The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-02-12
The Brakeman at Church.
What He Thought of the De-
''-' i nomination.. 49,

Burlington Hawkeye.
On the road once more, with Leba-
non fading away in The distance, the
fat passenger drumming idly on the
window pane, the cross passenger
reading rGen. Grants Tour Around
the World and wondering why
Green's August Flower should be
printed above the doors of "A Buddis
Temple at Benares.' To me comes the
brakeman, and seating himself on the
arm of the seat says: q ''''s-
= Il went to church yesterday
Yes p said, with that interested
infection that asks for more, And
what church did you attend? 49, 7
Which do you guess p he asked.
sSome union mission church p
hazzarded. -
Nav he said, Il don't like to run
on these branch roads very much. 1
don't often 60 to church, and when l
do want to run on the main line,
where your run is regular and you go
on schedule time and don't. have to
wait on connections. I don't like to
run on a branch Good enough, but I
don't like it.
Episcopal p guessed. ..-i.
Limited express he said, all palace
cars and two dollars extra for seat,
fast time and only stop at the big sta
tions. Nice line. but too exhaustive
for brakeman. And train men in
uniform, conductors punch and lam
tern silver plated, and no train-boys
allowed. Then the passengers are al
lowed to talk back at the conductor,
and it makes them too free and easy.
No, 1 couldn't stand the palace cars.
Rich road, though. Don't often hear
of receiver being appointed on that
line. Some mighty nice people travel
on it., too illss 1s1H 3 90
'Universalist 2 / suggested. .eI
Broad gauge said the brakeman.
. Does too much complimentary busi-
ness. Everybody travels on a pass.
Conductor doesn't get a fare once in
fifty miles. Stops at all flag stations
and won't run into anything but
union depot. No smoking cars on the
train. Train orders are rather vague,
though, and the men don't get along
well with the passengers. No, don't
go to the Universalist, though know
some awful good men who run on
that road. -- -sla77is
Presbyterian asked. i a-ti 81
Marrow gauge, eh P said the brake
man; Pretty track, straight as rule;
tunnel right through a mountain rath-
er than go around it; spirit level grade,
passengers have to show their tickets
before they get on the train, Mighty
strict road, but the cars are. little
narrow; have to sit one in a seat and
no room in the aisle to dance. Then
there are no stop oyer tickets allowed;
got to go right straight through to the
station iiyou are ticketed for or you
can't get on at all. When the cars are
full no extra coaches, cars built at the
shops to hold just-so many, and no.
body else allowed on But you don't
often hear of an accident on that road.
1t is run right up to the rules.
Maybe you joined the Free Think
ers?' said. sesf a9. llrius s..
Scrub road,' said the brakeman,
dirt road bed and no ballast; no time
card and no train, dispatcher. All
trains run wild, and every engineer
makes his own time just as he pleases.
Smoke if you want to, kind of GO,
as-yon. 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 as you please and get off when.
you want to. Don't have to show
your tickets, and the conductor isn't
expected to do anything but amuse
the passengers. No, sir was offered
q pass, but don't like the line. don't
like to travel on road that has no
terminus. Do you know, sir, / asked
a division superintendent where the
road run to, and he said he hoped to
die if he knew. / asked him if the
general superintendent could tell me.
and he said he didn't believe they had
any general superintendent,a and if they
had he didn't know any more about
the road than the passengers. asked
him who he reported to, and he said
nobody. 1 asked the conductor who
he got his orders from, and he said he
didn't take orders from any living
man or dead ghost. And when I
asked the engineer who he got his or.
ders from, he said he'd run that train
to suit himself, or he'd run it into the
ditch. Now, you see, sir, I'm rail.
road man, and l don't care to run on a
road that has no time, makes no con-
nections, runs nowhere and has no SUI
perintendent. 1t may be all right, but
I've railroaded too long to understand
it. 'G t1r.i-t'i'
MAY be yon went to the Congrega-
tional church ?''I said. ft..l.'
popular road said the brakeman,
An old road too one OF the very old
est in this country. Good road bed
and comfortable cars. Well managed
too; directors don't interfere with di-
vision superintendents and train or
ders. Roads mighty popular but it is
pretty independent TOO. Yes, didn't
one of the division superintendent
down east discontinue one of the old i.
est stations on this line two or three
years ago? But its a mighty pleasant
road to. travel on. Always has such a
splendid class OF passengers. ,tl
did you try the Methodist? in
'quired. ''- |"- 10 ''' =
sNow vous,a Sbn,it;ntr ba eaid Ltyith