The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1878-11-12
THEKEY.
Something That Thousands Little
Think or

Something That Thousands Little
Think or
On the north side Of the rsilroad track
in East Sedalis, is modest unpreteniipus
little building. looking more like . place
where plain sewing is done here" than the
once where one Of the mo~t important
works Of the present age is performed. 1t
is the train dispa,cher's Office Of the Mo.
Psci6c. But . short distance from, it is
that Of the NJ. X. Il T. Over these two
mighty arteries Of transportation daily
pass hundred trains, bearing hundreds Of
human lives and millions OF dollars worth
Of property safely to its destination. Yet
all Vi il Is moved in those two buildings
by the clear head, wAtehful eye and
def fingers Of the train dispatcher.
Out Of the millions Who are daily and
hourly riding on the railroads Of the
world, but very few have the least idea
Of the manner in which their lives are
protected, and their flying iron eourssrs
given speed, in spite Of the many trains Of
passengers and freight and gravel and iron
and the engines and fats and hand cars and
vehicles that are constantly upon and
moving over the road in both directions
acroee and over and under it from other
lines that cross and rscross and inier~ect il
ut various points. On almost any road Of
the dozen running out Of Selslis, at any
hour, day or night, there are score. per
haEs scores, Of trains moving over the track
some headed towards each other, and dash.
ing along at lightning speed ;some creeping
slowly up and down the track, while Others
are dashing toward or following after them
with their burdens Of freight, all in constant
motion. and ali tending toward common
points. Could one take birds eye view
from balloon above, Of the road, and see
the trains darling mp and down the line at
lightning speed, he would involuntary hold
his breath in expectation Of collisions and
terrible destruction Of life and property,
which il would seem must eventually fol-
low. II il . common saying among rail-
road men that there is great difficulty in
causing the trains to meet and pass on .
single track without the passengers suspect
ing that there il something wrong going
on. While this 10 literally true, hundreds
Of trains meet and pass daily, upon liner
with only very short and infrequeni Sec
lions Of sidings, with scarcely ever an ac-
cideIi and With little knowledge. on the
part Of the passengers of the clear head
and steady hand from some quiet, obscure
little Office q hundred miles away WHICH IL
watching their movement and guarding
their lives from danger and accident in the
midst Of the rushing. flying trains that are
passing and repassing At sidinSs or Cross
ines, or waiting the arrival at some point
Of IN express or mail train with its hun
dreds Of precious lives on board.
No officer on the railroad is Of more i'm
porsance than Is the train dispatcher"
lie, in his quiet little Office, far from the
busy rush and roar Of the trains upon the
line, With his instrument in reach, his eye
upon the charts and time tables, the knowl-
edge Of the entire road and siding in his
mind. and the trained lightning at his
holds in the hollow Of his hand
the lives Of the thousands upon tie trains
on the road. the thousand Of property Of the
company intrusted to his immediate super.
vision. From his quiet lookout, silent
save from the click oi the dozen telegraph
instruments BY which he surrounded, and
which he communicates in an in
slant with any OF al points hundreds Of
miles away, he watches the movement Of
the train - it rattles from the depot over
hill and through valley, miles and miles
away, moving il past heavy freights, with
which. but for his care, it would have co.,
Iided, Shipping it upon side tracks to allow
The incoming express 10 sweep past Ut =
speed which makes the passenger catch his
breath in fear and wonder. ordering it ont
again for a rapid run, it shall give way for
another train calling in the engines and
trains to make clear ats path
way, watching it carefully, almost low
insly, yet With . 6rm control from the
moment Of It's departure from the starting
point, until arrival, heated and dusty and
'ravel- vorn,ai its destination. hundreds OF
miles away, constantly caring for il, con-
family watching over il, holding the lives
u its hundreds in his hand, he sweeps it
up to its destination without shock or .
ar or an ,n,imstion Of danger. And the
passengers carelessly, thoushtlsssly, 60
heir ways without . thought Of the man
sho has cared for them in the midst Of
dangers, whose eye and thoughts
rave been upon them from the moment Of
heir departure until they are landed safely
4 their destination.
All this Can Be done BY rule, after plenty
4 study and patience, and il 50 done; and
Nth printed rules and time cards With
which every conductor and engineer and
'atchman and brakeman 10 supplied, all
sould 90 veil and smoothly could the rules
e risidly obeysd in every r~pecs, and
hould no "exssss" be put upon the road,
q other impe.limenss exist, BY accident To
ihervise 10 delay or confuse or disorgan.
se. But these things must occur, and
10, daily and hourly. and then Comes in
he duty and diligence and wonderful work |
4 the train dispatcher. Then the watch |
aloes. which il Away. very great, begins
nd - continued and carried On and on. |
and multiplying and compound |
n. disorsanising. until all rules are made |
and al must be at sea save
o. the steady hand and clear head Of the
IAN u the helm, the train dispatcher.
l. a.