Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-10

Washington, Ind.
Running Trains by Tslerrann
lDenver Tribune Republican
Probably the first railroad m the
United States 10 adopt the telegraph as
m auxiliary IN moving It's trans wa
me Enc, or, as it WAS then known. the
New York and Erie. Mr.. Charles
Minot was the general superintendent.
and he believed that the swift. silent
messenger could be so guided
that he could safely be N
trusted with the duty Of making
meeting points Tor delayed trains. and
thus - keep thing moving - where long
and tedious delays would otherwise
occur. The wires were strung. ana the,
company controlled them. Orders 70
the trainmen were given priority thai
no time might be lost. and the new
system proved to have a value beyond
computation to Its experimental bat
happy managers. 1t was from this
origin that II grew, and when it began
to expand, II spread rapidly until every
road n the country recognizes is
necessity and Importance.
But the system did not get start
without much opposition, and It came
iron the men who were to be largely
protected 10y II. The Old engineers Oh
Jected rOundly 10 having aside the
- rules - on the back OF their time
tables. They were safe, they said.
." and 1t was better 70 wait twenty
minutes, with al allowance OF Al addi-
iional flve minutes for a possible
variation II watches, 3" and then pro-
coed cautiously" feeling their way
around curves, and running at lively
gait over q straight piece Of track. until
they worked Their way to destination.
II they were detained IN the night II
was no unusual occurrence TO keep
quiet a. some way-station .nd wait for
daylight to mark the road ahead OF
them. Passengers might growl and
make the best Of il, but the man onthe
front end Of the train had d wife and
children, or sweetheart, and the other
thIngs IL his minds eye, and he would
take no chances. His body was his
OWL, and no tom-fool act OF his would
be permitted lest he might be a mangled
corpse OF 8 cripple for life
This Is all gone now. Some trifing
accident may occur to delay tram, a
wash0ut II this peculiar country may
suddenly turn the tide OF events, but
when the tram Is again IN motion 1t
goes along steadily; trains ar, met and
passed without delay; freight trains
are not embarrassed seriously By
the fact that some passenger tram
coming toward them Is al hour
OF dsy behind its time. They
Jog along merrily; and the whole busi-
ness Of the road goes ahead smoothly
AZ least II appears so 70 the belated
passenger who recognizes the fact that
the DELAY was unavoidable. and did not
continue 8 moment later than il was
necessary. Once II motion. n feels
that the trouble mas ended because he
moves ahead. but be forgets that pro-
badly dozen or more trains may al
be running of time, and that q mas
ter hand and tireless BRAN are closely
directing their movements.
Here Is where the work Of the train
dispatcher comes into play. To the
outside world he Is unknown. His
name Il not Oh the timetables, neither
can you find il Oh the beautifully |
printed folders that the road furnishes
TO Its patrons. He does not. as & rule, /
sign his name 70 the orders which h /
issues 10 the trainmen, but MS activity I
Il not retarded thereby. When ali goes /
smoothly he may be doing, reading 1
paper, OF taking life easy II some I
other way, but when matters 70 I
wrong he is wide awake, with chart !
before him which tells the whereabouts /
Of each train, and If he was struck BY /
lightning while Al MS post another I
could tel al a glance where the trains
are for these workers are alwaFg l
found II pairs, and they follow each
other as closely as night follows day.
They are supreme on the wires al such
times. with no time TO waste II expls-
nations. Hence they sometimes alp
pear curt and non-communicative but
1t Is because the business demands il.
and not because they are taciturn and
sulieD.
The Rio Grande Is q far sample Of q
road under this system. It mas it,
at Pueblo. Gunnison. Lead
vile and AlamOsa, In Colorado. and al
Pleasant Valley junction, II Utah.
From these central points the entire
road Is covered, and with q securely
line Its moving trains are
under surveillance. a
broken wire sometimes occurs.
but il Is always quickly re-
paired, and this great nervous adjunct
Of the business Is seldom interrupted
except by some extraordinary convul-
sion OF EGture. Telegraph stations are
located 81 all necessary points, and as
soon a. tram leaves such place, over
the wire the flying announcement
speeds along quickly in advance Of
i, and the dispatcher notes upon
Inc chart before hun all the de-
iired information. He knows how
many csrs it contains be knows what
are clear, or partially OBJ
itruoted, and when his services come
nto play, ms energies are bent TO move :
u delayed trains speedily, economi-
ally, and safely. lie must make no
rrors. Hence his whole mind is on
rs work, and questions to him from
'Assengers or other unofficial parties at
UGH times are apt te receive curt re-