Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-03-04

on road that has no terminus. Dc
you know, sir, I asked division su.
perlntendent where that 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 gen
eral superintendent, 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. Iasked a conductor who he
got his orders from, and he said he
didn't take orders from any living man
or dead ghost. And when asked the
engineer who he got his orders from,
he said he'd like to see anybody give
him orders, he'd run that train to
suit himself or he'd run it iIto 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
connections, runs nowhere and has
no superintendent. 1t may be all
right, but I've railroaded too long to
understand it,"
did you try the Methodistf" l
said.
"Now you're shouting" he said
with some enthusiasm. "Nice road,
ehs Fast time and plenty of pas
sengers. Engines carry a power Of
steam. and don't you forget it; steam
guage shows hundred and enough
all the time. Lively road; when the
conductor shouts 'all aboard you can
hear him to the next station. Every
train-lamp shines like headlight |
Stop.over checks given on all through |
tickets; passenger can drop off the |
train as often as he likes, do the a.
tion two or three days and hop on
the next revival train that comes
laundering along. Good, whole, e,soul-
ed, companionable conductors; amt
a road in the country where the pas
sengers feel more at home. No pas
ses; every passenger pays full traffic
rates for his ticket. Wesleyan-house
on all trains, too; pretty
safe road, but / didn't ride over it
yesterday"
Maybe yon went to the Congre.
gational church." | said.
"Popular road" said the brake
man, "an old road, too; one of the
oldest in this country. Good road
bed and comfortable cars. Well man.
aged road, too; directors don't inter-
fere with division superintendents
and train orders. Roads mighty
popular, but us pretty independent,
too. See, didn't one of the division
uperlntendents down East discon-
time one Of the oldest stations on
this line two or three years ago?
But it is mighty pleasant road to
travel on. Always has such splen-
did class of passengers"
"Perhaps you tried the Baptist" I
guessed once more.
sAh, ..hs~ said the brakeman,
"she's daisy, isn't she9 River road;
beautiful curves, sweep around any
thing to keep close to the river, but
it's all steel rail and rock ballast, sim
gle track all the way and not a sin
gle side-track from the round house
to the terminus. Takes a heap of
water to run itthrough; double tanks
at every station, and there isn't an
engine in the shops that can pull a
pound or run mile in less than two
gauges. But it runs through love.
ly country; these river roads always
do; river on one side and hills on the
other, and it's steady climb up the
grade all the way till the run ends
where the fountain-head of the river
begins. Yes, sir, I'll take the river
road every time for lovely trip, sure
and good time, and no
prairie dust blowing in at the win
dows. And yesterday when the con-
ductor came around for the tickets
with little basket punch, l didn't
ask him to pass me, but l paid my
fare like little man-twenty five
cents for an hours run and a little
by the passengers thrown in.
l tell you. Pilgrim, you take the riv-
or road when you want
But just here the long whistle from
the engine announced station, and
the brakeman hurried TO the door,
shouting:
.'Zionsyille! This train makes no
stops between here and Indianap-
Olisr' .FFa