The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-06-11
Cab and Tender.

locomotive has been off for three or
four days." said railroad man at the
Union depot the other day, as he pointed
to an engineer who looked as sour as
any dyspeptic.
Chow Off"
$50 and ask him."
It took quarter of an hour and q
cigar to clear the cloud from the engi-
neer's face, and then in reply to the
query he said:
SIT is a queer thing. There's my en-
gine, one of the best on the road, in per-
feet order, only twelve years old, and
able to run or pull with the best of
them. A month ago hadn't the least
bit of trouble in making time, no matter
how the track was or the weight of the
train She was ready at the word, held
her steam beautifully, and she seemed to
understand every word said. To-day
she is down in the round-house, growl-
ing and sputtering and acting as if she
wanted to pick fuss with gravel-pit." !"
Anything out of gear?"
ssNot thing. She's been looked
over twice, and we can't find the least
excuse for her conduct. She'll get over
it in day or two, perhaps. If she
don't we'll punish her"
How?"
.sPut her before freight or stock
train. I've seen it tried dozen times,
and it most always worked we'll. Here
she is now, bright as new dollar and as
handsome as picture, and I'll bet fifty
dollars that there isn't the least thing
out of order. She's simply sulking the
same as child or woman, and know
what started it. Three weeks sgo, while
on my run in with the night express,
she just wanted to light right out for all
she was worth. She took the bit like q
running horse, and if had not choked
her off she'd have beaten her schedule
time by twenty minutes. She acted
mad right away, and in running twenty
miles she gave me more trouble than l
ever had with her in run of three hum
dred. She lost steam, tried to foam
over, choked her pipes, and when want
ed more steam she'd slide on her drivers.
She went right back on me that night,
and has been sulking ever since"
sDo all engines do this?"
ssNot all, but many of them do. Some
of 'em begin to cut up and get on their
high heels the first day out of the shop,
as if determined to be master; while 9TH
ers will be as obedient as you please for
two or three years, and then, all at once,
play you some rusty trick. People say
intelligence, but I sometimes think q
locomotive ought to have that place. We
engineers do not look upon them as ma
chimes, but almost as companions, and
I've known drivers to talk to them by the
hour.
s'Is this your first experience with a
sulking engine?"
"No; it's my third. Six years ago,
when I was running out of Chicago,
west, had ten years added to my age in
about two minutes. / had fine passen-
ger engine, and we were the best of
friends for over year. One day, when
we were booming over the country at
forty miles an hour, saw a farmers
team stalled at highway crossing. He
had big load of wood on his wagon.
and the team was pair of young horses.
When I first caught sight of them they
were dancing up and down and not try
ing to pull pound, and the old farmer
was on top of the load and putting
on the whip good and strong. Now,
I honestly believe that the engine
wanted to smash things. She suddenly
increased her speed, and when I re-
versed and put on the air-brakes she
plunged and kicked and almost jumped
the rails. When I started up again she
was sulking, and had all could do to
make time. She was s'off' all next trip,
but wouldn't give in. On the next
"trip she showed her teeth, and they had
the gleam of lantern of death.
ssYou see had orders to side-track at
a certain station for the Atlantic express
to pass me, and my engine sulked and
growled and threw me several minutes
behind time. There was little time to
spare when we reached the station. I
had drawn the train about half way off
the main track when my engine stopped
dead still. Yes, sir-stopped dead still,
and that without being reversed or
brake applied, and with steam enough to
blow off. I was dazed for minute, and
the fireman opened his eyes like one see-
ing terrible picture. just then the
Atlantic whistled. jumped down and
ran to the pilot, expecting to see barri-
cade, but the track was clear. leaped
into the cab and gave her more steam,
but not a wheel moved; more yet, but
she stood there like rock! Conductor,
to me, and the watchman howled like
panther. On came the Atlantic, and
pulled the throttle open wide. Bless
you, sir! I'm in shiver now at the rec
ollection.
IAC Ao1ahoiO Always P1ocCu uS Ou tuS
fly, but that night she had a party of
stockholders aboard who wanted TO get
off at this station, and she came to stop
and saved such slaughter as would
have put the Ashtabula disaster no
where. She'd have gone through two
sleeping cars as slick as a bullet. There
we stood, my engine growing and
threatening and I half-crazed. The
fireman suddenly Lit out as if he had
seen ghost, mob of passengers
swarmed down on me, and I believe I
should have taken to the woods if a
change hadn't come. All at once No. 40
seemed to rear right up, she made
plunge or two, and away she went like
bolt of lightning, and had the hardest
kind of work to stop her on the sliding.
'sThey didn't say was drunk, and
they knew wasn't asleep. but they sus-
pended me until they looked the engine
over. She was in perfect order, and they
sent her out on the accommodates with
a new driver. What did she do but bang
right into train at a station, and that
with all steam shut off and the bar
thrown over. Some folks laugh at MS
and call it superstition, but they never
lived in an engine cab. Ask any horse
trainer if his horse will make the same
time two mornings alike, even If the care
and feed and track are the same. Out Of
twenty locomotives built in fIf aanne