The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1880-04-23
! Railroad Wanss Experience i'm
Church.

- 10 me comes the brakeman, and sea
in himself on the arm of the seat, says
for, went to church yesterday
is s.1es?n [ said, with that Interested
al tieclion that asks for more. stAnd W
nd church did you attend p
~ which do you guess 2 he asked.
, Some union mission church, . haz;
- cd.
= .Naw," he said: Il don't like to run
~ these branch roads very much. | do
ro often go to church, and when do | VI
If to run on the main line, where your rt1l
,f regular, and you so on schedule time !;
don't have to wait on connections. [ do
like to run on Il branch Good enough. I
1 don like it.
. Episcopal: ~ guessed.
Il Limited express" he said; sail pal,
cars, and two dollars extra for a seat; f;
r time, and only stop at the big station
! Nice line, but two exhaustive for a brak
= man. All train nen in uniform, condu
tors punch and lantern silver plated, al
no train boys allowed. Then the passc
gers are allowed to talk back at the condu
tor; and it makes them too free and cas-
No. Icouldn' stand the palace cars. Rit
road, though. Don't often hear of |,
ceiyer,s being appointed for that lin
Some mighty nice people travel ON it, too
ssunivelsalist?'' suggested.
tBroad-gauSe,' said the brakeman
"does too much complimentary business
Everybody travels or pass. Conducto
doesn't get a fare once in fifty miles. Stop
atall flag stations, and Won run into any
thing but 4 Union depot. No smoking-ca
on the train. Train orders are vague
though, and tile train men don't Get alop.
with the passengers. No, don't go to tn,
Iniversalist, though know some aWful,7
good men who run OH that road. :.
Presbyterian ?" asked.
s.NaTowgauge, eh:" said the brake
man. Pretty track, straight az a rule
tunnel right through a mountain rather
than go round it; spirit-level grade: pas-
sengers have to show their tickets before
they get on the train. Mighty strict road
but the cars are a little narrow; have to
sit one i'll a seat, and no room in the aisle
to dance. Then there's no stop-oyer ticl1-
cts allowed; got to 90 straight through to
the station you are ticketed for, or YOU can
not get on at all. When the car is full no
extra coaches; cars built at the shops TO
hold so many, and nobody else allowed on,
But you don't often hear OF an accident on
that road. It's run up to the rules"
May be you joined tile Frec-thinkers p
[ said.
Scrub road, - said the brakeman: sdirt
roac-bed and no ballast; no time card and
no train dispatchers. All trains run wild.
and every engineer makes his own time
just as he pleases. Smoke if YOU want to:
kind of go-as-you-please road Too MANY
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:
md the conductor is not expected to do
but amuse the passengers. No.
sir; was offered a pass, but don't like the
inc. / don't like to travel on a line that
1as no terminus. Do you know. sir. ask
ID Il division superintendent where the
'oad run, and he said he hoped to die if he
Knew. [ asked him if the General Super
ntendent could tell me, and he said he did
lot believe they had General Superin-
enlent; and if they had, he did not know
my more about the road than the passen
gers | asked him WHO he reported to, and
le said Nobody | asked the conductor
who he got his orders from. and he said he
lidn't take orders from any living men or
lead ghost. And when asked the engi-
leer who he got his orders from, he said
led like to see any body give him orders
le'd run that train to suit himself. or he'd |
uln it into the ditch. Now, you see, sir, I |
m a railroad man, and l don't care to run
II road that has no time, makes no con-
lectiens, runs nowhere, and has no Super
ntendent. 1t may be all right, but I've
too long to understand it,
"Did you try the Methodist?'' said
Now you are shouting, y he said, with t
ome enthusiasm. "Nice road, eh? Fast
lme and plenty OF passengers. Engines
AIRY power of steam, and don't you for
ct: steam gauge shows Il hundred and !
nougf all the time. Lively road: when
lc conductor shouts All aboard, YOU can
car him to the next station Every 4
rain lamp shines like a headlight. Stop
Yer checks given OH all through tickets
assenger can drop off the train as often
5 he likes, do the station two or three
ays, and hop OH the next revival train
rat comes laundering along. Good,
companionable conductors:
in'ta road in the country where the pas
anger feels more at home. No passes ey-
ry passenger pays full traffic ratessfor his
cket. Wesleyan house ail-brake on all
aims, too; pretty safe road, but didn't
de over it yesterday
"May be you went to tile Congregational
hurch?" said.
popular road, said the brakeman: .san
ID road. too-one of the very oldest in the
oantry. Good road-bed and comfortable
ars. Wcll-managed road, too; directors
ont interfere with the division s.lperir-
'ndents and train orders. Roads mighty
opular, but it's pretty independent, too.
ee, didn't one of the division superinten-
ents discontinue. one of the oldest sta
ons on this line two or three years ago?
ut it's mighty pleasant road to travel
1. Always has such a pleasant class of
assengers.''
Perhaps you tried the Baptist?'' /
uessed once more.
All, has' said the brakeman, Ssshe's
aisy, isn't she? River road-beautiful
1ryes-sWeep around anything to keep
ose TO the river; but it's all steel rail and
jck ballast-siugle track all the way, and
ot side track from the rea,ntl-fo1sc to !.
le terminus. Takes a heap of water to
III it, theugh--doub1e tanks at every sta
oll---;tIld there isn'tan engine in the shops
lat can pull pound Or run a mile in less I
lail= two gauges. BUTT runs through q
vely country-th river roads always {
on one side and hills on the 9TH
:, and lisa steady climb-up grade all the
ay, till the run ends where the Fountain
ead of the river begins. Yes, sir, I'll |
Ike the river road every time for. a lovely
connections and good time, and {
J prairie dust blowing in at the windows.
nd Yesterday when the conductor came
.ollifd for the tickets with a little basket ]
inch, did not ask him to pass me, but / I
lid my fare like I little man--tWenty five I
.nts for m hours run, and q little concert
7 the passengers thrown IN. { tell YOU, J