Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-02-20
DO TRAINS THINK9
Some Interesting Psychological
Questions.

Evidences OF the Instinct OF Locomotives
From the stand point OF che Man on
the Foot-Board-InvestiSat OF Lo-
eoRotive Mind and Matter.
Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph
"Do railroad trains think, have they IN
stinct! do you fancy a train has any quail
ties that has not already been attributed to
it as . common carrier? Imeau psyche
logical qualities" )" was the odd lot OF ques-
lions hurled this morning in . bunch at Q
reporter.
~ can not say as to trains" he replied,
with elaboration; "but as you suggest the
possibility, may say that anything is
within the limits of the attainable in this
progressive ago. Locomotive engineers
have been known to regard their engines
ss things possessing qualities fully up to
the instinct of animals. It's . sort of iron
horse sense l should say. Sometimes q
certain engine is regarded as unlucky, and
engineers dislike to handle it. There have
been stories Of the tendency Of such an en-
gine to get into smash-ups and to kill its
attendants, for all the world like q vicious
horse. Others have been renowned for do
cility, the ease with which they work,
their quick response to the manipulation of
the levers, their cleverness in not being on
hand when there is an accident, their smnll
consumption of fuel and water, and their
infreQuent visits to the hospital. Such an
engine seldom gets sick, and is tho pet Of
the engineer, and receives the tender atteu-
tion Of the rubbing down cloth Of the fire.
man.
An interesting book might be written on
Nka .A <xa
anatomy, physiology, and psychology Of
the locomotive. But yet, do you know, /
have nay doubts as to its having a thinking
arrangement within its iron-bound car
cass. In reference to the engineers SUPER
stition perhaps it would be as well to give
point as to locomotives possessing in
stinct, but draw the line there; they GER
teinly haven't brains. As for cars, be-
heve they are positively stupid. They
have no motive In life except when an
nexed to the intelligent engine"
Possibly, then" said the searcher into
locomotive mind and matter, perhaps II
may be that an engine may have so much
wit as to be the mentor Of an entire train
permeate the stupidity Of the cars, so to
speak. When you rush for Union station
and see the train you were hurrying for
putting out Of the shed and the cylinder
cocks pulling out sarcastic remarks at the
.rdiness Of mankind, don't you fancy for
q moment that that train knows more
about Eastern standard time and prompt
ness than your"
"No, the feeling Is that Of an indignant
reproach at the locomotive. acknowledge
regard it for q moment as l would q man
who hadn't quite come up TO my expecta-
tions in regard to IN appointment, but the
train, the cars, do not enter into the con-
sideration except as a dead responsibility
annex, OF no more account than the coat
tails of q man."
II am largely Of your opinion" was the
intereste6reply. Let me relate the in
cident that impelled my first series Of
questions. Yesterday evening, when
got home, / found two relatives from q
city in an adjoining State. They had
taken y sudden notion to visit me and
came without notice, of course. Within
an hour two relatives from the northern
part of this State put in an appearance.
No sooner did party No. 2 see party No.
] than there was a cry OF surprise. why,
you herep calculated No. 2. How fortu-
nate. We went to O. this morning
to take the train to pay you a visit. At
Owe saw our train leave a minute too
soon, but just then an engine on another
railroad began making up a train for
Pittsburgh and we concluded to visit our
friends here.' As party No. had not left
homo until two hours after, No. ex-
perienced the wisdom of the two en-
gines atO--, the inference is that loco
motives not only know what is going on,
but possess sort of prescience, a proph-
etc instinct that in this case was superior
70 the minds OF the fewer intelligent per-
sons comprised in my Nos. and 2 vis-
ting parties"