The Hazlehurst signal., 1884-01-31
Only the Engineer and Fireman Killed.

A few days since q jovial party wero
coming West, sitting in the smoking.
room Of an elegant Wagner sleeping
coach. Among the number were two
or three railroad men and couple OF
Southern bankers. As the express train
came To stand at Erie telegraph.b0y
stopped aboard with telegram, ad'
dressed to the general manager OF
leading Western road. The manager
tore of the envelope, scanned the mes
sage. threw II down on the seat, and re-
marked: I'VE had an accident on our
road last night" Elm answer to tho
question "Was anybody injurcd?' no
thoughtlcssly remarked: Only thc
engine and baggage.car left the track
nobody was killed but the engineer and
fireman." adding: "Thcy have hard
luck this year, several having bSeu
killed on our road. We have to run 20.
10 make up The time lost by our
Eastern connections; it's all day
with the men ON the ioot.board II their
engines leave the track" To the re-.
mark that engineers and fircmcn should
be the best paid men in railroad service.
the general manager said; They arc
paid well enough on our road. They.
average to run eight hours Of the twen-
ty.four, and get from 1915 to - for
their work. and for such pay rs that
they can afford to take some risks.
Most of our men are reckless devils,
and set little value apparently upon
their lives. The best runner he said,
ave have on our road ha, been running
an engine some twenty-five years: he
has been badly stove up In two collisions.
We, he is never In happier frame of
mind than when he steps onto the foot
board with an order in his pocket To
make up an hour or two in running 30
miles on his schedule time. which Il
based on thirty. seven miles per hour,
stops Ia come out" The manager then
lighted his fifth cigar smoked that day.
and continued the conversation by. stat
iny that occasionally men become timid.
ard not daring To run Ia make up lost
time. would throw mp their jobs.
"Onc," he said. "came into my Office
the other day. | looked him
In the face pleasantly. and asked:
well, what Is up. JimT He
said. well, manager -, ! have run
the night express now going on twelve
years. and / have decided to turn my
run over TO some other man. have
had n prc,cntmcnt that one OF theso
nights lOl will jump the track. and
there will be. without y moments
warning, widow and four children
thrown upon the charities Of the cold
world, rs railroad corporations soon
forget the family of one Of their men
who chances 10 get Killed. lfyou want
me to run one Of the day trains ] will
,io Il. but have had enough OF this
running through the country NJ a speed
Of forty.ivc milo, per hour when II is
so dark that Won can not see two tram
lengths ahead ! told him | would talk
with tho master mechanic and arrango
for his running local train for awhile.
until he got over his foolish scare"
Another subject was then introduced
for a few moments, then the question
of salaries Of railroad officers was
brought up. and In the course OF the
conversation the general manager re.
marked that Il had been rather hard
time for two or three years past with
their road. They had been expending
a good deal on road.bed. and he con-
tented himself with 5000 year. but
he looked for better pay the coming
year. as through new connections their
business will largely increase. 81 have
been on to New York for few days
talking about our affairs. and ! left our
people feeling pretty good. We have
lust scooped in another. sixty miles OF
road. Some of our folks bought tho
stock of two or three OF tho
largest stockholders and have frozen
out the little stockholders, and now
have tho road In their own hands"
After hearing the conversation through.
the writer OF this article asked himself
which of the railroad men spoken OF
above deserves the larger pay. the man.
agcr, who rides over the country In
elegant coaches smoking fiiteen.ccnt
cigars and aiding the directors OF tho
road to concoct schemes to freeze out
little stockholders. or the man at tho
throttle, who daily safely runs trains
through between two or three principal
Western cities, laden With business men
and rpleasuro-seekorsP - indianapolis
journal. ssF ~ ."" 4