Blount County democrat. [volume] (Maryville, Tenn.) 1879-1883, 1880-03-17


nobody else allowed on. But you
don't often hear of any accident on
that road. It's run right up TO the
rules"
MAYBE you Joined tho Free Think
ers 2" 1 said.
".scrub road" said the brakeman,
"dift road-bed and no ballast; no
time@Card and no ain-dispatcher.
All trains run wild, and every engin-
eer makes his own time, Just as he
pleases. Smoke if you want to; kind
of go-as-yOu-pleass road, Too many
side-tracks, and every switch wids
open all the time, with the 5witchman
sound asleep and the tzfgat-lamp dead
out. Get on rs you please and get off
when you want to. Don't have to
show your tickets, and the conductor
isn't expected to DO anything but
amuse the passengers. No, sir; / was
offered pass, but don't like the line.
] don't like to travel on o road that
has no terminus. Do YOU know, sir,
/ asked Division Superintendent
where that road ran 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 General Superin-
tendent, 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 living man or
dead ghost. And when / asked the
engineer who he got his orders from,
he said he'd like to sec any one give
him orders; he'd run that train to
suit himself, or he'd run il into the
ditch. Now you see, sir, I'm rail-
road man. and I don't care to run on
a train that has no time, makes no
connections, rtns nowhere and has no
Superintendent. 1t may be all right
but Tve railroaded too long to under
take it."
"Maybe you went to the Congrega-
tional Church 7" / said.
popular road," said the brakeman:
'san old road, too--one of the very
oldest roads In the country. Good
road-bed and comfortable cars. Well
managed road, too; direction doesn't
interfere with Division Superintend-
cnts and train orders. Roads mighty
popular, but its pretty Independent,
too. Yes, didn't one Of the Division
Superintendent down East discon-
tinue one of the oldest stations on the
line two or three years ago' But its
a mighty pleasant road to travel on.
Always has such splendid class Of
passengers"
"Did You try the MothOdistf I
asked.
"Now you're shouting" ne saidp
with some enthusiasm. "Nice road.
ehl Fast time and plenty Of passen-.
gers. Engines carry power of steam,
and don't you forget it; steam-gauge
shows q hundred and enough al the
time. Lively road; and when the
conductor shouts 'all aboard you can
hear him to the next station. Every
train-light shines like a headlight.
Stop-over checks are 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-soul-
ed, companionable conductors; ANITA
road in the country where the pas
sengers feel more at home. Nopasses,
every passenger pays full traffic rates
for his ticket. Wesleyanhouse air
brakes on all trains, too; pretty safe
road, but l didn't ride over it yester-
day."
|Perhaps you tried the BaptistS" I
guessed once more.
"Ah, ha I" said the brakeman, "she's
a daisy, isn't she? River road beau.
tiful curves; sweep around anything
to keep close to the river, but its all
steel rail and rock ballast, single track
all the way and not side track from
the round-house to the terminus.
Takes heap Of water to run it
through; double tanks at every
station, and there isn't an engine in
the shops that can pull pound or run
a mile with less than two gauges.
But it runs through lovely country;
these river roads always do; river on
one side and hill on the other, and it is
steady climb up the grade all the
way till the road ends where the
fountain-head begins. Yes, sir, Tll
take the river road every time for
lovely trip, sure connections and good
time and no prairie dust blowing at
the windows. And yesterday, when
the conductor came around for the
tickets with a little basket punch, |
didn't ask him TO pass me, but [ paid
my fare like little man-twenty-fvc
cents for an hours run and little
concert by the passengers thrown in.
tell you, Pilgrim, you take the river
road when you want"
But Just here the long whistle from
The engine announced a station and
the brakeman hurried to the door,
shouting:
@ZionSvilleI This train makes no
-. Ao1,v,noY haro aud India nan.