Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-25
The Brakeman at Church.

DluhtI1uu ut SHuECHs
On the road once more, with Lebanon
fading away in the distance, the fat pas
senger drumming idly on the window
pane, the cross passenger sound asleep
and the tall, thin passenger reading Gen
Grants Tour Around the World" ant
wondering why Green's August Flower
should he printed above the doors of :.
comes the brakeman, and seating hmsel
on the ann of the seat, says:
'I went to church yesterday"
"YesP" | said, with that interested in
Election that asks for more. "And wha
church did you attcnd?"
(which do you guess ?" he asked.
Some union mission church," | haz
arled.
NO" he said, II don't like to run or
these branch roads very much. don
often go to church, and when do, wan
TO run on the main line, where your run i.
regular and you go on schedule time ant
don't have to wait on connections. dom
like to run on n branch. Good enough
but don't like it,
"Episcopal ~ l guessed.
'Limitcd EXPRESS he said, "all palace
cars and S2 extra for n scat, fast time and
only stop at big stations. Nice time, but
too exhaustive for brakeman. All train
men in uniform conductors punch and
lantern silver plated, and no train bows
allowed. Then the passengers are allowed
to talk back at the conductor. and it makes
them too free and easy. No, l couldn',
stand the palace cars. Rich road. though
Don't often hear OF u receiver being ap.
pointed for that line. Some mighty nice
people travel on it, too"
"UniversalistP" suggested.
BROAD gauge" said the brakeman
"does too much complimentary business
Everybody travels on q pass. Conductor
doesn't get fare once in so miles. Stops
at flag stations and won't run into any
thing but II union depot. No smoking cal
on the train. Train orders arc rather
vague though. and the train men don,
get along well with the passengers. No
| don't go to the Universalist though ]
know some awfuly good men who run or
that road"
"Presby!erianp" | asked.
Marrow gauge, eh?" said the brake
man, ''pretty track, straight as rule
tunnel right through mountain rather
than GO around it; spirit-level grade; pas
sengers have to show their ticket before
they get on the train. Mighty strict road
but the cars are a little narrow; have to
sit one in "A seat. and no room in the AISLE
to dance. Then there ARE no slop.oye,
tickets allowed; got to go straight through
to the station you're ticketed for, or y0u
can t get on at all. When the car 8 full nc
nxtr. Coaches. care hnilt of tho shons ~
bnid inst so many and nohodv s,sn ofIo,r
cd on. Rut Won DOM ofen hear of nm
accident ON ,b,t road It,s run ,;oh, mr
to the rnle." y
"Nnvhc Won ;,;nod III, Frce Th;,Lors .,
7 said
"Scruh ro,d >. s,;l ,bo br,lor,, ..a;.,
road he'd and M b,lI,st. M tina oa ~ and
no rain di.notchcr All ,r,;ns rnn Iii
and every cnyinrrr makes his own ,;,,a
ms, ,s hc nlrases Smoko if v,u y,nt ~
kind of n ro-os.vou.nle,.e ro.d To,
many side tracks. and every switch ,yide
omen all ,he lime. with ibe syvi,cbmar
sonna .slonn,nd the ,,rra, l.,,,, J,o,t .,',,
Go on as YOU please and get off when yo,
want to. Don't have to show your ricketts,
and the conductor isn't exnected IN 4,
ANYTHING but amuse the passengers No
sir. | was offered n pass. but don't like The
line. don't like to travel on n road thai
has no terminus. Do Won know sir,
nsked n division SUPERINTENDENT hero tha,
road run to. and he said he honed 10 die Il
he knew / asked ifthe general snnerinlend
ent could tell me. and he sij h. didn't
believe thew had a general superintendent
and If th.y had he didn't believe he knew
ANYTHING more about the road than the
passengers. Iasked him who he repor1ed
to and he said .nobody.' | asked the
conductor who he got his orders from and
he said he didn't take orders from anv
living man or dead ghost. And when
asked the engineer who he got his orders
from, he said he'd like to see anvbody
give him orders, he ID run that train tc
suit himself Or he'd run it into the ditch
Now YOU see. I'm railroad man. and
don't care TO run ON a road That has M
time. makes no connections. runs nowhere
aud has no superintendent. 1t NAV be Nil
right. but I've railroaded too long to
understand it."
Ibid YOU try the Methodist, [ said.
Now you're shouting" he said with
some enthusiasm. Mice road ehp Fast