Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1878-01-21
THE ENGINEERS STORY.


1t was red ribbon meeting, and the
man was locomotive engineer, bronzed
and strong, and having eyes full of deep
determination. He signed his name in
bold, plain hand, tied red ribbon in
his button hole, and as he left the hall
he said:
"As the Lord looks down upon me,
I'll never touch liquor again"
"Have you been hard drinker 2"
queried a man who walked beside the
engineer.
mo. Fact is, was never drunk in
my life. I've swallowed considerable
whiskey, but I never went far enough
to get drunk. shouldn't miss it, or
be the worse off for an hour if all the
intoxicating drink in the world was
drained into the ocean.
"But you seem eager to sign the
pledge"
$50 was, and LII keep 1t through
thick and thin. and talk temperance to
every man on the road"
"You must have strong reasons p
"Well, if you'll walk down to the de-
pot, I'll tell you a story on the way.
1t hasn't been in the papers, and only
few of us know the facts. You know l
run the night express on the B-road.
We always have at least two sleepers
and coach, and sometimes we have as
many as two hundred passengers. It's,
good road, level as floor, and pretty
straight, though there is bad spot or
two. The night express has the ri ght
o'way, and we make fast time. 1t is no
rare thing for US to skim along at the
rate of fifty miles an hour for thirty or
forty miles, and we rarely go below
thirty. One night l pulled out of De-
troit with two sleepers, two coaches, and
the baggage and mail cars. Nearly all
the berths in both sleepers were full,
and most of the seats in the coaches
were occupied. 1t was dark night,
threatening all the time to rain, and a
lonesome wind whistled sround the cab
as we left the city behind. We were
seventeen minutes late, and that meant
fast time all the way through.
Everything run along all right up
to midnight. The main track was kept
clear for US; the engine was in good
spirits, and we ran into D-as smooth
as you please. The express coming east
should meet us fifteen miles west of
D, but the operator at the station
had failed to receive his usual report
from below. That was strange, and yet
it was not, and after a little consulta-
ton the conductor sent me ahead. We
were to keep the main track, while the
other trains 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.
"When we left Owe went ahead
at rafting speed, fully believing that
fba othar fro;, mould bo On 4;roo N;,-
miles from DIS the little village Of
T Porto. There was telegraph station
, there, but the operator had no night
work. He closed his Office and went
home about nine o'clock, and any mes
sages on the wires were held above OF
below until next morning. When
sighted this station [ saw a red lantern
| swinging between the rails. Greatly
astonished, / pulled up the heavy trair
and got a bit of news that almost lifteC
me out of my boots. Tt was Gods mer
cy, as plain as this big depot 1t wa
the operator who was swinging the Ian
E tern. He had been aroused from sleel
by the whistles of locomotive wher
there wasn't one within ten miles O
him. He heard the toot! toot toot
while he was dressing, and all the wa,
as he ran to the station, thinking he hat
been signaled. Lo there was no trail
t there. Everything was as quiet as tn
grave. The man heard his instrument
!, clicking away, and leaning his ca
against the window he caught thes
words as they vent through to D
!. Switch the Eastern express off quick
n Engineer on the Western express Graz
h drunk and running mile a minute !''
> 1.-The operator signaled us at once
We had left D-nine miles away
= and the message couldn't have caugh
e us anywhere except at Parto. Six mile
b further down was the long switch.
= was time we were there, lacking on
minute. We lost two or three minute
: in understanding the situation and i
consulting, and had just got ready t
e switch in where we were when tn
" headlight of the other train came int
view. Great heavens! how that trai
n was flying. The bell was ringing, sparl
i flying and the whistle screaming. an
:. not man of US could raise hanC
If We stood there on the main track, spell
bound as it were. There wouldn't hay
N been time anyhow, either to have switch
n ed in or got the passengers out