The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-04-25
The Brakeman at Church.

fat passenger drumming idly on til
window pane, the cross passenge
sound asleep, and the tall, thin pas
senger reading "Gen. Grants Tou
Around the World" and wonderin
why "Green's August Flower
should be painted above the doors @
IA Buddhist Temple at Benares." r,
me comes the brakeman, and seatin,
himself on the arm of the seat
says:
II went to church yesterday.n
"Yes?" l said, with that interested
infection that asks for more. "Ant
what church did you attend ?"
(Which do you guess?" he asked
"Well, some union church," I haz
arded.
no." he said, II don't like to rur
ON these branch roads very much. ]
don't often go to church, and when
do, l want to run on the main line,
where your run is regular, and you
go on schedule time and don't have
TO wait on connections. It NAV be
good enough, but I don't like it,"
Episcopal" l guessed.
Limited express" he said, all
palace cars, and two dollars extra for
seat, fast time and only stops at big
stations. Nice line but two exhaus-
tive for a brakeman. All train men
In uniform, conductors punch and
lantern silver-plated, and no train
boys allowed. Then the passengers
are allowed to talk back the conduc-
tor, and it makes them too free and
easy. No, l couldn't stand the pal
ace cars. Road rich, though. Don't
often hear of receiver being appoint
ed for that line. Some mighty nice
people travel on it, too"
"Universalist?" l suggested.
Broad gauge" said the brakeman:
does too much complimentary BUSH
ness. Everybody travels on a pass.
Conductor don't get a fare once in
fifty miles. Stops at flag stations
and don't run into anything but a
union depot. No smoking car on
the train. Train orders are rather
vague though, and the train men
don't get along we'll with the passen-
gers. No, I don't 60 to the Univer-
salist, though l know some awfully
good men who run on that road.n
"Presbyterianw I asked.
marrow gauge, eh ?n said the
brakeman, 'pretty track, straight as
rule; tunnel right through a noun
tain rather than go around it; spirit
grade; passengers have to show
their tickets before they get on the
train. Mighty strict road, but the.
cars are a little narrow; have to sit
M in q seat, and no room i'm the
aisle to dance. Then there are no
stop-Over tickets allowed; got to 90
straight through to the station YOU
are t1cketed for, or you can't get on at
all. When the cars full no extra
coaches, r 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 Think
ers,"I said.
Scrub road" said the brakeman.
dirt. road and no ballast: no time
csiG and no dispatcher. All trains
run wild, and every engineer makes
his own time, just as he pleuses.
Smoke if you want to; kind of n 90
as-you-please road. Too manv side
tracks, and every switch wide omen
all the time, with the switcbInan
sodnd asleep and the target-lamp
out. Get OH as you please and
get on when you want to. Don't
nave TO show your tickets, and the
conductor isn't expected to do any,
lnihg but amuse the passengers. No,
slr, l was offered a pass, bat 1 don't
ike the line. l don't like to travel
on a o that has no terminus. Do +
you know, sir, l asked a division
superintendent where the road run
TO, and he said he hoped to die if he
knew. l asked him if the general
superintendent could tell me, and he
'ald he didn't believe they had a.. .
general superintendent, and if they
lad, he didn't know any more about A.,
he road than. the passengers.
lsked him who he reported to. and
re said nobody I asked the con-
who he got his orders from and r
Re said he didn't take orders from S
ny living man or dead ghost. And \
7hen | asked the engineer who he !
OF his orders from, he said he'd like d
D see anybody give him orders: he'd t
that train to suit himself, or he'd d
I'm her into the ditch. Now Won y
.e. sir, Pm q railroad man, and I Y
ont care to run on a road that has r
o time, makes no connections. runs G.
owhere, and has no superintend- 6,
ut. 1t may be all right, but I've Z
'iiroaded too long to understand te
Maybe you went to the Congrega- tee
onal church," l said. IF
Popular road" said the brakeman. "
al old road, too, one of the oldest in .
'e country, Good road bed and 81
'mtortable cars. Well managed q
al, too; directors don't interfere bnr
TN division superintendent and bo
slil orders. Roads mighty popu- co
:, but it's pretty Independent, an
D. Yes, didn't one of the division ca
perlntendents down east discoD- so
Il of the oldest stations on *
is line several years ago: But it's clr
pleasant road to travel on, an
ways has such a pleasant class of thu tho
an
Did you try the Methodist y" fac
Now you're shoutiDgw he said, ms
tn some enthusiasm Nice road. Cri
:? Fast time and plenty of passen. c cha
s. Engines carry 4 power of steam. OF
4 don't you forget it; steam gauge gageg
'ws q hundred and eighty ali the '~ a
le. Lively road. When the con- fall
tor shouts all aboard you can sbe
n him to the next station. Every Con-
shines like a headlight. Of !
checks are given on all Civ
ough tickets; passengers can drop
the train as often as they like. do far
station three or four days and
on the next train that comes
ndering along. Good, whole
ed, cOmpani0nable conductors :
t q road in the country where the ~,
engers feel more at home. No 4t.ai