Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-09-05
Row the Bell Rope Originated.

La tic catly days Of tie railroad in ,hi: cJul1
try the locomotive ensioeer was the master Of
the train. lie rAn it according to his jadsmeat.
and the conductor had very little voca iu tho
matter. Collecting fares. superinteudrg tho
Ioedipg aud unloading OF freight, and shcu,iug
"All aboard !" was all that The conductor vas
expected 10 do. The Erie railway vas then tbs
New York and Erie Railroad. There Was no
rail connection With Jersey City in lSi2. Boats
clrrlrd passengers from New York to Pier
uont.cn~the-Hudsoo, which was lnon tho east.
efn ttrmlaus OF the road. Turner's, iort3.
seven mics from Now York, wss ss far west os
the ralroRd wos 10 operation. One OF tie pic.
ceer Conductors CT tits line vas tho late Cap
taia Ayres. lie ran the Ghly train caod fer
between the two tsrmiua! points. Ii vas made
up o! freight auG passenger osr5. The idea IF
the engineer, without ery knowledge ct what
was going on back of the locomotive, having
his wgy ns 10 how the train wss to be Iuu.
did Tot strike tho csptain a. b:iag accord
ipg to the propriaty of things. He fre.
quautly encountered o frsctious passoou
ger who insisted on riding without pay
ing h5 faro. As there IVES no way
OF Signalling the engineer and tho passenger
could DOT be throWn from tho train Whilo it Wes
10 moIlon, the CONDUCTOR had no ohnc, in such
c.ses but to let him ride until regu'ac stop
was msds. Capt. AYres 6Caly determined to
| Institute neT system 10 the running of trans.
He procured q stout tW!ua, suNolcnsly locg 10
reach from tho locomotive 20 tho rear car, 10
the end o ttls srlug nexs the engineer he fas'
tened stick Of wood. lie ran this cord back
| over the cars 10 the last ono. He Informed the
| epg ioceT, who was German named Aoa Ham
Ei, ths; if he desired the train stoppsd ho
| would pull the string and raise toe stick. and
would eXpFot the signal 10 be obeyed, Hsm.
| mil looked upon this iouovation as direct
blow at tis authority, aud cut tho stick loose.
| At Tu!ncr's ho tolt Cap.sin Ayres that ho
| proposed to run the traia himself, Hi,hou. in
tsrtereDoe from any conductor. The next day
tho Captain Elgged uD his string and suck of
wood agaiu. ABE" said be, this things
&ot to DO sattled one way or the other to dag.
Ii that stick of Woo6 il net on the eud of this
c1rd when we get to Turner you 20 got to lick
ne or In lick you"
The stick was not cu tho srirg when the
traio reached Turner'S. The Captain ruled
off bis coat aud told Hammi to get off his eu-
gue.. Hammil declined 10 get of. Captain
Ayres climbed to the eugineer's place. Ham
mil started 10 jun of on The opposite side.
The conductor nit him under the year sna
saved him from jumping That settled fer.
ever the question of authority on railroad trairs
! Hammil abdicated as Autocrst of the pioneer
| Erie train, end tho tvne aud stick OF wood,
manipulated BY tho conductor. controlled it's
management. That was the origin of the ball.
rope, now one Of tho most i'm portaot attach.
meuts of raiIsoad trains. The idea wss quickly
adopted by the few trains then in operation,
snd the bell or gong 10 time took the place Of
tho stick of wood to signal the eogiuoor. Cap
tain Ayres Continued Conductor on this road
uader its different monsgers u,til he wsa
superauuuated aud retired 90 penson a gear
ego. Ho died few mouths ago ia OsWego, at
The age of rs gears.