The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-02-06
THE BRAKEMAN AT CHURCH.

4
ing away in the distance, the fat passenger
drumming idly on the window pane, the cross
passenger sound asleep and the tall thin pas
senger reading Gen. Grants Tour Around
the World, and wondering why Green's Au-
gust Flower should be printed above the
doors of "A Buddhist Temple at Benares.'
To me comes the brakeman, and seating him
self on the arm Of seat says
i went to church yesterday
Yes {? | said, with that interested iufic-
tioH that asks for more And what church
did you attend p
Which do you guess p he asked
Some union mission church p | hazard.
ed.
Now he said, 4 don't like to run on these
branch roads very much. don't often go to
church, and when | do want to run on the
main line, where your run is regular and you
90 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 p | guessed.
Limited express he said, all palace cars
and two dollars extra for seat, fast time and
only stop at the big stations. Nice line, but
too exhaustive for brakeman All train
men in uniform, conductors punch and Ian
tern silver plated and no train boys allowed.
Then the passengers are allowed to talk back
to the conductor, and it makes them too free
= and easy. No, couldn't stand the palace
cars Rich road, though. Don't often hear
of receiver appointed for that line Some
mighty nice people travel on it, too
'Uuiversalst p suggested
Y Broad guage,' said the breakman does
= too much complimentary business. Every
Y body travels on pass. Conductor doesn't t
get fare once in fifty miles. Stops at all
: flag stations and won't run into anything but
o a union depot. No smoking car on this train.
. Train orders are rather vague though, and
e the train men don't get along well with the
passengers. No, don't go to the Unver.
e salst, though / know some awfully good
men who run on that road
e Presbyterian ? | asked.
Marrow guage, eh p said the brakeman
pretty track, stra ght as a rule, tunnel right
T., through mountain rather than to go around
= it, spirit level grade, passengers have tc
show their tickets before they get on a train
e Mighty strict road but the cars are little
5 narrow, have to sit one in seat and no room
e in the isle to dance. Then there is no stoy
o over tickets allowed got to go straight
through to the station you're tcketed for, O
d you can't get on at all. When the cars ful
o no extra coaches cars built at the shops jus
to hold so many and nobody else allowed on
e But you don't often hear Of an accident OF
N that road. It's run right up to the rules
y May be you joined the Free Thinkers =
1T said
+ Scrub road said the brakeman, dirt roaC
'e bed and no ballast, no time card and no trail
le dispatcher All trains run wild and ever.
ye engineer makes his own time, just as he plea
- ses Smoke if you want too, kind Of go
ct as-you please road. Too many side tracks
lg and every switch wide open all the time, wit
II the switchman sound asleep and the targe
lamp dead out. Go on as you please and OF
of when you want to. Don't have to show you
ar anything but amuse the passengers. No, si
ed was offered pass, but | don't like the lin,
r. don't like to travel on road that has n
terminus. Do you know, sir,l asked divisio
mt superntendent where that road run to, an
"a, he said he hoped to die if he knew. aske
ed him if the general superintendent, could tie
me- and he said he didn't believe they ha
ct general superintendent and if they had
ce didn't know any thing more about the roa
than the passengers. | asked him who |
ly reported to, and he said nobody l asked
n conductor who he got his orders from, al
re he said he didn't take orders from any liviI
man or dead ghost. And when | asked Il
so engineer who he got his orders from, he sa
| he like to see anybody give him orders he
ed run that train to suit himself or he'd II
on her in the ditch. Now you see, sir, l am
", railroad man, and don't care to run on ra
road that has no time, or makes no come
tions, runs nowhere and has no superinte
ne' dent, 1t may be all right, but I've railroa
ed ed too long to understand it,
Maybe you went to the Congregation
on church ? said
to Popular road said the brakeman, an
are road, too one of the very Oldest in Il
Use country. Good road bed and comfortal
cars Well managed road too direct
W don't interfere with division superintende
md aud train orders. Roads mighty popul
ear but its pretty Independent, too. Yes, did
one of the division superntendents do
East discontinue one of the Oldest stations
'O' this line two or three years ago But it
VIZ mighty pleasant road to travel on, Alw
'n such splendid class of Passengers
ina Did you try the Methodists p | said,
f,r Now you're shouting he said with so
m, enthusiasm Nice road. eh Fast time
eck plenty OF passengers Engines carry pC
nan er of steam, aud don't you forget it ; ste
ord guage shows hundred and enough all
tho time. Lively road when the condu,
am shouts all aboard you can hear him to
ans next station, Every train light shines ill
,sd headlight. Stop over checks are given on
,ine through tickets passenger can drop off
oil train as often as he likes, do the station
solo or three times and hop on the next rev
,Iso train that comes laundering along. G
biI. whole souied, companionable conducc
aiu't road in the country where the
sengers feel more at home. No pass
ster every passenger pays full traffic rates for
.adv ticket Wesleyan air brakes on all tra
His too , pretty safe road but didn't ride {
Law it yesterday
,inr Perhaps you tried the Baptist p Igu
eive ed once more,
3, 'Ah, ha = said the brakeman, she
daisy, isn't she ? River road, beau
nv IA curves sweep around anything to keep
-. n ihn rivnr Int ~ nl stnnl mil md