Louisiana capitolian., 1880-01-31


deed, were sleeping. Two slccpers were
full, and in the five other cars tho pas
scngcrs were resting in reclining chairs,
or bolstcred up in the straight seats
None appeared to have any thought Of
anxiety for their safety, and yet the
thermometer had fallen to Is degrees
below zero; the rails were icy; the moon
was about setting, and soon the train
would be rushing on through intense
darkness. Thoughts Of broken rails and
bridges rendered brittle by the cold,
made nervous chills run over Inc. Then
! thought Of the man who held the lives
Of all these sleeping, nnconcerned pas
scngers in his care, the engineer, and u
great curiosity arose in my mind to know
how man with such IN immense req
possibility upon him felt, looked, acted
and talked.
At the next stopping place I succeeded
in getting reluctant permission from
tho engineer to ride on the engine only
until the moon should set; the reason
for this being that after it became dark,
he could not have his attention diverted
by the presence Of any one.
Very soon tho train was again thm-
dcring along ut its highest rate Of speed.
It seemed perfectly fearful, sitting in
the cab Of the engine. The cold wind
rushed passed our ears with a cutting
whiz; the monster engine seemed almost
lcaping from the rails in its frantic ef-
forts; tho immense driving wheels seem
cd to spin around like tops. So terrific
was the sensation that I would gladly
have retreated to the shelter Of the pas
senger car, but dared not risk the jour
ney with the train at such speed. The
engiucer, a great, stalwart, noble looking
fellow, kept his eye steadily fixed on
tho track ahead. The moonlight was
bright, and the track lay like black
line plainly visible for miles ahead on
tho prairie. Noticing my evident per
tnrbation, the engineer said:
"Ol, this is nothing, straight
and clear moonlight, tho strain
comes when tho night is pitch dark,
when the track runs over an uneven
country; when there are curves and cuts
and bridges and embankments; when it
rams and the track is slippery, or may
10 washed away; when the rails are icy
or brittle with cold.'
"And do you rush OF just the same"
"Jnst the same. The travelling public
would complain loudly if time were lost
for storm or flood" y.
care you never afraid p y
ave do not think about fear. If we
do We are lost. 1t is like a man walking
n narrow plank at dizzy height. II he
begins to think of his position he is lost
Engineers of express trains don't care
to lose their nerve; If they do they are
gone up"
"How r."
"An engineer who begins to lose his
nerve soon shows it in his train. If he
brings his train in behind time for u few
times in succession he is called to ac-
count. If it is found that he is getting
afraid to run SO fast he is deprived of his
position and put on freight engine.
An engineer who once loses his nerve
never RECEIVERS it,
''Do engineers dread such reductions
in rank I"
"Of course no one likes to be degraded
in rank. There is pride in the courage
and bravery Of our profession that i'm
pels us to seek to maintain our positions
at the top, more especially as the posi-
tion Of express train engineer is only
attained after long years of apprentice
ship and service in running freight en-
gines. But occasionally, after having
been promoted to tirst-class positions
engineers find the strain too great on
their nerves and voluntarily take posi-
tions on freight trains or short local ac-
cOmmodations.
The moon was now just sinking below
the horizon. Bcl9hd us thundered the
long train Of cars. The engineer asked
mo not to talk any more. There he
stood, his hand on the throttle Of the
engine, bis eye peering eagerly through
tho darkness that was falling thicker
around It's. Soon only such portions of
the track as were lighted by the head
light of tho engine was visible. What
an awful responsibility were all those
three hundred sleeping men, women and
children. The engineer seemed like one
ofthe gods of the old mythology, con-
trolling in his single, sinewy hand such
Almighty force, and performing such a
wondrons task. But there he stood,
calm and collected, although it seemed
as though every nerve must be in the
highest state Of tension. l thought of
the thousands Of express trains rushing
all over the land in every direction at
this dead hour Of night; of the immense
number of passengers whose lives were
i'll the care and keeping of these faithful
workers, and l realized as never before
the wonderful degree of perfection to
which railroad service has been brought
that so few accidents happen and so few
lives are lost in proportion to the num-
ber of travellers. All honor to the rail.
roai cOmuanias anI eSnacially all homo,