The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-08-06
THE BRAKEMAN'S STORY.
Life ON the Rail-liOw a Passenger Train

dbt s9{nAE = IlYE was saved. ts5 49rTftov Errt.
r.! sizes SIR said the brakeman, as, he
/ stood by the stove warming his numbed
hands after coming in from brat; ing:
HPeople think, as they sit here in their
warm seats and only hear us call out the
different stations, that we. have, "a nice,
soft, easy time. But we; know, better.
Imagine yourself out on q: tlat-car ali
night with the snow = dashing into your
face, your hands on an cold iron. brake,
and think if that's easy; or, UP, on top OF
a freight CAR running along, the wind
cutting alike 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 a soft lob?
10 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 first, y entltle. us for something better
on passenger car, and We amt, sorry
when we get orders to take the head of
such a regular train: j ri. f,.,..r.,,or 7
! ''There are very few brakeman who
can't tell some never-to- be forgotten in
cldent connected with their life on the
rail. To explain, let me tell you story
OF myooWn experience. ,.a.3sa. ,l..... r,-,....-.
| II remember one night, it was fearfully
cold right IN the middle of winter and
showing very hard; l r. was brakeman in
the middle Of a freight train. It was
running along on slow time that night,
and we were two or three miles from the
station. y l was standing by the brake Of
fiat car trying to get warm by stamping,
wishing we We're at the depot, so that I
could go back to the calaboose out of the
bitter cold, when suddenly. I. felt the
train humping and jumping as if wheel
| had broken, and hnew something. was
wrong. The whistle blewfor brakes, and
in mighty short time we had the train
stopped. i ..yas.r sa. = ~ las,
wv 18th the rest of the men went back
to see what was the matter, thinking that
| I.might get a chance at the stove, fnr5I
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 going slow,
we had run over the spot safely, = Our
conductor looked up, and seeing me, said
hurriedlY. -. l..g
slim, get back and signal the passen-
ger train. She will b: along in a, short
time now and take this; he said, hand
ing me red-l1ght lantern; well go on.
You can come along witp the other train
"With that all hands got ON board, and
soon there was nothing but myself and
the lantern lett. "A cold gust brought
Inc 10 myself with a. quick turn, and then
remembered what l had to do. Hold
ing the lantern up, saw the light flick
ering, and shaking it 1 found It almos
empty. ut u3Ein gf5 'Tsiza ..g,..-.r,t r.,2-.--+
ii Then began to feel the responsibility
Of my position toA lamp without oil in
it, the train due in ter. minutes, with the
chances OF it being thrown off the track,
and no telling how many people killed
or " ounded! In a case, of this ind. sir,
every brakeman will do his best to save
human life, although he sometimes loses
his own in the attempt, and all ne get
for it is having his name in the paper and
being brave fellow. AR E-.:9 ~. H..
.1"Quicker than 1 tell it, ] made up my
mind that, the. train must ;be, signaled,
lamp or nOilamp. But how to do it was
the question. If ran, ahead without a
light, the engineer might think wanted
to. stop the train for robbery for such
things have often been done, you know
and ould not only dash right on faster
than ever, but may be try to scald me as
the locomotive rushed by. Fgec,-. arr
''Tell you felt just, like praying then,
but brakemen are not selected for their
religious feelings, so I didn't pray much,
but looked around and saw light smil-
ing from window some distance off, /
laid down my lantern carefully on the
track, made bee-llne for the house and
soon my knock; broughtIa woman to the
door, who looked more frightened than
was at my excited appearance. 1t was
useless to ask orsperm oil the only sort
we use-and l cried out: ,...s% 90 ~ -, ~
-. Give me q bundle Of straw quick,
for heavens sake ,r.,, ~ ga -
"She seemed to realize the position,
and quickly brought bundle. Feeling
in my pocket I found three matches, and,
grabbing the straw, Vim I made de. my way back
Laying the straw straw. between the rails, I
struck q match and u showed it into
the bundle. .., It hlckered an instant
and then went out. L felt and found the
SCTaW CAMP just; Then Gull 1alut
rumbling sound came doan the wind,
and I knew she was coming, The train
would soon be there. an. 20 ~ - ,-,.,,
ST struck the second match, and it
touched off the straw. A blaze, little.
smoke, and it was dark again, and raising
my, eyes, T. saw the headlight of the
approaching. train away. in the distance
, i But trains don't crawl and the buzzing
along The rail told me to be lively. The
red light was, burning family; five
minutes, more and it would go out For
an instant I, stood paralyzed, when a
shrill scream from the engine brought me
to my senses, and | saw, that inside Of
two minutes mir ties more role she would be on the
spot .~ag fa,. ..3...@. ,a-- -. -
"Seizing the lantern with !, one hand,
I struck the last match, and, bending
down, laid it carefully inside the straw,
and then dashed forward, waxing the red
light. The glare. from the, headlight
shone down in the track, and the engineer
saw me, but he did not notice the red
light the sudden waving had put it out;
only screeching he came straight on.
When the train was almost on me.