Sharp County record., 1880-04-01
PECULfARITIEs OF LOCOMOTIVES.
How They Sometimes Act Like Humans-A
Chat With an Old Engineer.
from the Detroit Free Press. J

"He's in the dumps because his loco
motive has been off for three or four
days." said a railroad man at the Union
depot the other day as he pointed to an
engineer who looked as sour as any dys-
peptic.
How off?n
"Go and ask him."
It took a quarter of an hour and a
cigar to clear the cloud from the engl-
neer's face, and then inreply to the que
ry he said;
cit is queer thing. There's my en-
pine, 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 / hadn't the least bit OF
trouble in making time, no matter now
the track was OF the weight of the train.
She was ready at the word, held her
steam beautifully, and she seemed to
understand every word / said. To-day
she is down in the round-hOuse, growl-
ing and sputtering and acting as if she
wanted to pick a fuss with a graveI-plt.
"Any thing out of gear?"
"Not a 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. lfshe don't
we'll punish her"
" How?n
"Put her before a freight or stock
train. I've seen it tried dozen times,
and it most always works well. Here
she is now, bright as new dollar and
handsome as a picture, and I'll bet fifty
dollars that there isn't the least thing
out of order. She's simply sulking, the
same as a child or a woman, and l 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 a
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 | had
ever had with her in a 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 RIG hit back on me that night, aad
has been sulking around ever siLce."
"Do all engines do this?"
"Not all, but many of them. Some
of 'em begin to cut up and get on their
high heels the first day out of the shop,
as if determined to be master; while
Others will be obedient as you please for
two or three years and then all at once
play you some rusty trick. People say
that horse is next to man in point Of
intelligence, but / sometimes think the
locomotive ought to have that place.
We engineers do not look upon them as
machines, but almost as companions,
and I've known drivers to talk to them
by the hour. I feel awfulydOwn in the
mouth about my pet"
els this your first experience with a
sulking engineP"
"No; it's my third. Six years ago,
when I was running out of Chicago,
west, I had ten years added to my age
in about two minutes. / had fine
passenger engine, and we were the best
of friends for over a year. One day
when we were booming over the coan-
try at forty miles an hour, | saw a
farmers team stalled at highway
crossing. He had big load of wood
on his wagon, and the team was pair
of yodng horses. When 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, I honestly believe that
engine wanted to mash things She
suddenly increased her speed, and
when reversed and put on the air.
brakes she plunged and kicked and al
most Jumped the rails. When / started
up again she was sulking, and had all
could do to make time. She was
soff all next trip, but wouldn't give
in. On the next trip she showed her
teeth, and they had the CLEAN of Ian
tern of death.
"You see, had orders to side-track
at a 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 station.
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 being
reversed or a brake applied, and with
steam enough to blow off! was
dazed for a minute, and the fireman
opened his eyes like seeing a terrible
picture. just then the Atlantic whistIed.
/ jumped down and ran to the pilot,
expecting to see barricade, but the
track was clear. leaped into the cab
and gave her more steam, bu5 not a
wheel moved. More yet, bat she stood
there like a rock! Conductor, brake
man and passengers were shouting at
me, and the switchman howled like a