Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-02-13
+" Yes. No more COAL

! Yes. 1here are TWO Speclal trains
on the road this afternoon
Is it difficult to run a train by tele
graph?' l said presently, simply tc
make conversation Staring in silence
at the narrow slit in the gloomy furnace
or out at the village street, through
which we slowly passed, was mono
! tonOus.
''' No not difficult. | simply have to
obey the instructions which I receive
at each station
But if you should happen to think
the instructions not right?''
"Happen to think! I've no business
to think at all! When the trains run
by telegraph the engineers are 50 many
machines in the hands Of one controller,
who directs them all from q central
point. He has the whole road under
his eye. IF they don't obey to the least
little their orders, it is destruction to the
whole"
"'You seem to think silent obedi-
ence the first and last merit in railway
man""
eyes, dryly.
II took the hint and was dumb.
owe were out of town now. Blakely
quickened the speed of the engine. [
did not speak to him. There was little
for me to do, and | was occupied in
looking out at the flying landscape
The fields were covered with deep fall
Of snow, and glanced Whitley by, with a
strange, unreal simmer. The air was
keen and cutting. Still the ride was
tame. | was disappointed. The excite
ment would by no means equal dash
on spirited horse. l began to think |
had little to pay for my grimy hands
and face, when we slowed at the next
station. One or two passengers came
aboard the train. There was the in
evitable old lady with bundles, aighting
and the usual squabble about her trunk
I was craning my neck to her, when the
boy ran alongside with the telegram
"The next moment l heard smoth-
cred exclamation from Blakeley.
Go back said he to the boy. Tell
Sands to have the message repeated.
There's a mistake
'The boy dashed of, and Blakeley sat
waiting, coolly polishing bit of the
shining brass before him Back came
the boy.
"'Had it repeated. Sands is raging
at you. Says there's no mistake and
you'd best get on thrusting the second
message up"
'Blakely read it, and stood hesitating
for half a minute. | never shall forget
the dismay, the utter perpiexity that
gathered in his lean face as he looked
at the telegram, and at the long train
behind him. His lips moved as if he
were calculating chances, and his eye
suddenly quailed, as if he saw death at
the end of the calculation.
'''What's the matter? What are you
going to dor | asked
"'Obey'
The engine gave long shrek Of nor
rOr, that made me start as if it were
Blakeley's own face The next instant
we rushed out of the station, and dash
ed through the low-lying farms at a
speed which. seemed dangerous to me.
Put in more coal, said Blakeley.
| shoveled it in.
"'We are going very fast, Blakeley,' |
ventured
"He did not answer. His eyes were
fixed on the steam guage; his lips close
~ shut.
"'More coalr
"'I threw it in
'The fields and houses began to fly
past but half seen. We were near Sun
bury. Blakeley's eye went from the
guage to the face of the timepiece and
back He moved like an automaton.
There was little more meaning in his
face
:" 'Morep without turning his eye.
81 took up the shovel--hcsitated
'Blakeley! We're going very fast.
We're going at the rate of sixty miles
an hour
"'Coal'
II was alarmed at the stern, cold
rigidity of the man. His palor was be-
coming frightful.
81 threw in the coal.
cat least we must stop in Sunbury
He had told me that was the next halt.
"The little town approached. AS the
first house came in view, the engine
sent out its shrek of warning; it grew
louder, louder. We dashed into the
street. up to the station, where a group
of passengers waited, and passed it
without the halt of an instant. l caught
a glimpse Of the appalled, faces Of the
waiting crowd. Then we were in the
fields again.
'The speed now became literally
breathless; the furnace glared red-hot.
The heat, the velocity, the terrible nerv-
Gus strain of the man beside me, seem
ed to weigh the air. I found myself
drawing long steetorious breaths, like
drowning. | heaped in the coal at in
tervals, as he babe me.
I'D have done nothing of the kind!'
interrupted one Of the listeners. The
man was mad
II did it because [ was oppressed by
an odd sense of duty, which I never
had in my ordinary brain-work. I had
taken this mechanical task on myself,
and felt a structure upon me to go
through with it at any cost. [ now
know how it is that dull, ignorant men,
without spark of enthusiasm, show
such heroism sometimes, as soldiers,
engineers, captains of wrecked vessels.
1t is this overpowering sense of routine
duty. 1t is finer thing than sheer