Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1880-03-19
The Church Road.
BURDETT's INTERVIEW WITH THE RAILROAD
BRAKEMAN.

pane, the cross passenger sound asleep
and the tall thin passenger reading "Gen.
Grants Tour Around the World" and
wondering why ''Green's August Flower"
should pc printed above the doors Of GA
Buddhist temple at Bensres." To me
comes the brakeman, and seating himself
On the arm Of my seat says:
81 went 10 church yesterday"
"Yes?' l said, with that interested in
f2cton that asks for more. "And what
church did you attend!'
(Which do you guess2" he asked
"Some union mission church2' I haz-
arilcd.
"Naw," he said, 81 don't like to run on
these branch roads very much. don't Of
ten so to church, and when do, want
to run on the main line, where your run
is regular and you 70 on schedule time and
don't have TO wait on connections. don't
like to run on branch. Good enough
but don't like it,"
"Episcopal?" l guessed.
Limited EXPRESS" he said, "all palace
cars and two dollars extra for n seat; fast
time and only stop at the big stations.
Nice line, bat too exhaustive for brake
man. All train men in uniform conduct
oT's punch and lantern silver plated, and
10 train boys allowed. Then the passen-
gers are allowed to talk back at the con-
duCtOr, and it makes them too free and
easy No, | couldcnt stand the palace car,
Rich road, though. Don't often hear Of a
receiver being appointed for that line.
Some mighty nice people travel on it, too. "
"Universalist?" suggested.
Broad gague," said the brakeman?
"does too mach complimentary business.
Everybody travels on pass. Conductor
doesn't get q fare once in fifty miles. Stops
81 all flag stations and wont run into any
thing but union depot. No smoking
car on the train. Train orders arc rather
vague though and the train men don't get
along well with the passengers. No I
didn't go to the Universalist, though T.
know some awfully good men who run on
that road"
"Presbyterian?" asked.
marrow gaguc, eh?" said the brakeman,
pretty tarck, straight as rule; tunnel
right through a mountain lathcr than 20
around it; Spirit leyel grade; passengers
have to show tickets before they get on
the train. Mighty strict road, but the
cars are little narrow; have to sit one
in q seat and no room in the aisle to dance.
Then there's 20 stop over tickets allowed
got to 30 straight through to the station
you're tickcted FOR, or you can't get on at
all. When the cars fall, 10 extra
coaches; cars built at the shops to hold
just SO many and nobody else allowed on
But you don't often hear of an accident on
that road. It's run right up to the rules"
Maybe you joined the Free Thinkers?"
said.
"Scrub road" said the brakeman, "dirt
road bed aud 10 ballast; no time card and
no train dispatcher Ar trains run wild
and every engineer makes his own time
just as he pleaseS. Smoke ifyou want to
kind Of go as-yOu-please road. Too many
side tracks, and every switch wide open
all the time, with the Switchman sound |
asleep and the target lamp dead out. Get
on rs you please and get OF when you
want to. Don't have to show your tick
cts, 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 !
rOHd TINT has no ferminns Dn unll l,nnu,