Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-07-28
THE TRAIN BELL ROPE.

In the early days of tie railroad in this
country the locomotive engineer was the mas.
ter of the train. He ran it 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 Gall aboard" were all
that 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 1S42 Boats carried pas
sengers from New York to Piermont. 1.-The.
Hudson which was then the eastern terminus
of the road. Turner's, forty.seven miles
from New York, was as fur West as the
railroad was in operation. One of the pion-
eer conductors of this road was Captain
Ayres. He ran the only train then called 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 be
run, did not strike the Captain as being
according to the propriety of things He
frequently encountered fractions passenger
who insisted on riding without paying his
fare AS there was no way of signaling the
engineer, and the passenger could not be
thrown from the train while it was in mo-
ton, the conductor in such cases had no
choice but to let him ride until a regular stop
was made. Captain Ayres finally determined
to institute new system in the running OF
trains. He procured a stout twine, sufficient
ly long to reach from the locomotive to the
rear car. To the end of this string next the
engineer he fastened stick Of wood. He
ran this cord back over the cars to the last
one. He informed the engineer, who was
German, named Abe Hammill, that if he de-
sired to have the train stopped he would pull
the string and raise the stick, and would ex-
pecs the signal to be obeyed. Hammill look
ed upon this innovation as direct blow at
his authority, and when the train left Pier
mont he cut the stick loose At Turner's he
told Captain Ayres that he proposed to run
any conductor. The next day the Captain
rugged up his string and stick of wood again.
"Abe," said be, "this things got to be set
tied one way or the other to-day. 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 or I'll lick you"
The stick was not on the string when the
train reached Turner'S. The Captain pulled
off his coat and told Hammill to get off his
engine. Hammill declined to get of. Cap
tain climbed to the engineers place. Ham
mill started to jump off on the opposite side.
The conductor hit him under the ear and
saved him the trouble of jumping. That
settled forever the question of authority on
railroad trains: Hammill abdicated as au-
tocrat 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 bellrope, now one of
the most important attachments Of railroad
trains The idea was quickly adopted by the
few roads then in operation and the bell or
gong in time took the place of the stick Of
wood to signal an engineer. Captain Ayres
continued conductor on this road under its
different managers until he was superanuated
and retired on pension year ago.