Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-03-23
THE CHURCH ROAD,

utum "inS iuIy on tue window pane, the
cross passenger sound asleep, aud the tall,
thin passenger reading General Granite
Tour Around the World" and wondering
why Bulls Cough Syrup' should be printed
above the door of "a Buddhist Temrls a.
Benares To me comes the brakeman aud
seating himself on the arm of the seat says:
went to church yesterday"
Yes, l said, with that interested infee.
tlon that asks for more. "Aud what church
did you attend?"
(Which do you guess?" he asked.
"Some union mission church, :" l hazarded.
CHOW" he said, Il don't like to run on
those branch roads much. don't often 10
to church, aud when do, want to run on
the main line, where your run is regular and
you go on schedule time and don't have 10
wait on connections. l don't like to run on
n branch. Good enough, but don't like H."
"Episcopal?" guessed.
"Limited express" ho said, call palace
cars aud two dollars extra for seat; fas.
time and only stop at big stations Nice line,
but too exhaustive for a brakeman. All train
men in uniform, conductors punch and Ian.
tern silver plated and no train boys allowed.
Then the passengers are allowed to talk back
at the conductor, aud it makes them too free
and easy No, l could not stand the palace
cars. Rich road, though. Don't often hear
OF receiver being appointed for that lins.
Some mighty nice people travel on it, too"
"Universalist!' l suggested.
"Broad gauge" said the brakeman; "does
too much complimentary business. Every
body travels on pass. Conductor doesu't
get fare oncc in fifty miles. Stops at ALI
flag stations 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 we'll with the
passengers. No. l don't go to the Uniyer,
saist, though know some awful good men
who run on the road"
"Presbyterian?" 1 asked
"Narrow gauge, eh?" said the brakeman,
pretty track, straight as q rule; tunu6l
right through mountain rather than go
around it; spirit level grade; passengers have
to show their tickets before thew ret on The
train. Mighty strict road, but tho cars are y
little narrow; have to sit ono in n seat, and
no room in the aisle to dance. Then there's
no stop over tickets allowed; got to go straight
through to the station you are t,keted for or
You can't get on at all. When tho cars full.
no extra coaches; cars built at the shops lust
to hold SO many and no body else allowed on.
But you don't often hear of an accident on
that road. It's ruu up to rules"
"Maybc you joined tho Free Thinkers 2"
1 said.
Scrub road" said tho brakeman, "dirt
road bed and no ballast; no tir3e card, and
no train dispatches. All trains run wild, AID
every engineer makes his own time, Just as
no pleases. Smoke if you want to; kind Of
go as you please road. Too many side tracks,
with the switchman sound nsIeep aud tho
target dead out. Get on as you please aud
get OH when you want to. Don't have TO
show your tickets, aud tho conductor isn'l
expected to do anything but amuse passen>
gers. No, sir, was offered pass, but do
not like the line. don't like to travel ON
road that has no terminus. Do you know,
sir, asked division superintendent whore
that road run to- and he said he hoped to die
if he knew. I asked him if the general su.
perintendent could tell me, aud he didn's
believe they bad general superintendent.
and if they had, he didn't know anything
more about the road than the passengers. I
asked him who he reported to, aud he said
nobody" l asked a conductor who he got
his orders from, and he said no didn't take
orders from any living man or dead ghost.
Aud when L asked the engineer who he gos
his orders from he said he'd like to see sny
body give him orders; bed run that train 10
suit himself or he'd run it into tho ditch.
Now, you see, sir, I'm n railroad man, and
don't care to run on road that has no time,
makes no connections, runs nowhere AID has
~. ~ S.p:L'snIenI' p:i's may DC All right, bus
"Did you try the Methodist?' 1 said.
''Now you're shouting" he said, with
some enthusiasm. Mice road, eb?" Fast
time and plenty of passengers. Engines
carry power of steam, and don't you forgss
it; stoam gauge shows n hundred, aud
enough all the time. Lively road; when the
conductor shouts all aboard you can hear
him to the next station. Every train light
shines like headlight Stopoyer cheeks
given on all through tickets; passenger can
drop off the train as often as he likes, do the
station two or three days and hop ON the
next revival train that comes laundering
along. Good whole-souled conductors; amt,
a road in the country where the passeppers
feel moro at home; no passes; every passsn>
ger pays full traffic rates for his ticket Yves.
ieyanhouse air brake on all trains, too; pretty
safe road, but didn't ride over it YESTERDAY.
Maybe you went to the Cougrsgationaly
church," said
popular road said the brakeman, can
old road, too; one of the very Oldest in this,
country. Good road bed and comfortable
cars. Well mansged road, too; directors
don't interfere with division supsrintendents
and train orders. Roads mighty popular,
but Its pretty independent, too. See. didn't
one OF tho division superiutendepts down
east discontinue ono of the Oldest stations on
this limo one or two years agof BuS it A .
mlEhty sIeasant road to travelon. Always hao
saeh splendid class of PaaseDgers."
Perhaps you tried the Baptistf" Eusssed.
'tAh, bar said the brakeman. 'she's q daisy.
Hn't she: River road: beautiful curves: sweep
around anything to keep close TO the river; but
it's all steel rail and rock ballast. single tSAek
5eu.s % to e.. ter tsrminus. S Y T.tes bsap Of Watss 70
run il through: double tanks at every ststions
rua mile w with loss i tssp two gauges. Bus Il
ran: through q lovely country: tbets river
roads always do; river one ride and hills On
tho other, and it's . steady climb mp tho Rrado
All tho way tifl the run ends ~here the fonat.iI