Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-08-20
DEATH OF THE LOCOMOTIVE.
A Machine Which, While Wearing Itself
Out. is Tenderly Guarded.

NtooIa Le'ltE IN Boston Herald.
The engine, once in service, is by no
means lost sight of. It's movements are
as thoroughly noted as those OF an ocean
steamer. In Mr.. Ely's office in this
city there Is an immense board covered
with little pegs, upon which hang small,
round, colored disks, from the upper
part OF which las been cut small por-
ton. These pegs and disks are num-
bered from l to 1850. Each number
corresponds with an engine. On one
part OF the board the pegs are number
ed consecutivety. Looking at this part
for any particular engine that may be
desired, and on the disk will be found
"Ptgh, an. " or "P," etc. This re-
fers you to division where the engine
is. Looking to that division on the en-
glne, another little disk, by means of its
color, will tell you just what condition
the engine Is In. If the disk is pure
white the engine is in perfect order.
III the disk Is covered one-half with
red. repairs are required of very slight
nature, but for which the engine must
proceed to the shop. If the entire disk
Is pale gray, repairs of a most impor-
tant character are needed, though still
deemed slight. A disk entirely blue
denotes machine that needs very sub
stantial repairs. One-hali black and
half white indicates the machine is | e.
ing built over. A disk all black
denotes any engine dead, unfit save
to be cut up or sold. This
record is changed every week and is so
complete as to enable any one TO see at
a glancejust the condition ofthe motive
power. Repairs are never undertaken
If they will cost over $4,000. For that
new standard boiler can be built, and
unless an engine is of the standard pat
tern she is never built over, for the com
pany does not wish to perpetuate odd
engines, and to pay more than three
thousand dollars would not be so econ
omlcal Ms to pay the interest on the
value of new machine. Here again
true economy steps in to change the
practice of blind conservatism. An en-
CINE on this road is always most care
fully used. After the locomotive is
placed in the hands Of an engineer it is
cared for with the watchfulness Of a
parents affection. A Most accurate
record of its performance is made, kept
and compared with that of other en-
gines. AS freight is paid for per ton
per mile, so the cost of an engine is
reckoned. The amount of coal con-
slmed per Car per engine mile being
calculated 1t is easy to see, by dividing
this by the tonnage, just how much coal
1t takes to move ton of freight one
engine mile And the engine that does
this most successfully is the cheapest.
Finally, after having travelled many
thousand OF miles, having safely
hauled millions of human beings,
our locomotive is sent to the
shop condemned dead. 1t is ignomin-
iously bundled off into corner to stand
with n lot of others until cut up or sold
off. Its immediate neigh5ors may be
others like itself, worn out perhaps
"died in the harness." or again victims
of the vain wrath and assassin-like COM
munism Of PlttsDurg rioters. The little
disk that records in the superinten-
dents office its physical condition has
turned TO black. There is 30 hope.
Tomorrow a committee of inspection
will condemn it to be cut to pieces.
Into the furnace the parts will go, to
emerge, like the mill where old men
We're ground into new. rejuvenated,
ready to take place in some new mon.
ster with steel heart and transmigrated
soul.