The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1884-02-23
AN ENGINEERS STORY
CHARLES E. HuRD IN tdoob CHEER


CHARLES E, HuRD IN tioob CHEER"
F Railroad men, taken as q whole, AFRO
rather d matter -of-faet sort of people.
That can hardly bo %ondeted at, huw7
ever, Tor there is no profession III the
whole catalogue SO utterly and thorough<
ly real Phefe is no. romance about it.
While the, stage drivers Of tho days OF
4 our fathers were the gatherers-up and
khuldets of material which would have
suificed the requirements of half a dcEen
novelists, everything aboutthe lifeo Of the
railroad man of the present day is as
hard and unfomnltie as iron aud steel
can make IT, Ee936SaA
TO be sure, there are sometimes exeep.
tions-all rules haye them-ahd one
COMES to me just now, A little more
han a year ago 1 found myself on an
express train ON one of the leading rail,
roads of New Euglahd. The srpenh-
tendent was an old friend Of mine, and
As luck would have it he was on board
Naturally We fell into conversation,
During OUR talk expressed my.regret at
not being able to see more of the delight
full scenery through which we were pass
ing.
allow would you like to fide upon the
engine?' asked the superintendent, with
a SMILE as ii he thought that was the last
thing would care TO do,
"Above all things" replied, II al
ways wanted TO do that"
'Reall,?' said he. "fhen you shall
try H. We shalt reach W id ten
minutes, and Ill put you on the engine
when we stop"
Aud he did, The engineer seemed .
a good enough SOFT of fellow, but for The
FIRST dozen miles he didn't seeth inclined
to talk. After time he grew more
Communicative, and enlightened me il
regard TO agreat many things about tail
roads which never knew before.
"Do you see. said he suddenly, point
d ing with one hand while the other firm
ly grasped the lever. "do you see tha
bend in the road yonder? There is
clump OF trees this-side. and thirty rod
or so beyond it the turnpike crosses th
track. Wait till we've gut past, and II
y tell you a story that perhaps you'll re
p member, shall, till the latest day o
my life." ~ ft
!, There was no station at the plac
pointed outi not esen platforms bu
I the train slaokened its speed as we reach
ed it, and came almost to stdnd-siill a
the crossings curi"ns thing for an eG
press to do in so tnihhabited looking
locality. In another minuto we we're re
gaining our lost speed, Ns.
I 81 suppose it's all foolishness," sal
ef the engineer, ''but can't help itI
couldn't keep up speed over that cross
= ing if you we're 10 give me $1,000. II
d the only spot on the whole line thr
le makes me feel nervous, and there's goo
+ reasons for it.. N.
n "You promised to tell me when we 81
le past" said l, ''Was it an accidenti''
% ''No, you could hardly call'it an a,
ie cident, but then 1t was the nearest
e one that ever happened. Ifit HAD bee
!, an accident ia have thrown myself II
to der the wheels of the next train As
y was, / wasn't fit for work for three week.
and then had to go on another part {
- the line" N,
4 "You see, when an engineer runs oTs
!, the same road day in and day out, f
n, half dozen years, he gets to kuo
~ things so well that at times be is natu
y; ally bit careless. 1 had run for foy
ld, years on the noon express-the sair
40 train we are on now-and there WASH
= foot Of the SIXTY miles didn't kuo
rs well as my fathers dooTysr1. Oh