The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-17

"ITe's in the dumps because his loco
motive has been off for three or four
days" said a railroad man at the Union
depot, the other day, as he pointed to an
engineer who looked as sour as any dys-
peptic.
Glow OFF,
600 and ask him.
1t took Il quarter of an hour and Il
cigar to clear the cloud from the cngin-
GERS face and then in reply to the query
said:
1T is 4 queer thing. There's my en-
CINE, one of the best on the road. in per-
feet order, only two years old, and able
to run or pull with the best of them. a
month ago | hadn't the least bit of trou-
BILE in making time, no matter how the
track was or the weight of the train
She was ready at the word, held her
steam beautifully, and she seemed to
understand every word l said. To-day
she is down in the round house. growing
and suffering, and acting as if she
wanted to pick fuss with gravel pit.
"Anything out of gear?'
"Not thing. She 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 We'll
punish her.
How
Put her before freight stock train.
I've seen it tried dozen times, and it
most always works well. Here she is
now. bright as new dollar and hand
some as picture. and I'll bet fifty dol
lars that there isn't the least thing out
of order. Shes simply sulking. the same
as Il child or a 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 Il run
ming horse. and if | hadn't choked her
off she'd have beaten schedule time by
| twenty minutes. She acted mad right
away. and in running twenty miles she
gave lHc lholt tiouplC UIdH HStt cNtl
had with her in run of three hundred.
She lost steam, tried to foam over,
choked her pumps, and when | wanted
more steam she'd slide on her drivers.
She was right back OH me that night,
and has been sulking around ever since"
:" Do all engines do this::'''
"Not all. but many of them. Some
of EN- begin to cut up and get on their
hiqh heels the first day out of the shop.
MS if determined to be master: while
others will be as obedient as you please
for two or three years, and then all at
once play with you at some rusty trick.
People say that a horse is next to 4 man
in point of intelligence, but | sometimes
think the locomotive ought to have the
place. We engineers do not look upon
them us machines, but almost as COM
panions. and I've known drivers to talk
to them by the hour. feel awfully
down in the mouth about my pet
Sis there no way to bring her back to
good temper
"Tve seen engineers on the Eric and
other roads take sulking locomotive
out on the rails and bang her up and
down and slam her around till she was
as humble us pot pie, but our plan out
West here is to degrade 'em. Id hate
to see my pet pulling hog train over
| L..
passenger train fifty miles an hour with
out a skip. hut she'll have to come to it
0r behave herself.
sis this yonr first experience with n
Sulking engine? ~
No; it's my third. Six years ago
when was running out of Chicago,
in about two minutes. had a fine pas
Senw1r ansinc, and we were the best OF
friends for over Il year. One day when
we were booming over the country at
forty miles an hour, | saw farmers
team stalled at highway crossing. He
had Il big load of wool ali his wagon
and the team WA ii pair of young horses.
| when / first caught sight of EN- they
were dancing up and down and not try
ing to pull pound. and the old farmer
was on top of the load and putting ON
the whip good and strong. Now hon
estly believe that engine wanted to
.lnasn things. She suddenly increased
her speed, and when | reversed and put
on the air brakes, she plunged and kick
ed and almost jumped the rails. When
started up again she was s1lkiRg, and |
had all l could. d. &c ,aake time, She
wa eff all next trip, but wouldn't give
In. On the next trip she showed her
teeth. and they had the CLEAN of a Ian
tern Of death.
You see had orders to side track at a