The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-01-12
The Brakeman.
New Orleans Democrat.

NOW orleans D6mOcraL
The brakeman is a man who is employed by
railroad company to stand upon the top Of a
freight car, and work both hands at the engi-
neer, and to help stop the train when it is nee
essary.
Next to being bareback rider in circus,
the small boy pants to be brakeman, SO he
can sit on the wheel of a brake and chew to-
bacco while the train is running at full speed.
The fact that brakeman is often seen peg
ging broadcast over the land with wooden
leg or minus one arm, often causes people to
believe that he is an old soldier, or has served
term in base ball club.
There are two kinds of brakemen-the pas
senger and freight The passenger brakeman
is gentleman Of considerable leisure, and by
the nonchalant way in which he comes
through car and tramps on the passengers
feet is often mistaken for the conductor.
He does not have much else to do but slam
doors, growl at the porter, and when the train
arrives at station to yell SPonooyah" when
he should say @Pontchatoula."
The freight brakeman is an entirely differ
ent man. He is grim, silent and dignifed.
He seldom speaks except to curse the green
hand on the rear end of the train, whom he
affectionately refers to as pudding" De-
spite his faults, however, he works hard and
very often arises to a position of importance,
unless some day he tries to use his body as a
couplng-pin and fails.
At night, when freight train is side tracked
alta meeting point and all his companions are
squatted on pile of cross-tes, the brakeman
is in his glory. He then discusses ad ibitum
the affairs of the road, and criticises every one
from the president down to the most humble
official He does not hesitate to say that if
the president can't run q road any better than
he does he should go off somewhere and
drive canal boat
After he had said this and other things con
corning the asininity of the officials in gen
eral, he turns to one Of his companions and
says:
Bill McGinty, who has just been appointed
superintendent of the ]. K & CT"
GWhat, McGinty? Of course I've seen him.
and you bet he's fine old plum to be super
intendent"
sWell, I should think he was. was brake
man on the southern division of the I. c. & N.
when he got his first job--old Matt Johnson
was pulling us-and McGinty was SO green he
didn't know q draw-head from switch-frog
No matter how slow old Matt johnson backed
up that fellow couldn't couple car, and some
times for half an hour we were backing up
and going ahead, until you could hear Matt
Jones curse for two miles off. I'll be blamed
if don't think he tried to kill McGinty He
used to come back and jam the draw heads
under the cars, but when he pulled ahead again
McGinty would step out without scratch on
him A road, I tell you, is mighty hard up
when it will take such thing as McGinty.
At the conclusion of such speech the
whole crowd of brakemen will review the his
tory of McGinty, and finally, without dissent
ing voice, will arrive at the conclusion that he
is "fine old plum" The brakeman is to be
admired for the remarkable manner in which
he gets wind of various and sundry plans
which the management intenp to place in OPP
Grafton and wish to keep vuiet
The brakeman will sit on the end of cross
tie, swap opinions concerning the wisdom of
the president in concocting such plan long
before the la-de-da clerks in the general office
obtain the merest linking of it. If an appoint
ment is to be made he will tell you the name
of the man and the time the appointment is to
90 into effect