The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-04-02
THE BRAKEAAN wgO ;wEHr| !
lBurlington Hawkeys.1

HYesP'' said, with that interested
infection that asks for more ssAnd
Whist church did You attend?''
(which do you guess3'' he asked.
ssSome union mission church,"
hazarded.
stNay,"he saii, stI don't like to run
ON these branch roads very much. 1
don't often 60 to church, and when
do, want to run on the main line,
where your run Is regular and you go
on schedule time, aud don't have to
on a branch. Good enough, but don't
like it.'' ~. 5.s s.;s
sEpiscopal?'' I guessed.
"Limited express" he said, call
palace cars and two dollars extra for
seat; fast time, only stops at the big
stations. Nice line, but too exhaus-
tive for q brakeman. All train men In
uniform, conductors punch and Ian
tern silver-plated, and no train boys
allowed. Then the passengers are al
lowed to talk back at the conductor,
and 1t make them too free and easy.
No, I couldn't stand the palace cars.
Rich road, though. Don't often hear
of receiver being appointed for that
line. Some mighty nice people travel
on it, too.''
"Universalist," guessed.
isBroad guage," said the brakeman,
sstoo much complimentary business.
Everybody travels on pass. Conduc-
tor doesn't get . fare once in fifty
miles. Stops at all flag stations, and
won't run into anything but union
depot. No smoking car on the train.
Train orders are vague, though, and
the train-men don't get along well
with the passengers. No, don't go
to the Universalist, though I know
some awfnlly good mon who run on
that road.' - . ..-t--s. .-.s.
"Presbyterian?' asked.
''Narrow gaage, eh?' said the brake
man, "pretty track, straight as a rule;
rather than go round It; spirit level
grade; passengers have to show their |
tickets before they get on the train.
Mighty strict road, but the cars are a
little narrow; have TO sit one In q seat
and no room in the aisle to dance.
Then there's no stop over tickets al
lowed; got to go straight through to
the station you're ticketed for, or you
can't get ON at ali. When the cars
full no extra coaches, cars built at the
shops to hold just so many, and nobody
else allowed on. But yOn don't often
hear Of an accident on that road. It's
run right up to the rules"
"Maybe you joined the FREQ think
ers?'' said.
"Scrub road" said the brak emaI,
"dirt road he'd and no ballast; no time
card and no train dispatcher. All
trains run wild, and every engineer
makes his own time, just as he pleases.
Smoke If you want to; kind of go-as-
you-please road. Too many side tracks,
and every switch wide open all the
time, with the switchman sound asleep
and the target lamp dead out. Go on
as you please and get off when you
want to. Don't have to show your
tickets, aud the conductor isn't ex-
pected to do anything but amuse the
passengers. No, sir, I was offered q
pass, but I don't like the line. I don't
like to travel on a line that has no ter
minus. Do you know, sir, 1 asked
division superintendent where that
road runs to, and he said he hoped to
die II he knew. I asked him y the
general superintendent could tell me,
a general superintendent, and If they
had he didn't know any more about
the road than the passengers. I asked
him who he reported to, and he said
nobody I asked q conductor who he
got his orders from, and he said he
didn't take orders from any Nvlngman
or dead ghost. And when I asked the
engineer who he got his orders nom,
he said he'd like to see anybody giving
him orders, he'd run that train to suit
himself or he'd run 1T into the ditch. |
Now you see, sir, Pm a railroad man,
and don't care to run on a road that
has no time, makes no connections,
runs nowhere, and has no superintend-
emit. 1t may be all right, but I've
railroaded too long to understand It,"
sDid you try the Methodists3'' I
said. .f..-
sNow you're shouting" he said with
some enthusiasm. ssNice road, chr
Fast time and plenty of passengers.
Engines carry a power of steam, and
don't you forget Il; steam gauge shows
hundred and enough all the time.
Lively road; when the conductor
shouts 'aH aboard you can hear him
to the next station. Every train lamp
shines like headlight. Stop over
checks given ON all through tickets, a
passenger, can drop off the trains as