The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-01-01
Denominational Roads.


Election that asks for more. "And what
church did you attend p
(Which do you guess p he asked.
"Some union mission church ?" l haz
arded.
"No," he said, II don't like to run on
these branch roads very much. [ don't
often 60 to church, and when do,
want to run on main line, where your
run is regular, and you go on schedule
time and don't wait on connections.
don't like to run on a branch. Good
enough, but I don't like it"
episcopal p [ guessed.
"Limited express he said, "all palace
cars and two dollars extra for a seat, fast
time and only stop at the big stations.
Nice hue, but too exhaustive for a brake
man. All train meD in uniform, conduc-
tors punch and lantern silver-p plated, and
no train boys allowed. Then the passcn-
gers are allowed to talk back to the con-
ductor, and it makes them too free and
easy. No, I couldn't stand the palace
cars. Rich road, though. Don't often
hear of receiver being appointed for that
line. Some mighty nice people travel on
it, too"
"Universalist 1 suggested.
"Broad gauge" said the brakeman;
"does too much complimentary business.
Everybody travels on pass. Conductor
doesn't get a fare once in fifty miles.
Stops at all stations, and won't run into
anything but union depot. No smoking
car on the train. Train orders are rather
vague, though, and train men don't get
along we'll with the passengers. No, [
don't go to the Universalist, though I
know some awful good men who run on
that road
"Presbyterian p I asked.
marrow gauge, eh?" said the brake
man. "Pretty track, straight as a rule
tunnel through mountain rather than
go around it; spirit level grade; passen-
gers have to show their tickets before they
get on the train Mighty strict road, but
the cars are little narrow; have to sit
one on a seat, and no room in the aisle to
dance. There are no stop-over tickets al
lowed-got to 90 straight to the station
you're ticketed for, or you can't get on at
all. When the cars full no extra coaches;
cars built at the shops to hold just SO
many, and nobody else allowed on. But
you don't often hear of an accident on that
road It's run right up to the rules
"Maybe you Joined the Free Thinkers, "
| said.
''Scrub road" said the brakeman; ''dirt
read and no ballast, no time card and no
train dispatcher. 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 side tracks, and every switch wide
open all the time, with switchman sound
asleep and the target lamp dead out. Get
on as you please, and off when you want
to. Don't have to show your ticket, and
the conductor isn't expected to do any
thing but amuse the passengers. No sir,
I was offered a pass, but | don't like the
line. [ don't like to travel on road that
has no terminus. Do you know sir, L
asked division superintendent where the
road ran to, and he said he hoped to die if
he knew l asked him if the general su-
perintendent could tell me, and he said
he didn't believe they had a general su-
perinteudent, and if they had he didn't
know any more about the road than the
passengers. [ asked him who he reported
to, and he said "nobody." 1 asked con-
ductor who he got orders from, and he said
he didn't take orders from any living man or
dead ghost And when [ asked the engi-
neer who he got his orders from, he said
he'd like to see anybody give him orders;
he'd run the train to suit himself, or he'd
run her in the ditch. Now you can see
sir, I'm railroad man, and | don't care
to run on a road that has no time, makes
no connections, runs nowhere, and has no
superintendent. 1t may be all right, but
| have railroaded too long to understand
it,"
"Maybe you went to the Congregational
church ?" said.
popular road,' said the brakeman; Gan
old road too-one of the very oldest roads
in the country. Good road bed and COM
Portable cars. Well managed road, too,
directors don't interfere with division su.
perintendents and train orders Roads
might popular, but it's pretty independent
too. Yes, didn't one of the division su
perintendents down east discontinue one of
the oldest stations on the road, two or three
years ago? But it's a mighty pleasant
road to travel on. Always has such a
pleasant class of passengers
Didn't you try the Methodist" said.
"Now you're shouting" he said, with
some enthusiasm. "Nice road, eh? Fast
time and plenty of passengers. Engines
carry power of steam, and don't you for
get it; steam gauge shows hundred and
enough all the time. Lively road when
the conductor shouts all aboard you can
hear him at the next station. Every train
light shines like headlight. Stop-over
checks given on all through trains; pas
senger can drop off the train as often as
he likes, do the station two or three hours,
and hop on the next revival train that
comes laundering along. Good, whole
souled companionable conductors aint a
road in the country where the passengers
lSCl ulOIC dU 4NO pdooCS SNCiJ
passenger pays full traffic rates for ticket
Wesleyan air brakes on all trains, too;
pretty safe road, but 1 didn't ride over it
yesterday"
"Perhaps you tried the Baptist?" I
guessed once more.
"Ah, ah!" said the brakeman, "she's a
daisy, isn't she River road, beautiful
curves, sweeps around anything to keep
close to the river; but it's all steel rail
and rock ballast, single track all the way,
and not a side track from the round house
to the terminus. Takes heaps of water to
run it, though; double tanks at every sta
ton, and there isn't an engine in the shop
that can pull pound or run mile with
less than two gauges. But it runs through h
lovely country-these river roads always
do; river one side and hills on the other,
and it's steady climb up the grade all
way till the run ends where the fountain
head of the river begins. Yes sir, I'll take