Weekly Trinity journal., 1877-02-10
THE BRAKEMANS STORY.

cAONd " Viz GNQNt wal lllAllB MS lluGuDtu
hands, after coming in from braking.-
People think, rs they sit in their warm
seats and only hear us call out the differ
ent stations that we have nice, soft,
easy time. But we know better. Imag-
inc yourself out on a fat car all night
with the snow dashiag into your face,
your hands on cold iron brake, and
think if that's easy or up on top of
freight car running along, tho wind cut
ting like a knife, dark as pitch, and
watching for fear you may rush suddenly
under a bridge and be swept off, and per-
haps left to die in the snow. Is that
easy? Does that look like soft Job ?
To be sure, when we are transferred to
| passenger cars, the work is nice enough,
but the dangers we have to go through
(for generally we have to go on freight cars
frsD entities us TO something better on a
passenger car, and we amt sorry when
we get orders to take the head end of
such regular train.
"There are very few brakemen who
can't tell some never to-be forgotten in
cdent connected with their life on the
rail. To explain, let me tell you story
from my own experience. / remember
one night, it was tearfully cold, right in
/ the middle Of winter, and showing hard,
| was braking in the middle Of freight
train. 1t was running along on slow
time that night, and about two or three
miles from the station. | was standing
BY the brake of II fat car, trying to get
warm by stamping, wishing that VIC were
at the depot, so | could go back to the
caboose out of the bitter cold, when sud
denly | felt the train humping and jump
ing as if a wheel had broken, and l knew
something was wrong. The whistle
blew for brakes, and in a mighty short
time we had the train stopped.
"Wth the rest Of the men, I went
back to see what was the matter, think
ing might get a chance at the stove, for
was nearly frozen. Going back about
three hundred feet, we found that one Of
the rails had got loose and was out of
place, but as we had been goir slow, we
had run over the spot safely. Our con-
ductor looked up and seeing me, said:
"'Jim, get back and signal the passen-
ger train. She will be along in a short
time, now and take this, he said hand
ing me a red light lantern 'we'l go on.
Y You can come along with the other train
"Wlth that all hands got on board, and
soon there was nothing but myself and
the lantern left.
"A cold gust brought me to myself
with quick turn, and, then | remember
ed what had to do. Holding the LIANT
eln up, saw the light was hickerng,
and shaking it, found it empty. Then |
began to feel the responsibility of my po-
sition. ~ lamp with no oil in it, the
train due in ten minutes, with the chanc-
es Of its being thrown off the track, and
no telling how many people killed or
wounded In a case Of this kind, sir,
even n brakeman will do his best to save
human life, although he sometimes loses
hlo Ohil III tIlb NNLGillBt anu an Iic gus
for it is having his name in the papor,
and being called brave fellow.
"Quicker than l can tell it, made mp
my mind that the train must be
signaled, lamp or no lamp. But how to
do it was the question. If | ran ahead
without light, the engineer might think
! wanted to stop the train for robbery
for such things have often been done, you
know-and would not only dash right on
faster than ever, but maybe try to scald
me as the locomotive rushed by. / tell
you | felt like praying just then /; but
braKemen are not selected for their re
ligious feelings-so | didn't pray much,
but looked around and saw light shin
ing in window some distance off. | set
down my lantern carefully on the track,
made n bee line for the house, and soon
my knock brought woman to the door,
who looked more frightened thar / was
at my excited appearance. 1t was use
less to ask for sperm oil-the only sort
we used-so | cried out
"'Ior Gods sake, get me some strawr
'She seemed to realize the position
z and quickly brought bundle. Feeling in
z my pocket l found three matches and
grabbing the straw, made my way back
to the track.
Laying the straw between the rails, l
struck a match and showed it into the
bundle. 1t fickered an instant and
then went out. | felt and found the
straw damp.
"Just then dull, faint, rumbling
sound came down on the wind, and
knew she was coming-the train would
, soon be there.
81 struck the second match ard it
touched off the straw. A blaze, little
r smoke, and it was dark again, and rails
I ing my eyes | saw the headlight of the
approaching train away in the distance.
, But trains don't crawl, and the buzzing
along the rail told be to be lively. The
} red light was burning but family; five
minutes more and it would go out. For
5 an instant | stood paralyzed, when a
shrill scream from the engine brought me
| to my senses, and / saw that inside of
two minute she would be there |!
| "Seizing the lantern with one hand, I
G struck the last match, and bending down
laid it carefully inside the straw, and
9 dashed forward waving the red light
/ The glare of the headlight shone down
: the track, and the engineer saw me, but
: did not notice the red light-the sudden
g waving had put it out-only screeching
, ha canne STRAIGHT on NVhen tha train