The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-05-13
rHE RREAKMAN AT CHURCH.
what HeThought erthe DenomIna-

dow pane, the cross passenger sound
asleep and the tall thin passenger read
ing "General Grants Tour Around the
World" and wondering why AGreen's
August Flower" should be printed
pie at Benares." To me comes the
breakman, and seating himself on the
arm Of the seat, says:
81 went to church yesterday"
"Yes," / said, with that interested
Injection that asks for more. Sand
what church did you attend9'
(Which do you GUEST" he asked.
''Some union mission church." l
haZZarded..
NAV" he said, 81 don't like to run
on these branch roads very much. /
don't often go to church, and when I
do l want TO run on the main line,
where your run is regular and you go
on schedule time and don't have to wait
on connections. / don't like to run on
branch. Good enough, but l don't
like it"
"Episcopal9" I guessed.
Limited express" he said, call
palace cars are two dollars extra for
seat, fast time and only stop at the big
stations. Nice line, but too exhaustive
for brakeman. All train men in uni
form, conductors punch and lantern
silver plated, and no train boys allow
ed. Then the passengers are allowed
to talk back at the conductor, and it
makes them too free and easy. No, l
couldn't stand the palace cars. Rich
road, though. Don't often h:ar of a
receiver being appointed for that line.
Some mighty nice people travel on 1t
too"
'Universalisti" I suggested.
'tBrosd gauge" said the brakeman;
''does too much complimentary BUSH
ness. Everybody travels on pass.
Conductor doesn't get fare once in
fifty miles. Stops at all flag stations
and won't run into anything but IN
ion depot. No smoking car Oh the
train. Train orders are rather vague,
though, and the train men don't get
along well with the passengers. No,
don't go to the Universalist, though l
know some swfully good men who run
on that road"
"Presbyterian?" asked.
Marrow gauge, ehG" said the brake
man, ''pretty track; straight as rule ;
tunnel right through mountain rather
than go round it; spirit level grade;
passengers haYe to- show their ticket
before they get on the train. Mighty
strict road, but the cars are little mar
row, have to sit one in seat, and no
room in the aisle to dance. Then there
is no stop-over tickets allowed ; got to
go straight through to the station you're
tIcketed for or you can't get on at all.
When the cars full, no extra coaches;
cars built at the shops to hold just so
many and nobody else is allowed on.
But you don't often hear of an acct
dent on that road. It's run right up 10
the rules"
MAYBE you joined the Free Think
ers2" 1 said.
Scrub road" said the brakeman,
''dirt road-bed and no bal LAST; 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-plesse road. Too many side tracks,
and every switch wide open all the
time, with the switchman sound asleep
and the target lamp head out. Get on
as you please, and get off where you
want to. Don't have to show your
tickets, and the conductor isn't expect
ed to do anything but smuse the pas
sengers. No, sir, was offered pass,
but don't like the line. I don't like
to travel on road that has no termi-
nus. Do you know, sir, ] asked di-
vision superintendent where that road
run to, and he said he hoped to die if
he knew. asked him if the general
superintendent could tell me, and he
said he didn't believe they had a gen.
eral superintendent, and if they had,
he didn't know anything more about
the road than the passengers. / asked
him who he reported to, and he said
nobody l asked a conductor who
he got his orders from, and he said he
didn't take orders from any live man
or dead ghost. And when asked the
engineer who he got his orders from,
he said he'd like to see any one give
him orders he'd run that train to suit
himself, or he'd run it into the ditch.
Now, you see, sir, Pm railroad man,
and 1 don't care to run on road
that has no time, makes no connec-
lions, runs nowhere and has no su-
perintendent. Il may. be all right,
but I've railrosded too long to under
stand it."
maybe you went to the Congrega-
tional Churchp I said.
popular road" said the brakeman !;
San old road, too-one OF the very
Oldest in the country. Good road
bed and comfortable cars. Well
managed road, too; directors don't in
terfere with division superintendent
and train orders. Roads mighty pop
ular, but its pretty independent, too.
Yes, didn't one of the division super
intendents down east discontinue one
of the oldest stations on this line two
or three years ago2 But it's q mighty
pleasant road to travel on. Always
has such SPLENDID class of passen-
gers"
'tDid you try the Methodist" l said.
"Now you're shouting" he said.
with enthusiasm. mice road, eh 2
Fast time and plenty of passengers.
Engines carry power of steam, and
don't forget it; steam gauge shows a
hundred and enough all the time.
Lively road and when the conductor
shouts 'all aboard you can hear him to
the next station. Every train light
shines like headlight. Stop-over
checks are given on all through tickets !;
passengers can drop off the train as
often as he pleases, do the station two
or three days and hop on the next re-
vival train that comes laundering
along. Good, whole-souled compsn-
ionable conductors; amt road in the
country where the passengers feel
more at home. No passes; every pas
senger pays full traffic rates for his
ticket. Wesleysnhouse air brakes on
all trans, too, pretty safe road, but l
didn't ride over it yesterday"
ssPerhaps you tried the Baptist ?" /
guessed once more.
"Ah hal" said the brakeman,
''she's daisy, isn'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 track all the way and not a
side track from the round house to
the terminus. Takes q heap of water
to run it, though, double tanks at
every station, aud there isn't an
engine in the shops that can pull q
pound oil run mile with less than
two gauges. But it runs through q
| lnvelv conntrv. thasa rivar roada