Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1880-03-06
Saturday, March G, 1880.
The Brakeman at Church.

On Tie road once more, with Lebanon ias-
ing in the distance, the fat passenger drum
ming idly on the window pane, the cross pas
senasr sound asleep and tho tall thin passsn-
ger readiug Gen. Grants Tour Around the
World" and wondering why Curat:ne aud
John Lucas & Co.'S Signal Paints should be
printed above the Doors Of Buddhist Temple
at Benares. To me comes the brakeman. and
seating himself on the arm cf the scat, says :;
81 went 10 church yesterday
Yes ?" said, with that interested infso-
ton tha, asks for more. don't often 60 60
church. and when DO. want 10 run on q
main line, where your run is regular and you
90 on schedule time and don't have to wai' 90
connections. ID M like 10 run on brsnch.
Good enough. but don't like is"
Episcopal 2" guessed ,o,
Limited express" be said, al palace cars
and two dollars extra for q seat, fast time aud
only stop ct tho big stations. Nice llne. but
TOO exhaustive for brakeman. Alltrain MOI
10 uniform. conductors puocb and lantsrn sill
yer plated and no train boys sliowed. Then
the passengers are allowed to talk back 10 tie
conductor, aud il makes them too free sbd easS.
No. couldn't stand DE palace cara. Hloh
road, shoush. Dou's often hear Of receiver
being appointed ios that limo. Some mighty
nice people travel on it, too
d" Univsrsslist p suggested.
Broad eaage," said the 6rakemao " docs
too much complimentary business. Eyerybo-
DIV .,aves on p1ss Conductor doesn't get a
lsre once in fifty miles. Stops at all flag sta
,ions and won't run into anything but Union
depot No smoking car on the train. Train
orders are rather vague though, and the train
men don't get along well with the passengers.
No. don 90 10 the Uhiyersalist, though !
know Scme ayfuly good meu who run Oh tha.
road"
Presbyterian ?" asked.
Narrow guaee, ell 2" said the brakeman,
pretty track, straight as a rule, tunnel right
through mountain rather than 90 around IT,,
spirit level grade, passengers have to show
their tickets before they get On tie train
Mighty strict road, but the cars are little
narrow have To SIT one on a seat aud no room
ia the aisle to dance Then there Is no stop
over tickets allowed; got to 90 straight thro'
10 tic station you're ticketed Tor, or you cant
get on at all Wien the cars full no extra
coaches cars built a, tie shops TO hold SO ma
nv and Nobody else allowed on. But you DO
not often hear Of an accident on that road
It's run right up to the rules"
MAY Lc you jDined the Free Thinkers p
said. ...
Scrub road, - said the brakeman. "dirt road
bed and no ballast, no time card and no train
dispatcher. Al trains run wild and every en-
giueer makes his own time, just as he plcases.
Smoke If YOU want to; kind Of go-as-you-
a sd ks a.
~ switch wide open all the time, with the
switchman sound asleep aud the target lamp
dead out Get Oh as you please and oil when
YOU want TO. Don't have to show your tick
cts. and the conductor isn't expected 10 do any
thing but amnse the passengers. No, sir
was offered pass. but don't Ike .he line.-
don't like to travel on the road that has DO
terminus. DO you know, sir, asked divis-
lou superintendent where that roac run to aud
he said he hoped ~ die If he knew. ] asked
hlm if the general superintendent could tell
me. and he said lie didn't believe they isc
general superintendent, nnd if they bad he
didn't know anything mOre about the road
than the passengers. ! asked him who be re-
ported to aud he said " DobOdy." ! asked the
conductor who be got orders from, aud be said
be didn't take orders from aOy living man or
dead ghost.
And when : asked tue engineer wbo be got bis
orders from, lie said he'd Ike TO see anybody
give him orders he'd ruu that train 10 suit
himself, or he'd run her in the ditch. Now.
you can see. cir, lm railroad man, aud
don't care to run on a road that has DO time,
or makes 20 connections, runs nowhere aud
has no superintendent 1t may oil be hight,
but have rairoeded too long ~ understand
it,"
Maybe you went to the Congregational
church, said.
Popular road said the brakeman. an
old road too one of the very oldest ia this
country. Good road bed and comfortable cars.
Well managed road, too directors don't inter
fere with division superin.endeuts aud train,
orders. Roads mighty popular. but it's pret-
ty independent, too. Yes, didn't one OF the
division superniendentS down East discontiu-
us one Of the Oldest stations on this line two
or three years ago. Bat it's a mighty pleas
ant road to travel on. Always has such
splendid class Of passengers.
did you try the Methodist ?" / said.
Now you're shouting" he said with some
estbnsiasm. Nice road, eh ? Fast time aud
uleniy Of passengers Engines carry 4 power
Of steam aud don't you forget it, steam guase
shows. a hundred aud enough all the time
Lively road, when the conductor shouts all a.
board YOU can hear bin at the next station
Every train light shines Ike ! headlight. Stop
over checks given on all through tickets pas
senger can drop of the train as often as be
likes, 90 the station two or three times and hop
on the next revival train that comes thupder-
iag along. Good, who.e-sogled compaDioDa-