Daily globe., 1881-03-20
THE DRUNKEN ENGINEER

THE DRUNKEN ENGlNEER.
From the cab of locomotive on the
Union Pacific road, a succession of dis
solving views strike the eye for mo-
ment and then fade away, as the speed
of the laundering iron horse whirls the
short train across the prairie.
More coal, Jake ; more coal I'm
going to give these nabobs ride they'll
long remember Ha, ha, ha And
the peculiar laugh Of the large, muscu-
lar man who held the throttle-lever with
one hand as he looked out of the window,
rang, half-cheerily, Enthusiastically,
above the roar of the rushing train.
The laugh chilled the blood of the
fireman, brave as he was. He felt a
tingling sensation at the roots of his
hair, which would have stood upright
but for the skull-cap he wore.
Ben what in the world do you mean
we're flying now; and look at the hand
Of that dial !"
Ben, with a quick movement changed
the lever frcEn one hand to the other,
stretched brawnv arm toward the coal
scoop and turned his eyes on the fire.
man.
"More coal, I say!"
Jake complied. Never before had he
seen his chief with such q look-in such
an attitude. He could not account for
it but he saw plainly enough that it
would be useless to demur. He added
fresh fuel. Ben gave another hitch to
the lever-and away few the train at IN
creased speed.
Ben Miles was one of the best en-
gineers of the Union Pacific road. And
it was in its earliest days, when the
spirit of adventure, fostered by the war
just closed, induced many good men
to seek their fortunes along its route,
either in the hot-house enterprises that
sprang ur along the line or in construct
ing or operating the road. Ben's boy
hood had been passed in learning the
trade ofworker in plaster paris, which
held his young and buoyant mind until
the fascination of designing was lost in
the restless activity of the first years of
manhood. With thousands of others he
went West to see what was offered by
this great advancing enterprise. He
fell in love with the free air of the
boundless plains, and conceived the idea
of running locomotive across them. A
man of mind to devise, an iron frame to
execute, with his indomitable will he
soon learned every secret of the engine.
p said he, "here is something
worth handling" He obtained employ
ment and in year became famous over
half the road. The capacity Of loco
motive depends upon the man who
handles it. Like Il horse, it is obedient
and strong, or weak and fractious-re-
fecting the skill and temperament of its
driver. Ben had often jumped upon
strange engine and hauled train which
its operator could not bulge. He studied
his machine, tending it with the solici-
tude of an enthusiast. He had tested
its strength, and lad always yearned an
opportunity to put its speed to its ut
most capacity. Jack Saunders, the
stoker, thought his chief was now max
ing his long-sought experiment.
Ben Miles-brave, great-hearted and
mlld-tempered-possessedag grievous sin.
His hours of idleness were the bane Of
his life. It was known that he drank
but his superiors trusted him implicitly,
for he never drank when on duty. No
rule. The train he WAS now hauling,
however, was not his own. A few hours
before party of railway dignitaries had
arrived at the eastern end of Ben's di-
vision, in a couple of magnificent
coaches, sleeping and a hotel car.
They had asked for volunteer, and
they wanted to be taken over the road in
hurry. Ben Miles was idle and re-
sponded to the call with ala,,rity, re-
solved In his mind to satisfy their cry
for haste with speed that should answer
it.
At the Office Ben's superiors had
watched him attentively, but discovered
no cause to deny his request. His COM
panions chaffed him at his anxiety
to get back to the other end of the di-
vision. They knew his attraction there
was young and beautiful widow, who
had a little girl as pretty and fresh
as a morning in May, and who loved
Ben Miles as much as Ben loved her
mother, if that were possible. But
when they rallied him on this point they
were met by fierce look so contrary to
his genial nature that, after he had gone,
the thought came into their minds,
and they exchanged fearful glances as
the word passed round, "Ben Miles is
drunk !"
"Coal, coal; do you hear, Jake? By
the winged Jupiter! See the mile-posts
hurrying by Three of them in two
minutes and half; 1 believe we can
make three in two Stoke, man, stoke !'
Such were the behests the horrifed
fireman continually heard. They were
delivered i'll tones that admitted of no
expostulation. Though at another time
Jake well knew he could not shake the
good temper of his chief, he saw it would
be unsafe now, and he contented him.
self with stoking, while he muttered the
conviction that had reluctantly forced
itself into his mind: {" Ben Miles is
drunk
Back in the parlor Car sat a company
Of Americas foremost fnanciers; men
who talked and traded in railroads and
millions with the nonchalance of the
clerks who counted their gains. They
lounged about, chatting on whatever
came uppermost-providing it was not