Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-03-24
Cab and Tcnder.


looked as sour as any dyspepiic.
.sHow off :"
go and ask him.
II took quarter of an hour and cigar
10 clear the cloud from the engineers face,
and then in reply TO the query, he said:
'slt Is queer thing. There's my engine,
one Of the best on the road, in perfect or
der. only two years old, and able 10 run or
pull with the best OF them. A month ago
/ hadn't the least bit of trouble in making
time, nosmatter how the track was or th
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,
growing and sputtering and acting as if
she wanted 10 pick fuss with a gravel
pit
Anything ont OF gearl'
'Not thing. She's been looked over
twice. and we can't find the least excuse
for her conduct. She'll get over it in a
day or two, perhaps. If she don't Wen
punish her"
'.How 7"
Put her before freight stock train.
I've seen it tried a dozen'tImes, and il most
always works well Here she is now,
bright as a new dollar and handsome as q
picture, and I'll bet fifty dollars that there
isn't the least thing out 0t order. She's
simply sulking. the same rs a child or q
woman. and | 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 running horse, and if ! hadn't
choked her of she'd have beaten schedule
lime 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 run Of three hundred.
She lost steam, tried to foam over, chollcd
her pumps, and when wanted more steam
she'd slide on her drivers. She was right
back on me that night, and has been sulk-
ing around ever since"
''DO all engines do thisi'
Not all, but many Of :hem. Some Of
'em begin 20 cut up and get on their high
heels the first day out Of the shop, as If de-
termined to be master; while others will
be as obedient as you please for two or
three wears and then all st once play you
some rusty trick. People say that a horse
is next 20 a 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 al
most as companions, and I've known
drivers TO talk 10 them by the hour. feel
awfully down in the mouth about my pet. y
''Is there no way to bring her back 10
good temper:'-
1--WE seen engineers on the Erie and
IL, 81 laro,,. ont
Of the rails and bang her up and down and
slam her around till she was as humble as
pot-pie. but our plan out West here is TO
degrade 'em. Id hate TO see my pet pull
ing hog train over the rails ON which she
has drawn big passenger train fifty miles
IL hour without skip, but she'll have to
come to il or behave herself.
rs this your first experience with sulk-
ing enginei'
'.No; its my third. Six years ago when
l was running out Of Chicago, west, had
ten years added TO my age in about Etwo
minutes. | had fine passenger engine,
and We were the best Of friends for over q
year. Ole day when we were booming
over the country at forty miles an hour,
saw farmers team stalled at q highway
IiOSo4GS. lit HtAu u OA- ApdG VI NbOl Ou
his wagon, and the team was q pair OF
young horses. When ] first caught sight
Of them they were dancing up and down
and not trying to pull a pound, and the old
farmer was on Top the load and putting on
the whip good and strong. Now honest
II believe that that engine wanted 10 smash
things. She suddenly increased her speed
and when l reversed and put on the air
brakes, she plunged and kicked and almost
jumped the rails When started up again
she was sulking, and had all could do
10 make time. She was of all next trip,
but wouldn't give in. On the next trip
she showed her teeth, and they had tie
gleam Of a lantern Of death.
You see, l had orders to side track at S
certain station for the Atlantic express TO
pass ne, and my engine sulked and growl-
ed and threw ire several minutes behind
tiRe. There was little time to spare when
We reached the station. | had drawn the
train about half way off the ma II track
when my engine stopped dead still. Yes,
sir-stOpped dead still, and that withou,
beng reversed or a brake applied, and with
steam enough to blow of / was dazed
for q minute. and tine fireman opened his
eyes like one seeing 4 terrible picture. Just
then the Atlantic whistled. jumped down
and ran to the pilot expectin. to see q bar
Ticade, but tie track was clear / leaped
into the cab and gave her more steam, but
not q wheel moved. More yet, but she
stood there like a rock. Conductor, brake
men and passengers were shouting at ne,
and the switchman hOwled like a panther
On came the Atlantic, and | pulled the
throttle wide opea. Bless You, sir, I'm in
Il shIver now at tie recollection.
THE Atlantic always passed us on the
fly, but that night she had party of stock
holders aboard who wanted TO get off at the
s;ation, and she came 10 a stop, and saved
such railroad slaughter as would put the
Ashtahula difaster nowhere. She'd have
gone through two sleeping cars as slick ss
4 bullet. There we stood, my engine growl-
ing and threatening and halt G d. Tie
fireman suddenly lit ont as If he mad seen a
ghost, a mob of the passengers swarmed
down on NE. and believe | should have
taken TO the woods if a change hadn't come.
All at once No. 10 seemed to rear right up.
she made a plunge or two, and away she
went like bolt of lightning. and / had the
hardest kind of work to stop her on the
siding.
"They didn't say was drunk and they
knew l wasn't asleep. but they suspended
me until they looked the engine over. She
was in perfect order, and they sent her out
On the accommodation with a new driver.
What did she do but bang right into train
at station, and that with all steam shut
off and the bar thrown oyerl Some folks
laugh at us and call it superstition, but they
never lived in an engine cab. Ask any
barber if his razor dobsn't get off now and
then and refuse to shave until laid aside for
rest. Ask any horse trainer If his horse
will make the same time two mornings
alike, even if the care and feed and track
are the same. Running in and out of De-
lroit are hundreds of locomotives, all built
on the same plan, and yet no two are
handled just ike. Out of twenty built
In the same shop, by the SAME gang of men
no two will work the same. One can he
bull-dozed, another must be petted, third
will be faithful. q fourth treacherous, and
ono -1-,1t b.r-a ba. ,,aa,t1iar fra.fo end