Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-03-12

A BRAKEMAN AT CHURCH.
On the road once more. with lebanon
fading away in the distance, the fat pas
senger drumming idly on the window
pane, the cross passenger reading ssGea..
Grants Tour Around the World, = and
wondering why sGreen' q August Flower
should be printed above the doors of "a
Buddhist temple at Benares.'' To me
comes the brakeman, and seating himself
on the arm Of the seat says: =. ~. ~ - :,
: 81 went to church yerterday." Y III IS
"Yes2" SAID, with that interesting
infection that asks for more. 'sAnd what
church do you attend2. u ISIS
(Which do you guess2' he asked. :
"Some union mission church?" haz-
arded. -, 49, .@. 81. 49,. 49,
he said, 81 don't like to run
on these branch roads very much. I don't
often go to church, and when I do, I
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 connec-
tions. =. / don't like to run on a branch.
Good enough, but don't like IT,
'.Eplscopal?"I guessed. 80 -
= "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 tor a brake
man. All train men In uniform, conduc-
tors punch and lantern silver-plated, and
mo train boys allowed. Then the pas
sengers are allowed to talk back at: the
conductor, and it makes them too free
and easy. No, 1 couldn't stand the pal
ace cars. Rich road, though. DOM
often hear of a receiver being appointed
for that line, Some mighty nice people
travel on it, too" 5,.'7 >''* ii -
'.Universalists" I suggested
"Broad gauge" said the brakeman
''does too much complimentary business
Everybody, travels on a pass. Conductor
doesn't get a fare once in fifty miles
Stops at all flag stations. and won't ruI
into anything but union depot. NJ
| smoking cor on the train. Train or
ders are rather vague, though, and tn
train men don't get along we'll with tn
passengers. No, I don't go to the Uni
versal1st, though I know some awful,
good men who run on that road.''
"Presbyterlan2" asked.
Marrow guage, eh?'' said the brake
man, "pretty track, straight as rule
tunnel right through mountain rathe
than go around it; spirit level grade
passengers have to show their ticket be
fore they get on the train. Mighty stric
road, but the cars arc little narrow
have to sit one in seat and no room i
the aisle to dance. Then there IS n
stop-over tickets allowed; got to e
straight through to the station your
ticketed for, or you can't get on at al
When the cars full no extra coaches
cars built at the shops to hold just s
many and nobody else allowed on. Bu
you don't hear Of an accident on ths
road. It's run right up to rules
"Maybe you joined the Free Thinkers
I said.
"Scrub road,' said the brakeman, "dil
road bed and no ballast; no time Car
and no train dispatcher. All trains ru
wild, and every engineer makes his ow
time, just as he pleases. Smoke if yo
want to, kind Of go-as-you<please roa'
Too many side-tracks, and every switc
wide open at the time, with the switc]
man sound asleep and the target lam
dead out. Get on. as you please an
get of, when you want to. Don't hay
; to show your tickets, and the conductc
isn't expected to. do anything b,
: amuse the passengers. No, sir, I Vi
offered pass, but I don't like the line.
don't like to travel on a road that has l
terminus. Do you know, Sir, asked
, division superintendent where that ros
ran to and he said lie hoped to die if
knew. I asked him if the general supe
intendent could tell me, and he said
didn't believe they had a general supe
intendent, and if they had, he did1
, know anything more about the road thu
> the passengers. asked him whom
! reported to, and he said nobody
, asked conductor who lie got his orde
from, he said he didn't take orders fro
+ any living menlor dead And when ask
, the engineer who he got his orders irol
he said he'd like to see anybody give hi
= orders; he'd run that train to suit himse
/ or he'd run it into the ditch. Now y
, see, SIT, I'm railroad man, and 1 dor
= care to run on a road that has no TIM
q makes no connections, runs nowhere a,
+ has no superintendent. It may be /.
! right, but I've railroaded too long to u
3 derstand it,"
MAYBE you went to the Congreg
I tlonal churchg' I said.
' popular road" said the brakema
= "an old road, too; one of the very olde
, in this country. Good road bed and cor
, Portable cars. Well managed road, to
. directors don't interfere with dlvisi,
. superintendent and train orders. Roac
! mighty popular, but it's pretty indepe
, dent, too. Yes, didn't one of the divisi'
. superintendent down East discontin
q one Of the oldest stations on this line t.
or three years ago2 But it's a nigh
! pleasant road to travel on. Always h
;. such q splendid class of passengers"
"Did you 20 to the Methodist church
"Now, you're shouting," he said wi
, some enthusiasm. "Nice road, eli
: Fast time and plenty Of passenge
y Engines carry power of steam, al
don't you forget it: steam guage sho'
= a hundred and enough all the tim
y Lively road; when the conductor sllou
. 'all aboard you can hear him to t
. next station. Every train light shin
:, like headlight Stop-over checks 8
: given on all through tickets; passang
r can drop off the train as often as he lik
do the station two or three days and h
" on the next revival train that comes alor
Good, whole souled, companlonable &C
. ductors; amt road in the country whe
= the passengers feel more at home.
y passes; every passenger pays full trat
), rates for his ticket. Wesleyanhouse {,
brake on all trains, too; pretty safe roa
but didn ride over it Yesterday"
perhaps you tried the Baptists''
guessed once more.
"Ah, hal" said the brakeman, she's
daisy, isn't shea River road; beautit
8 curves; sweep around anything to Ike
3 close to the river, but it's all steel n
l and rock ballast, single track all the W
, and not a side track from the rou1
house to the terminus. Takes heaps
\ water to run it through, double tanks
: every station, and there isn't an engi
, ia the shops that can pull pound
: run mile with less than two gauge
| But 1t runs through a lovely countr
these river roads always do; river on O.
, side and hills on the ether, and it's
, steady climb up grade all the way UNI
, tho r,1n orde 1vhoro fhol fn11nfoi IN hoad