The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-05-02
HOW CLARA WAS SAVED.


A FEMALE ENeINEER's ADVENTURE \
"Doss q locomotive engineer see
many adventures? He does. Does
he pass through many hardships?
Emphatically yes If you care to have
a rambling chat with me about the
boys of the throttle, and hear of some
queer and interesting adventures, drop
around to my room at the Grand Pacific
and I'll tell you a few over a good
cigar. Here we are, right side up
with care. A way of landing that al
ways pleases me, though I've done q
little of the other style, too. Now, you
needn't ask any questions, but I'll just
tell my stories right along as think of
them. First, let me tell you a little
something about engineers. They are
obliged to be capable, but are not ex-
amined and given any documents to
show that they are engineers. They
rise up from "horsemen to "stokers,"
then to firemen out on the road, and
then become engineers. 1t is custom
ary also for most of them to work in
engine-shops as apprentices for while.
These engines are variously repaired,
frequently by being made over again
rs good asnew. They work on lathes,
forges, machines of all sorts, and the
work on the engine itself teaches
them all there is to know about the
parts of one of these locomotives. Then
they learn about firing when stoking
about the round-house, and learn to
r keep one as clean as wiper" They
s,af 20 no a
taking charge of the engine when
brought in off the road. They turn
them on the turntables and put them
away in their stalls in the roundhouse
after " drawing" their fires over the
smoking ash pit. Then they get out
for short trips on the road as firemen,
and finally push along, if smart and
capable, to be engineers-generally
extras at first, but they soon get a
regular engine. They frequently run
on the road as fireman for only a
year or so before getting an engine, but
generally it is from three to five years,
and | have known men to go from
eight to fifteen years and then
not get any engine. Why? Well,
sometimes because they can't become
proficient, from lack of scientific or
mechanical education, and frequently
because they are too excellent firemen
to lose, and they are therefore paid as
much as they would get as engineers
and retained as firemen. Thus you see
it takes time TO learn the business
"Some," continued the engineer,
"are on regular runs Others go out
on freights in regular turn, or when
needed, and are therefore called by
some boy employed by the company for
that purpose. He is given a little book
with calls in and goes about night
and day at all hours to different parts
Of the city, of course generally in the
immediate vicinity of the rOundhouse
and shop, and he calls the men up. /
have run steadily, seated in the hot
cab, sharply watching the track ahead,
for fifty-seven hours straight. There
are even instances that beat that
Where they have light, easy run,
whether night or day, they can make
arrangements to fit the time. When
his engine is in the shop for repairs
the engineer generally gets to loaf
about for brief time. All sorts of
people become engineers. have seen
the son of Russian count, with greasy
clothes and leatnern trousers, sitting
above the drivers as cheerily handling
levers as though he was holding a
golden knife snd fork in the Winter
palace at st. Petersburg. Then have
seen a minister who became a fireman
to save his life. He was told by his
physician that he would have tc do
manual, outdoor labor of some sort or
die. You bet he dropped to the
med and decided upon life on the
rail He says he won't go back to
the pulpit again, ard he is well and
hearty as a roebuck. Then there are
often finely educated men who adopt
the cab from choice or necessity. a
three days stare at grim old poverty
generally sets them hustling. Then
know of case on the Panhandle,
Logansport division, where woman
successfully ran an engine for nearly
two years before being found out. III
tell You how it was. Let me see.
"Ihat was five years ago" said the
engineer, warming up, "an' was
handling 76, an old residenter that
used to whistle so much like a buzz
saw when setting down to a pine-log
matt NEE that the other boys got tC
calling her "Old Sash-DoOr-an'-Blind