The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-01-16

church did you attend 90
(which do you guess 90 he asked.
Some union mission church =" | haZ-
arded.
Now" he said, 81 don't like to run on
these branch roads very much. | don't
often go 10 church, and when | do, /
want TO run ON the main line, where
your run is regular, and you go on sched-
ule time, and don't have to wait ON con
neetions. don't like TO run on branch.
Good enough, but don't like it,"
episcopal ~ l guessed.
Limited express" he said, "all pal
ace cars and 81 extra for a seat; fast
time and only stop at the big stations.
Nice line, but too exhaustive for "A
brakeman. All train men in uniform,
conductors punch and lantern silver
plated, and no train boys allowed. Then
the passengers are allowed to talk back
at the cOnguctor; and it makes them so
free and easy. No, couldn't stand the
palace cars. Rich road enough. Don't
hear of receiver being appointed for
that line. Some mighty nice people
travel on il, too"
"Universalist =" | suggested.
Broad gauge" said the brakeman,
does too much complimentary business
Everybody travels on a pass. Conduc-
tor doesn't get a fare once in fifty miles
Stops 1T all flag stations, and won't run
into anything but a union depot. No
smoking cars on the train. Train or
ders are vague, though, and the train
men don't get along we'll with the pass
epgers. No, don't go to the Universal
list, though know some awfully good
men who run on that road.'
Presbyterian % | asked
Marrow guage. ell ?" said the brake
man, ''pretty track, straight as rule !;
tunnel right through mOuhtain rather
than go around it; spirit-level grade;
passengers have to show their tickets be-
fore they get on the train. Mighty strict
road, but the cars are Il little narrow /;
have to sit one in seat aud no room in
the aisle to dance. Then there's no stop
over tickets allowed; got to go straight
through to the station you're ticketcd for,
or you can't get on at all. When the
cars 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
It's run right up to the rules"
Maybe you Joined the Freethinkers ?"
l said.
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 10; kind of go-as-you-pleasc
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 con-
ductor isn't expected to do anything but
amuse the passengers. No, sir, | was
offered a pass, but l don't like the
line. l don't like to travel on Il road
that has no terminus. Do you know, sir,
l asked division superintendent where
that road run to, and he said he hoped to
die if he knew. | asked him if the gen
eral superintendent could tell me, and
he said he didn't believe they had gem
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 |
asked conductor who he got orders
from, and he said he didn't take orders
from any living man or dead ghost.
And when l asked the engineer where
he got his orders from, he SAID he'd like
10 see anybody give him orders; he'd run
the train TO snit himself, or he'd run it
into the ditch. Nov. you see, sir, I'm
railroad man, and don't care to run on
a road that has no time, make nos CON
neeiions, runs nowhere, and has no super
intendent. 1t may be all right, but I've
rniiroaded too long to understand it,"
"Did you try The Methodist ?" | said.
"NOw, you're shonting," he said with
some enthusiasm. Mice road, ell? Fast
time and plenty of passengers. Engines
carry u power of steam, and don't you
forget it, steam gauge shows n hundred
and enough all the time. Lively road;
when the conductor shouts "All aboardr"
you can hear him to the next station.
Every train-lamp shines like Il head
light. Stop-over checks given on all
through tickets; passenger can drop off
the train as often as he likes. do the sta
ton two or three days, and hop on the
next revival train that comes laundering
along. Good, whole-souled, companion
able conductors; amt II road in the
country where the passengers feel more
at home. No passes; every passenger
pays full traffic rates for his ticket.
Wesleyanhouse air-brake on all trains,
over it yesterday"
Maybe you went TO the Congrega-
tiOnal church ~ l said.
popular road" said the brakeman,
ian old road, too; one of the very oldest
in the country. Good roadbed and COM
Portable cars. Well managed road, too;
directors don't interfere with division
superintendent and train orders. RoaG's
mighty popular, but its pretty independ-
ent, too. See, didn't one of the super
intendents down east discontinue one of
the oldest stations on this line two or
three years ago. But it is a mighty
pleasant road 10 travel on. Always has
had a splendid class of passengers"
perhaps you tried the Baptist?"
guessed once more.
"Ah, ha," SAID the brakeman, ''she's n
daisy, isn't she? River road; beautiful
curves; sweep around anything to keep
close to the river; but it's all steel rail
and rock ballast single track all the way
and not "A side-track from the round
house TO the terminus. Takes a heap of
water to run it through; double
tanks at every station, and there isn't
an engine in the shops that can
pull pound or run a mile
in less than two gauges. But it runs
through a beautiful country; these river
roads always do; river on one side and
hills on the other, and it's a 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 a lovely trip,
sure connections and good time and no
prairie dust blowing in at the windows.
And yesterday, when the conductor
came around for the tickets with little
basket punch, didn't ask him to pass
me, but paid my fare like a little man
twenty-five cents for an hours run and
a little concert by the passengers throwed
in. l tell you, Pilgrim, you take the
river road when you want"
But just here the long whistle from
the engine announced station, and the
brakeman hurried to the door shouting:
''ZionsyilleI This train makes no
stops between here and Indianapolis :"