The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-08-12
EARLY RAllROAplNG.
An Amusing story About the Origin
of the Rell-Rope.

An Amusing story About the Origin
of the Bell-Rope.
The recent change of gauge on the
various southern railroads recalls many
interesting incidents Of early railroad
ing, writes an Atlanta correspondent
of The NeW York Tribune. The old
Georgia road was one of the first built
in this country, and the men who con
structed it all came from New York
and Pennsylvania. George Adair, OF
Atlanta, tells with great gusto of tn,
origin of the bell-rope, which is in
itself IN incident worthy of prcserva
ton.
At the time the Erie railroad extend
ed from Picrmont, on the Hudson, over
to Port Jervis, on the Delaware, Ole
dick Ayers was II conductor on the
line. They ran mixed trains in those
days-one or two freight cars, a couple
of "gondolas,' and caboose and
passenger car ut the rear end of the
train. Ayers had for an engineer q
rough old English cockncy, who AFRO
gated unto himself good deal of auth
oritv. and felt that he had as much to
say about how that train should be run
as Conductor Ayers had. SO when
Ayers would wave his hand to the en-
Hinecr to start sometimes the English
man would obey the signal and some
times he wouldn't. 1t was pretty much
the same way about stopping the train.
Once in a while the engineer got his
when he knew that Ayers had passen-
gers to get off there.
Finally one day, after cudgeling his
brain. Conductor Ayres hit upon aplan
for adjusting all the difficulties. He
procured stout Irvine and fastend one
end to the rear platform of the passen-
ger-coach and then carried the string
forward and tied the other end of it tC
stick of iirewood on the floor of the
cab near Engineer Williams feet.
Now, when pull the chord, Will.
iamS,' said Ayers, THAT mems for you
to stop. Dye hear?'
Hi don t like these ere blarsted new
ways" was the engineers only com
ment. As Ayers left the engine and
went back to the coach.
Coming down from Middleton tc
Otisville the train was rolling along at
a pretty lively pace. when Ayers dis,
covered he had a passenger for the sta
ton now known as Howell's. He
reached up and gave the cord a hard
tue Just as the whistle blew for the sta
ton. Unfortunately Ayers pulled the
string too hard, for the stick of fire
wood to which it was attached flew up
and hit Williams Il severe blow on the
shin. taking off some of the skin. This
angered the old man, and instead OF
blowing for brakes he pulled her open
another notch. and the way he ratified
through that town was 4 caution. The
people came to their windows TO see
what was the matter. OF course Ayers
was mad In the meantime Williams
had coolly cut the string and had slow
ed up to take water ut the tank two
miles above town. Ayers came out to
the engine, climbed up and tied the
string fast to the stick again. There
was grim determination in his face rs
he turned to the engineer and said
Now, here. Williams, the next time
pull that string if you dom stop this
train one or the other of lis has got tc
take Il lickin'.'
VIII ans youchsafed no reply anC
Ayrcs went back to his place. AT Guy
mard he pulled the string again, but as
before the engineer took no notice OF
the signal, and the train never came tC
stop unit Port JEWS was reached
Ayres came up TO the engine with hi,
coat and vest off ''Come down, vii
liams.' he cried Williams came. sim
ilarly equipped for fight, and they
pitched in. The odds were on the ell
gineer's side. for he was the heavier
man of the two. but Avrcs proved tC
| have the best wind and Williams finally
called "cnough!' He was minus par
oil. and both eyes We're closed up
Avres was not in much better cond
ton. As soon as they were able to re
sumo thcr work Ayres got in new
cord. and it is scarcely necessary to ado
| that Williams always obeyed the sig
nal. This was the origin of the bell
rope now considered indispensable
Ayres died only recently, and Mr.
Adair, who tells this story, ATTENDED
the funeral. Capt. Adair was the frs
conductor that ever brought railroad
train into Atlanta. which was then ;
town of about thirty inhabitants anC
the people objected to the railroad be
inc built because they feared the smoke
from the engines would soil the clear
clothes when The weekly washin. wa
hung out to dry.