The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-10-03

cause they nave no projecting PLATFORM
at the ends, no overhanging roof or
hood, but are buckled close up 10 each
other, and their contact controlled by
small metal buffers, the springs OF
which allow aplay of from eighteen
inches to two feet and half between
car and car. The Miller platform the
Janney coupler, the link and pin-Of all
the familiar devices of the United States.
there is not one to be seen. The brakesF
None visible Nor, for the matter OF
that, brakeman. This iniluential and
numerous person has no existence IN
England. There is not even rudimen-
tary type of him. That you do not
find him is the first stern intimationyou
receive that in English railroading there
are no autocrats. The wheels are fitted
with brakes, however, and the trained
eye notes q rubber hose connection be-
tween the carriages, quite different in
its application to that known at home,
but which nevertheless betokens the air
brake. He takes account of the dis
tinctons of class, and reflects upon his
country's yelled progress in that regard
in the matter of parlor cars and limited
express-trains. Then he finds that
there is no baggage-master to watt the
volatile Saratoga to its doom, as his
own newspaper would express it, There
is perhaps luggage van or two, or there
are in tho carriages. themselves luggage
compartments according to the way in
which the S'ain is made up, the length
OF journey it is to take, or the custom OF
the particular line under observation.
His final contemplation is perhaps de-
voted to the engine, and if he has ever
given any of his attention to the Ameri-
can locomotive, it fills him with deep
concern. Herecalls the imposing splen-
dor of the latter, its comfortable and
lofty cab of oiled and polished wood, its
gray brass bell, the soul-stirring whistle,
the noble headlight and the cow-destroy-
ing pilot, the great understanding
smoke-stack (unless it be hard-coal
burner, in which case that feature
shrinks to moderate proportions), the
powerful drivers and compact cylinders,
the eccentric connecting rods and COM
pact cylinders, the connecing-rods, and
all its parts radiant with the glitter of
polished steel or FURNISHED brass, or
decked with appropriated vermillion or
emerald green. In all these matters
the English locomotive compares with
it much as a lawn-mower does with a
New York fre-engine. 1t is a humble,
| awkward green or monochromatic ma
chine. 1t has neither polish or decora-
ton about it. There is no cab. The en-
gineer and his tireman-that is to say,
engine-driver and his stoker as they are
styled in England-perform their duties
with only such shelter as is afforded by
a board screen in front of them, pierced
by two round apertures filled with stout
glass. technically known as "specta-
cles." The smoke-stack is short and
thick; there is an unSightly green hump
on the back of the boiler the cylinders
are under the front of the latter instead
of on each side before the drivers; the
wheels are all large, and the body OF
the eng.le is perched high up above
them and looks top-heavy and danger.
Gus. The whole thing is rigid and stiff.
looking, and to the observer who has
had to do with the external aspects of To-
comotives it is unprepossessing and un
lovely. The practical American engi
neer whistles thoughtlessly as he sur
veys it, and wonders tohimself how Ions
it would be before he would ditch hi!
train if he had to run on a new Western
railroad VITA such an engine. Where
would he be on sharp cure, or how
would such running-gear adapt itself t.
an unevenly ballasted track9 The low
center of gravity Of the American loco
motive, the weight distributed well dow
between the wheels, the play of th'
small broad flanges under the pilo
truck, and the external gearing of the
driving-wheels, all give the American
engine an appearance Of stability whicl
impresses not merely the layman, bu
also the expert.-Harper's Magazine.