The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1880-03-23
IRREGULARITIES OF LocoMo.
TfVES.
How they SOMETIMES Act Like
Humans-A Chat With an
Old Engineer.

pointed to All engineer who looked a.
sour rs any dysperiic.
How of
Ii took 4 quarter OF an hour ana a
cigar TO clear the cloud frem the en-
gineer's face. ard then in repl' TO The
query he said
1T is a queer thing. Tia, res nav
engine. one OF the best on tine rad, Ia
perfect order, only two years cid, and
able TO run or pull with tn. best at
them. 4 month ago | hadn't the
least bit Of trouble in makiHg time. DO
matter how the the track was or what
the weight Of the train. She was
ready At the word. held her steam
bean,i!u''y, and she seemed to under
stand evcrv word ] said To-day she
is down la the rouud-houSe. crowlin.
and sputtering and acting as II she
wanted to lex a iass with gravel
pit"
Anything out cf gear
Not a thing. S.e's been looked
over twice. nd Sc can't find the least
excuse FIR her conduct. Sle'll oct
over it in Il day or two. perhaps. i!
she do. "e'Il punish her.
How
"put hef before freight or stick
train. I've seea II tried daZaa
times, and it NEST always works well.
Here she is now, bright a. Il new
dollar and handsome a. "A picture, aud
! Iii bet fifty dollars iaa, there isn't
the least thing out of order. She
simply sulSing, the SAME a. child ui'
Il woman, and / know what >'arIcsi
If. Three weeks ago, Will CA mv
run in with the Night express, Sue
just wanted 10 light right on, TIT ali
she was worth. She took the hiI
like a running horse, aud il | hAlGi
checked her I'll she'd have beaten
schedule lime hy ;wenTy minutes
She acted mad right away, and ia
running twenty miles she gave :ne
more trouble than had ever bad
with Der in run of 800 She LOST
steam. tried 10 foam over, c'oke.i
her pumps. and when | wanted more
steam she'd slide Oh her drivers. She
went right back on HE that night,
and has been suiking around evei
since"
"Do all engines DO this? ?"
NO rot all, bat many OF them.
Some Of EN- begin TO cut up and get
on their high heels the FIRST day Oh; %:
the shop. a. if determined to he mas
ter; while others will be obedient a.
vou please FOR two or three years and
then ali at once play you some rusty
trick. People say that a b"r>e Is
next 10 man in ppint OF Intelligence.
but sometimes think the lncnnl"liva
ought to have that place. We ensi-
reers DO noi loyk upon them -
machines. bar almost a. companions.
and I've known drivers a. talk 80
them by the hour. feel awful,
down la The mouth about ms PEI"
is this your .irsi experience with
sHikihS engine
''No, lis NV third. Six year ago.
when | Was running out OF Chicago,
west, ] had ten years added t. nv
age in about two minutes. had
fine passenger engine. and we We're the
best Of friends for over year Dne
day when we we're booming over the
country at forty miles an hour. saw
4 farmers team stalled at nigh way
crossing. He had big load of wood
on bis wagon, aud the team was =
pair of yourg horses. When | FIRST
caught sight of them they were dane
ing up and down and Rot trying To
pull pound, AMI the old farmer was
on top the load and putting on the
whip good and strong. Now. |
honestly believe that engine wanted
10 mash things. She Suddenly in
creased her speed, and when I re-
versed and put on the air-brakas she
plunged and kicked and almos, Jump
ed 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
a lantern of death.
"You see, had orders To- side
track at certain station for the
Atlantic expr, IS TO pass me-, and my
engine suIked and growled and threw
me several minutes behind time
There was little time to spare when
We reached the station. | had drawn
the train about half way of the main
track when -v engine stopped dead
still. Yes. sir-,topp,d dead still.
and that without being reversed or a
brake applied. ani with steam enough
TO blow of, was dazed fer Il minute,
and the fireman opened his eyes Ike
seeing terrible picture. just then the
Atlantic whistled- jumped down and
ran to the pilot. expecting TO see a bar
ricade, but the track wasclear. | leaped
into the cab and gave her more steam.
but not wheel moved. More vet.
but she stood there like rock, Con
ductor. brakeman and passengers
were shouting at me, and the switch
man howled like panther. Ga came
the Atlantic, and I,pulled the ,hrot-
tie open wide. Bless You. sir, am
in shiyer now at the recollection .
The Atlantic ALWAYS passed u on
the fly. but that night she had a
party of stakeholder. aboard who
wanted TO get off at this station. and
she came to a stop and saved such IA
slaughter as would put the
disaster nowhere. She'd
have gone through two sleeping cars
lick as a ballet. There we stood, nv
engine growing and threatening and
| halfcrazed. The fireman suddenly
it out as if he had seen ghost,
mob of the passengers swarmed down