The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-08-30

,,.,w Yefs TRAIN coSDuc1ps osiosEkErp'
IL a.. early days IL The railroad IN sh'<
eosnfs4 the loc0mc{ise euRineff wes we
.snrsrr a f..a Train. lie SAD Il according 70
IA snfl emens. aud The conductor had very
~, 4 voice m the matter. Collecting farts.
the loacing aud unloading
"a fre,eht. and shouting sAii abosrdl"
sess ali, lint the conductor was expected 10
ID Tne Erie railway wss then the New
vnrk end Erie railroad. There was 20
rasI Connection with JERSEY City IN Sa2.
Roats carried passengers from New York 70
piermont-on.tne. Hudson, which was then
the eastern terminus OF the road. turner's
forty. seven miles from New YORK was 10
Far west as The railrosd was Ia operafson.
One al the pioneer conductors OF snis me
was the late Captain Ayres. he ran tue
oniv train called for between the Two ter
mtnsl points. IL wss made up OF freignl-
and nassepReT.cars. The idea OF the en-
vIneer. without any knowledge OF woat was
goIng on back OF the locomotive, having
RIs way rs 10 how the train was TO be run,
did not strike the captain as beng accord
Ing 10 the propriety Of things. He IRE
ouently encountered a frsctious passen-
Ger who insisted on riding without pay
ing his fare. As there was 20 way
of signalling the engineer and the passen-
ger could not be thrown from the tram
while It was In motion, the conductor gao
no choice in such cases but to iet Dltn rue
until a regular stop was made. Japan
Ayres finally determined to institute ne"
system In the running OF trains. ne pro
cured a stout twIDe, sufncieptIy ioug 10
reach from the locomotive 10 the rear car.
To the END Of this string next zee
81 W000.
He ran this cord back over the ears
TO the last one. He Informed the engioeeI'
who was a German named Abe Hammli.
that n he desired the train stopped De "ou'u
null the string and raise the stick, ana
would expect the signal to be obeyed.
Hammil looked upon this innovation as
direct blow at bis authority, and cut the
stiek loose. At Turner'S he told Captain
Ayres that he proposed 10 run the train
himself. without interference from any con-
ductor. The next day the Captain rigReo
mn his string and stick OF wood again.
% Abe.r said he, "this things got to De
settled one way or the oifcr to-day. III
that stick OF wood is not on the end OF this
cord when we get to Turner'S, you've got
to lick me or 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 OF MS
engine. Hamml declined to get OF. Cap
tain Ayres climbed 10 the engineers place
aammil started TO Jump off on the opposite
side. The conductor bit him under the ear
and saved him from jumping. That settled
forever the question OF authority on rail-
road trains. Hammil abdicated as auticrat
Of the pioneer Erie train, and the twine
and stick OF wood, manipulated by the
conductor, controlled its management. That
was the origin OF the bell.rope, now one
Of The most important attachments OF rail-
road trains. The idea was quickly adopted
by The few trains then 10 operation, and the
bell or gong in time took the place OF the
stick of wood to signal the engineer. Cap
tain Ayres continued conductor on this
road under its different managers until he
was superanDuaied and retired on pension
year ago. He died few months ago IN
Qswego, at the age Of seyeniy-eight years.