The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-03-06
Story Of t9e Eqgineer.

''Let me put my name down frst-I
can't stay long,"
1t was a red ribbon meeting, and the man
was locomotive engineer, bronzed and
strong, and having eyes full of determina-
ton. He signed his name in a bold, plain
hand tied a red ribbon in his button hole,
and as he left the hall he said:
CAS- the Lord looks down upon me, I'll
never touch liquor agaiu!"
'Have you been hard drinker p" queried
a man who walked beside the engiE
neer
mo. Fact is, was never drunk in my
life. I've swallowed considerable whiskey,
but I've never went far enough to get
drunk. I 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"
'fBut you seemed eager to sign the
pledge"
$50 was, and'Tn keep it through thick
and thin, and talk temperance to every man
on the road"
"You must have strong reasons
'Well, if youth walk down to the depot
I'll tell you story On the way. 1t hasn't
been in the papers, and only few of us
know the facts. You know ruh the night
express on the B road. We always
Y boua of 1aast Ixuo c1aa, orc o,,d a ooaob aud
sometimes we have as many as two hundred
passengers. Its a good road, level as a
floor and pretty straight, though there is
bad spot on 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. for
ty miles, and we rarely go below thirty.
One night pulled out of Detroit with two
sleepers, two coaches, and a 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 a dark
night, threatening all the time to rain, and
lonesome wind whistled around the cab
as we left the city behind. We were seven
teen minutes late, and that meant fast time
ali the way through"
"Wen, he continued after moment,
Everything ran along all right up to mid
night. The main track was kept clear for
us; tie engine was in good spirits and we
ran to D. as smooth as you please.
The express coming east should meet lis
fifteen miles west of D., but the opera
tor at the station had falea to receive his usual
report from below. That was strange, and
yet it was not, and after q little consulta-
ton the conductor sent me ahead We
were to keen The main track, willie the
other brain would run in on the side track
Night after night our time mad been so
close that we lid not keep them waiting
over two minutes, and were generally in
sight when they switched in"
seWhen we left D. we went ahead at
rafting speed, fully believing that the
other train would be. on time. Nine milea
from D. is the village of Parto. There
is a telegraph station there, but the opera
tor has no night work. He closed bis Office
and went home about O'Clock, and any
messages on the wires for him were held
above or below until next morning. When
I sighted the station saw red lantern
swinging between the rails. Greatly as
tonished, pulled up the heavy train and
got piece of news that almost lifted me
out Of my boots. 1t was Gods mercy, as
plain as this big depot. 1t was the opera
tor who was swinging the lantern.-He had
been reused from sleep by the whistles of a
locomotive, when there wasn't 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 signalod. Lo! there YVES no train
there. Everything was as quiet as the
grave. The man heard his instrument
clicking away, and leaning his ear against
the window he caught these words as they
went through to D.:
''For Gods sake, switch the Eastern ex-
press off quick" Engineer on the ,Wes-
tern express crazy drunk, and running a
mile minute !"
The operator signaled us at once. We
had left D. nine miles away, and the
message couldn't have caught us anywhere
except at Parto. Six miles farther down
was the long switch, 1t was time we were
there, lacking one minute. We lost two or
three minutes in understanding the sibua-
ton and in consulting, and had just got
ready to switch in @hero we were when the
head Light of the other train came into view.
Great Heavens but how that train was
flying. The bell was ringing, sparks flying
! and the whistle screaming, and not "a man Of