Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-08-17
Running A Locomotive.


''Well, I've had o little experience in
running an engine" said long speci-
men of the genus Yankee, putting one
elbow on the bar counter and holding
his whisky straight up to the light,
and if it would amuse you I'll give you
a yarn or two"
s'Stave ahead" said his companion,
shut I've been there myself. fused to
run an engine from New York to Phila-
delphia.
ooh, you did," said the Yankee.
"Well, that just amounts to nothin. I've
been special engineer for the last ten
year, and there amt mile of track
atween here and Frisco haven't travel
ed over. You see us specials are obliged
to be ready for anything at moments
notice, and when we travel we just 60
right over the ground, and don't you
forget it." ttl
I've made some pretty good time my
SELF" said the second engineer. ~ took
q train through from New York 20
Philadelphia in eighty minutes"
ooh, that's chlld's play" said the first
engineer. ''Why, man, I've made that
run myself, and that with one piston
rod gone at that. 1t was lively trip,
and don't you forget it. I'd just got
back from special run up through the
coal regions, when word came that one
of the big guns of the company wished
to start at once for Philadelphia. l
knew what that meant, SO jumped
aboard long-legged Jim, hitched con-
struction car behind the tender, and a
drawing-room coach behind that and
reported for duty. I knew my engine, :
and ran up forty pounds of steam more
nor she was marked to carry. When
word came let everything slide and the
old boy just jumped in the air. Then he
settled down to his work. Everything
was clear in front of us, and I let him
ont for all he was worth ut the start.
In less EN- five minutes you couldn't q
counted the telegraph poles they flew by
us so fast. I had two fremen I'M just
made them earn their passage from the
60. Old Jim must have eat up two ton
O coal inside of ten miles,"
"What!" calculated the second engi-
neer.
''Sure!' said the first engineer. "And
we hadn't been out of the station fifteen
minutss before every blasted boiler pipe
was hot, and we had to keep flooding
the cab with water to keep from burning
the darn thing up. Oh, we was just
gettin' there, my boy, and I didn't let
up q pound. Every time we took a
curve the outside wheels would be at
least a foot up in the air, and once or
twice tie tender jumped clean on to the
ties, and old Jim would yank her back
again, aud" '..E .''' p
saint you kind of stretching point?"
asked the second engineer.
"Not bit of it, said the first engi-
neer. "Why, afore we was half way to
Philadelphia, both O. those stokers was
down on their knees praying, and had
to do the feeding myself until swore
'em back to their senses again. Well,
everything went well the first two thirds
O. the run. and was just whistling to
myself over the record I was piling up,
when there came report like rifle, and
I knew one of the blasted piston. rods
had busted. There was nothin' to do
put stop, and lost ten minutes fixen'
up. The big gun left the coach and
came down to see what was up. whats
to be done?' said he. I've got one
piston. rod left, says I, and I'll take you
| through on time He knew me, and he
Just Lit q fresh cigar and walked back to
the coach as contented as lamb. Well
| / Just set them praying fremen to work
| for all they was worth, and had her up
to sixty pounds over the limit in less EN-
| no time. Then I let her slide. Lord,
Harry, I thought old Jim would jerk the
stuffin' out of everything behind him.
We just played hop scotch, and don't
believe we touched the rails more nor
| four or five times mile. Iknew it was
| q 500 check or nothin', an was after
that check. Well, those firemen got to
praying worse EN- ever, and I had to
swear I'd throw 'em overb ard afore
they'd come to time. I tell you we was
Just movin'. Why, the towns got run
min all together, and we had no more
'en got squint at one station afore we
was five miles past the next one"
"Hear! hear!.' said the second engi-
neer, "that's laying it on too strong.
"True as you're here" said the first
engineer. 'sTd introduce you to the
praying firemen, but they cut the bust
ness after that run, and I kinder lost
sight of 'em. Well, we got within ten
miles of Philadelphia and I began to
stop her." .....#
''Stop herr"
eyes; I knew I couldn't do it inside
O. ten miles, and I didn't quite fetch it
at that; for when we ran into the station
we smashed in the bumpers and ripped
u pabout twenty feet O. the platform be-
fore old long-legged Jim would agree
the run was over, but got the check"
and the Yankee engineer thoughtfully
drained his glass, as his friend ordered
the barkceper to ''set 'em up again.