The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-03
CAB AND TENDER.
Some Curious Facts About Locomotives
AS Near Human as MACHINE
ery Can be Made

four days." said a railroad man at the
Union depot the other day, as he point
ed to an engineer who looked as sour
as any dyspeptic.
How Off"
" Go and ask. him.
1t took quarter of an hour and a
cigar to clear the cloud from the en-
gineer's face, and then in reply to the
query he said:
'' 1t is queer thing. There's my
engine, one of the best on the road, in
perfect order, only two years old, and
able to run or pull with the best of
them. A month ago l hadn't the least
bit of trouble in making time, no mat
ter how the track was or the weight of
the train. She was ready at the word,
held her steam beautifully, and she
seemed to understand every word l
said. To-day she is down in the round
house, growing and sputtering and
acting as if she wanted to pick fuss
with gravel-pit."
i" Anything out of gear?'
"Not thing. She's been looked
over twice, and we can't find the least
excuse for her conduct. She'll get over
it in day or two, perhaps. If she
don't Wen punish herr
g HowP''
Put her before q freight or stock
train. I've seen it tried dozen times,
and it most always works well. Here
she is now, bright as q new dollar and
handsome as picture, and I'll bet
fifty dollars that there isn't the least
thing out of order. She's simply sulk-
hn nj;
and know what started it. Three
weeks ago, while on my run in with
the night express, she just wanted to
light right out for all she was worth.
She took the bit like running horse,
and if hadn't choked her off she'd
have beaten schedule time by twenty
minutes. She acted mad right away,
and in running twenty miles she gave
me more trouble than l had ever
had with her in run of 800 She lost
steam, tried to foam over, choked her
pumps, and when wanted more steam
she'd slide on her drivers. She went
right back on me that night, and has
been sulking around ever since"
"Do all engines do thisP"
"Not all, but many of them. Some
of 'em begin to cut up and git on their
high heels the first day out of the shop,
as if determined to be master; while
others will be as obedient as you please
for two or three years and then all at
once play some rusty trick. Peo-
pie say that horse is next to man in
point of intelligence, but l sometimes
think the locomotive ought to have that
place. We engineers do not look upon
them as machines, but almost as COM
panions, and I've known drivers to
talk to them by the hour. feel awfully
down in the mouth about my pet.'
is this your first experience with
sulking engineP'
"No; it's my third. Six years ago,
when was running out of Chicago,
west, had ten years added to my age
in about two minutes. | had fine
passenger engine, and we were the best
of friends for over year. One day,
when we were booming over the coun-
try at forty miles an hour, saw Alarm
er's team stalled at highway crossing.
He had big load OF wood on his wag-
on, and the team was pair of young
horses. When 1 first caught sight of
them they were dancing up and down
and not trying to pull pound, and the
old farmer was on top the load and
putting on the whip good and strong.
Now l honestly believe that engine
wanted to mash things. She suddenly
increased her speed, and when | re-
versed and put on the air brakes she
plunged and kicked and almost jumped
the rails. When started up again she
was sulking, and | had all could do to
make time. She was off all next trip,
but wouldn't give in. On the next
trip she showed her teeth, and they had
the CLEAN of lantern of death.
"You see, had orders to side-track
at certain station for the Atlantic ex-
press to pass me, and my engine sulked
and growled and threw me several min
utes behind time. There was little
time to spare when we reached the sta
ton. / had drawn the train about half
way off the main track when my engine
stopped dead still. Yes, sir-stopped
dead still, and that without be-
ing reversed or a brake applied,
and with steam enough to blow off!
was dazed for a minute, and the fire.
men opened his eyes like one seeing a
terrible picture. just then the Allan
tic whiotled. l jumped down and ran
to the pilot, expecting to see barri-
cade, but the track was clear. leaped
into the cab and gave her more steam,
but not wheel moved. More yet, but
she stood there like rock! Conduct
or, brakemen and passengers were
shouting at me, and the switchman
howled like q panther. On came the
Atlantic, and l pulled the throttle open
wide. Bless you. sir, I'm in SILVER
now at the recollection
"The Atlantic always passed us on
the fly, but that night she had party
of stockholders aboard who wanted to
get off at this station, and she came to
a stop and saved such railroad slaugh-
ter as would put the Ashtabula disaster
nowhere She'd have gone through
two sleeping cars slick as bullet.
There we stood, my engine growing
and threatening and l half-crazed. The
fireman suddenly lit out as if he had
seen ghost, mob of the passengers
swarmed down on me, and believe |
should have taken to the woods if a
change hadn't come. All at once No.
40 seemed to rear right up, she made
nlunOe or two. and away she went like