The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-02-23
THE RAILROAD BELL.ROPE.
HOW THE DEVICE CAME TO BE ADOPTED.

In the early days of the railroad in thi
courfrT the locomotive engineer was th,
master OF the train. He ran it accordips
to bis own Judgment, and the conductor
| had very little voice in the matter. Col
lectiIg fares, experimenting the loading
and Unloading of freight, and shouting
'All aboard" were all that the conducto,
VS. expected to do. The Erie Railway
was then the New York and Erie Rail
road. There was no rail connection with
Jersey. City in 1S42. Boats carried
passengers from New York to Piermont-
on-the Hudson, which was then the
eastern terminus of the road. Turner's.
26 miles from New York, was as far west
as the railroad was in operation. One
OF the pioneer conductors was CaptaiH
Ayres. He ran the only train then CT
led 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 OIL
back OF the locomotive, having hi.
way as to how the train was to be run,
did not strike the Captain as being &C
cording to the propriety of things. h
frequently encountered fractions pas
senger who insisted on riding without
paying his fare. AS there was no way OF
signaling the engineer, and the passenger
could Ftot be thrown from the train while
IN motion, the conductor in such cases
had no choice but to let HIM ride until
regular stop was made. Captain Ayres
finally determined to institute a new
system ir the running of trains. H
procured stout twine, sufficiently long
to reach from the locomotive to the rear
car.
To the end of this string next the en-
gineer 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 Hammil,
that if ne desired to have the train stop
ped he would pull the string and raise
the stick, and he would expect the signal
to be obeyed. Hammil looked upon this
innovation as direct blow at his author
ity, and when the train lef. Piermont he
cut the stick loose. At Turner's he told
Captain Ayres that he proposed to run
the train himself, without interference
from any conductor. The next day the
Captain rugged up his string and stick of
wood again.
ABB said he, ''this things got to
L. - ssleleg-ut wUou II -nus o.. .,so- -,----
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 arrived at Turner's. The Can
tain pulled off his coat, and told Hammil
to get off his engine. Hammil declined
to get off. Cartain Ayres climbed TO the
engineers place, and Hammil started to
jump off on the opposite side. The con-
ductor hit him under the ear and saved
him tie trouble of jumping. That set
tied forever the question of authority on
railroad trains. Hammil abdicated an |
autocrt of the pioneer Erie train, and
the twne and stick of wood manipulated |
by theconductor controlled its manage
ment. That was the origin of the bell |
rope, now one of the most important /
attachments of railroad trains. The idea /
was qdckly adopted by the few road
then j operation, and the bell or gong
In tlne took the place of the stick Of
wood % signal the engineer. Captain
Ayers,ontinued conductor on the road
underts different managers until he was
supernuated and retired on a pension