Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-05-28
CHAT WITH a BRAKEMAN.
q The Dangers, Incidents, and TascI-
nations OF the Road.


The Dangers, incidents, ana Fasc1-
nations OF the Road.
Brakeman? Yes. What of it?''
lust wanted to know how the old
thing works. 53..
Nv orks! Well, it works all right
with an old-time crew, but get one of
these aggraratin' green-horns in and
tied. = ''',z j.
Don't the newcomers catch on
| readily?' - rs. .sss
'Readilyp No. Warily would be a
better word. will ITO tell you how
they do it. The whistle blows for
brakes and all hands scramble for
them. The green's, always having the
snap, start from the caboose. 1 think
see one of them warily feeling his
way up the ladder to the roof of the
first car and contemplating the pros
pect in AFFECT terror. :..
HForcible explosives from the rear
impel the progress of the recruit, and
as he contemplates the yawning chasm
! between the first ; two cars he ever
jumped horror is written on his face
and reluctance halts his step. -'j
Yes, it's common. They all look at
the fearful leap, grit their teeth. make
wild jump that lands them about the
middle of the next car, and thereafter
attack duty with the confidence born
OF such experience. !" ~ - (
where are you recruiting the brake
men from?'
almost without exception from
country towns. The kids, in defiance
of law and marshals, disport themselves
about the trains while passing or shift
ing till the habit becomes passion,
and maturity makes it's qualification
possible. !. .3.y~.
Accidents? WE'LL they are largely
due to either care,essness, drunkenness,
or chiefly the latter.
An occasional funeral is promoted by
the swapping of brake-chain; again,
without warning, q train parts at a crit
ical moment; but on the whole brakemeu
make no specially foremost figure in
railroad fatalities.
Eyes, in one way we're tough, but we
work hard for small wages, and when
we relax we do it hilariously.'' !.
Suppose you hove many close calls?''
''Well, the fact is we're on the ragged
edge about every minute of running
time. Of course, we take no thought
of such things, but no doubt our lives
or limbs are imperiled unwittingly doz-
ems of time every trip"
''How does it so often happen that
old-timers are either killed or maimed?'
just because the older the hand the
more reckless he becomes. Habit makes
the dangerous duties of the railroader
as routine and commonplace as those
Of carpenter.
That fellow with his hand enveloped
IN dry-goods store is an example. He
has been twenty years on the road, and
ten OF them a conductor. OF course,
with ordinary care he could couple cars
for ten hours at a stretch without
serious risk, but familiarity breeds con-
tempt for danger, as for other things,
aud in that way he lost half his right
hand.
"Once railroad man always one?
Yes, that's about the extent of it. There
is fascination about the life and itsex-
perience which is rarely shaken off and
scarcely ever sought to be voluntarily.
Official advancement is about the only
thing that ever finally divorces twister
from the wheel. and that sort of thing
happens with a rarity like the discovery
Of new planet. '-Cinci7anati Sun.