ne IN nsver touch
liquor again." e
Have you ever been hard drinkeri' querisd
3 man who walked beside the engineer. ~
mo. Fact is, was never drunk in my iie
we swallowed considerable whisky, but never
went far enough to get drunk shouldn't misa it,
or be the worse OF for an hour, if all the iptoxi-
eating drinks in the world were drained into the
ocean," f-. f,,--.sst
But you seemed very eager TO sign the
pledge"
80 was, and I'll keep 10 through thick and
thin, and talk temperance TO every man on the
'You must have strong reasons D" isq9
swell, if you'll walk down TO the depot III tell
you story on the way. 1t hasn't been in the pa-
pers, and only few Of Us know the fscts. You
know l run the night express on the B. road.
We always have at least two sleepers and coach,
and sometimes we have Is many - two handred
passengers. It's good road. level - . floor. and
pretty straight, though there is bad spot or two.
The night express has the right o. way and We
make fast time. It's no rare thing for us to skim
along at the rate Of fifty miles an hour for thirty
or forty miles, and We rarely 20 helow thirty.
One night pulled out of Detroit with two sleep-
ers, two coaches, and the baggage and mail
cars. Nearly ali the berths in both slespsn we're
full, and most of the seats in the coaches were oc
cupied. 1t was q dark night, threatening afi the
time to rain, and lonesome wind whistled around
the cabs as We left the city behind. We were
seventeen minutes late, and that meant fast time
all Though. M va hafalou
"Well, he continued, after moment, "every.
thing ran along ell right until after midnight
The main track was kept clear for us the engine
was in good spirits, and we ran into D-M
smoothe as you please. The express coming east
should meet us fifteen miss west of D---,
but the operator At the station bad failed
to receive his usual report from below. This was
strange and, yet it wss not end sftsr ktlls CON.
sultation the conductor sent me ahead. We were
to keep the main track, while the other train would
run in on the side track. Night after night our
time had been SO close that we did not keep them
waiting over two minutes and were generally in
sight when they switched in. ih - ad3
"When We left D we went ahead ct nt-
ting speed, fully believing that the other train
would be on time. Nine miles froW D. i the
little village of Parse. There was . telegraph
station there, but the operator has night work.
He closed his Office and went home about nine
o'clock, and any messages on the Wires for him
were held above or below until next morning.
When l sighted this station I saw 8 red
lantern swinging between The rails. "a
"Greatly astonished, pulled up the heavy train
and got abt of news that almost lifted ne oat Of
my boots. 1t was Gods mercy ~ plain ~ III big
depot. 1t Was the operator who wAs swinging the
lantern. lie had been aroused from sleeD hy the
whistles of locomotive when there vasnt one
within ten miles of him. He heard the toot!
toot toot! while he was dressing, and all the
way as he ran to the station, thinking he had
been signaled. Lo! there ives NO train there.
Everything was a. quiet - the grave. The naa
heard his instrument clicking away, and leaning
his head against the window he caaght these
words as they went through to D.:
"For Gods sake, switch the Eastern express OF
quick. Engineer on the Western express Grassy
drunk, and running Q mile minute T. ..4.ie,
"The operator signalled US At once. We had
left D--nine miles away, and the massage
couldn't have reached us anywhere except ct Par.
to. 1t was time we were there, lacking one min
ate. We lost two or three minutes in understand.
ing the siuation and consulting, and had just got
ready to switch when the headlight Of the other
tram came in view. Great hsavsnsi but how the
train WAS flying. The bell was ringing. spsrks
flying and the whistle screaming, and not 5 man
OF Us could raise . hand. We Stood there on the
main track. sPell-bound ~ it were. There
wouldn't have been time, anyhow, either 70 have
switched in or got the passengers out. 1t wasn't
over sixty seconds before that train was upon Nc.
prayed to God for . breath or two, and then
closed my eyes and waited for death, for hsdnt
the strength to get out of the cab. t-..t
"Wsll, sir, Gods mercy was revealed again.
Forty rods shove us that locomotive jumped the
track and was piled into the ditch in an awful
mass. Some of the coaches were considerably
bruised, but no one was killed, and of courss our
train escaped entirely. Satan must have cared for
Big Tom, the other engineer. He didn't get .
bruise, but up and across the 6eld like deer,
screaming and shrieking like mad tiger. Ii took
tive men to bind him alter he WAS run down, and
to-day be is the worst lunatic in the State.
tom was good fellow" continued the sngi-
neer, after pause. land be used 70 take his glass
pretty regularly. l never saw him drunk but
liquor kept working away hin nerves till ct last
the tremens caught him when be bad . hundred
and fifty lives behind his engine. He broke out
all Of = sudden. The fireman WAS thrown OF the
engine, all steam turned on, and then Tom danced
and screamed and carried on like . fend. He'd
have made awful work, sir, but for God's nercy.
I'm trembling yet over the way be came down for
US, and I'll never think Of il without my heart
jumping for my throat. Nobody sskedi me 10
sign the pledge, but wanted my name there.
One such night on the road has turned me against
intox icating drinks, and now that have got this
red ribbon on, can talk to the boys with better
face. Tom 10 raving, as told you, and the doc
tors say he never get his reason eeGain. Coed
night, sir-my train goes in ten minutes."