The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-09-02
THE RAILROAD BELL-RoPE.
Circumstances Which First Brought II Into Use.


In the early days Of the railroad In this
country the locomotive engineer was mas
ter of the train. He ran 1t according to his
Judgment and the conductor had very little
voice in the matter. Collecting fares, super
intending the loading and unloading Of
freight and shouting "All aboard ~ was all
the conductor was expected to do. The Erie
Railroad was then the New York and Erie
Railroad. There was no rail connection
with Jersey City in 1912. Boats carried
passengers from New York to Piedmont-on-
the Hudson, which was then the eastern
terminus of the road. Turner'S, Al miles
from New York, was as far west as the rail-
road was in operation. One Of the pioneer
conductors Of this line was the late Captain
Ayres. He ran the only train that was cali
ed for between the two terminal points. 1t
was made up Of freight and passenger cars
The idea of the engineer, without any
knowledge of what was going on back Of
the locomotive, having his way as to how the
train was to run, did not strike the Captain
as being according to the propriety of things.
He frequently encountered . fractions pas
senger who insisted on riding without paying
his fare. As there was no way of signalling
the engineer, and the passenger could not be
thrown from the train while it was In mo-
ton, the conductor in such case had no choice
but to let him ride until regular stop was
made. Captain Ayres finally determined to
institute a new system in the running of
train. He procured stout Irvine sufficiently
long to reach from the locomotive to the
rear car. To the end Of Ibis string next the
engineer he fastened a stick Of wood. He
ran this cord back over the cars to the last
one. He informed the engineer, who was a
German named Abe Hammil, that If he de-
sired to have the train stopped he would pull
the string and raise the stick, and would ex-
pect the signal to be obeyed. Hammil
looked at this innovation as direct blow at
his authority, and when the train left Pied
mont he cut the stick loose. AT Turner's he
told Captain Ayres he proposed TO run the
train himself, without interference from any
conductor. The next day the Captain rugged
up the string and stick Of wood again.
"Abe," said he, "this things got to be
settled one way or the other. If that stick
of wood Is not on the end Of this cord when
we get to Turner's you've got to lick me oil
| I'll lick you"
The stick was not on the string when the
train reached Turner's. The Captain pulled
of his coat and told Hammil to get off his
engine. Hammil declined to get of. Capt
Ayres climbed TO the engineers place. Ham
mil started to jump of the opposite side.
The conductor bit him under the ear ant
saved him the trouble Of jumping. THAI
settled forever the question of authority or
railroad trains. Hammil abdicated as auto
crat of the pioneer Erie train, and the twin'
and stick of wood, manipulated by the con
ductor controlled its management. Tha
was the origin of the beli-rope, now one o
the most important attachments of railroad
trains. The idea was quickly adopted by
the few railroads then in operation, and thu
bell or gong in time took the place of tn
stick Of wood to signal the engineer. Cap
lain Ayres continued q conductor on thi
road under its different managers until h
was superannuated and retired on pension
q year ago. He died q few months ago II
Oswego at the age Of IS.