The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-02-22
The Bakeman.

Z u y ~
The brakeman IL q man who Is employees
by railroad company to stand Upon ths
top Of freight car and work both hands
at tho engineer ard to help stop the trajn
when 1t is necessary. .HA4I
Next to being a barebacke rider kN y
map, 80 he can SIT on thu wheel OF bralS :
man, 30 he can sit on the wheel Of brakN
and chew tobacco while the train Ia runW
ming at full speed. The fact that q brake.
man ls often seen pegglng broadcast Owe,
the land on wooden leg or minus ona
arm, often causes people to believe that he
10 an old soldier or has served q term >,rI
base ball club. IsE
There are two kinds Of brakemen-e.ssss'
passenger and freight. The passep1sS sS
brakeman Is a gentleman OF considerable
lslsare, and by the nonchalant way N
which he comes through car and tramn'
on the passengers feet Is often mistaksn
for the conductor.
lie docs not have much else to do IN,
Sam doors, growl at the porter, and wben
the train arrives at station yell "Po
nooyah when he should say, "Pontha
toula." l'""
The freight brakeman Is an ent,relSdr
ferent man. Ho Is grim, silent and dSM.
ned. lie seldom speaks except to cuhsN
the green hands on the rear end *, tM
tram, whom he affection refers t0&afS|
'puddlng." Despite his faults, however
he works hard and very often arises 10
position Of Importance, unless s)me dav
ne tries to use his body as coupling Din
and fails. :, 's
At night when freight train ID side.
tracked at meeting point and his CON.
panions are s4uatted on pile of orosstla
the brakeman is In his glory. lie tuea
discusses ad libitum the affairs of the rosa
and crltlclses every ono from the Presden,
down TO the humblest official, He doe,
not hesitate to say If the president CAM
run road any better than he does b.
should 60 off some where and drive a
canal Soat. W
After he has said this and other thi&N
concerning the aslninity Of officia! in gem
raj, he turns to one Of his companions ann
says: w
Jimmie, did you ever know that fe
low, Bill McGinty, who has just been an.
pointed superintendent of the j. K, & or
"What McGlnty2 Of course I'te seen
him; and you bet he's fine old plum to
be superintendent
"Well, I should think he was, was a
brakeman on tho southern division of tbe
l. q. q N. when he got his first Job old
Matt johnson was pulling us--and Nc.
dlnty was 80 green he didn't know draw,
head from switch frog. No matter how
slow old Blatt johnson backed up thpt
fellow couldn't couple car, and some.
times for half an hour We were backing
llr, and going ahead, until you could hear
Matt johnson curse for two miles off. III
he blamed If don't think he tried to kill
Mc9inty. lie used to come buck and lam
the draW-heads under the cars, but when
he pulled ahead again Mc4inty would
| step out without scratch on him. A
road, l tell you. Is mighty hard up when
they take such thing as McGinity."
At the conclusion Of such speech tSN
whole crowd OF brakcmen will rcv1ew thA
history OF McGinty, and finally, without q
dlssentlng voIco, Will arrive at the con.
clusion that hc is a "'ne old Plum" The
brakeman is to be admired for the remark.
able manner in which he gets wind OF
various and sundry plans which the mana.
cement intend to place in operation and
wish to keep quiet.
The brakeman will set on the end Of a
cross-tle, swap opinions concerning tho
wisdom OF the president in coucockS5
such plan long before the la de-da clekS
In The general office obtain the meresi
mkling of 1t. II an appointment is to be
made he will tell you the name of the man
and the time the appointment is to 20 into
effect.