The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-04-06
ESQUIRE LUFkINS.
The Oldest Locomotive Easinesr II the
Vnited Stntes.

United stntes.
From the Dr,,rer Tribune.
The oldest railroad locomotive engineer In
the United States is Lawson l.nikins. Ecn0raliy
s sac eadns srond ito ,n an S thn
Squire. and when look back over tho thirty
mo wonder that so few thing. stand out. It's
all u dond level now. began enginooring when
and you SEQ nrodn't DO tottering on tho edge
OF the grave to DO tho oldest engineer When
dnt ssrvea an as
LOCOMOTIVES woro my delight to study. and
when got ono to run mysolf my ambition was
tSen and there. Al rst was bothered By peo-
pie wondering at such a boy engineer. but at;
was ali right and saie. and tho Officers came to
the Same opinion before , long Loved my work:
easno S % Wsro S to me- tsn any
gineer's mind goes of on side trims his train Is
~ 6lan yos iee! sGe effects s! !, 81 Tho work andre
ing that no man can stand tho physical and
% M me- than
q, am sree. exception. "ffG am Just as q:
ever vas In my @ and
the time. but got used to those things They
s Al me. Instead Of broakins mo down.
%y S care q me s: 81 os eGx
didn't have IL. wouldn't run an engine. 1t
Would on 4asaaS
Ssss sS s in every department. from ffcs.
Did your train ever, meet with an nccidcnt1"'
Nothing bad. I've hnd little mishare. but
nevor rccciyed q consu:e from my superlors or
my own SELF One time a man was hurt on my
train and heard he nftcrward died. He was on
soM rn nia hs %s he @ s r ss to s T
passenger was thrown, on and badly hurt. /
dent can rsmember. 1t was this ti frsSodom
rosign my position about two yoars ago. Thinks
l. am getting rather old In years, III have to
ste sSM tS1S I psSele ~H e
Rnd tho company; too. for keeping me ut work.
lam just as good an engineer MS ovor, and ri
in my resignation and tho company gave me q
satistac,tory PLACE rs detcStiyo between Broad
AGO. .H I@ you kept any record Of your mile
Yes. . sort Of record. but It would take
sort Of account book that I carried In my
pocket. would enter my boarding. house Ok
st and ali IT i$ SsSssss ikh
ninety three miles. but tho run actually made
For five years at the start, l had a freight en-
glnc, and oil tho rest Of the time q passenger
engine. For tho last fourteen years d. ublod
the run most OF the time. Now you can mike Il
calculation from theseelgures and fucts. You
says 1890. 900 miles? Tint seems n.Grent deal,
but suppose 1t will do. l think an average OF
$50 miles day for $50 days in tho year for
thirty-six ycnrs would be n moderate stntc-
mont. That drops q whole yoar for safetys
sake Bu, do not take much pains to study
out out such sums in nrithmeiic. II | were q
times my travels would have carried mo around
the world and a!l such things. only know
they carried mo so often between PHILADELPHIA
and Pottsvill0 that know every ito in tho track
and almost when each was placed there"
t., No doubt yoM witnessed many changes and
Yes; but they came like boy grows. and it
wouldn't be easy to tell when any ono occurred.
When began thero woro no cabs on tho en-
gines. and we had to dress warm for. outdoor
work, Sometimes 1t wasn't easy to hang on,
to that now made. At sixty miles an hour.
which is an ordinary rate. II wouldn't do to DO
without cab In cold weather. The wind would
cut the eyes out. l remember when the cab
engines were FIRST introduced horo. It was on
the Pennsylvania road. which then belonged TO
the State. Tho engineers all raised u gront
row at the change. and thore camo near being
q strike. They said tho houses wore death
traps. and II an accident happened there would
minds. and Il the houses wero taken on now
heard TINT some OF tho English locomotives
have no cubS.h