The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-30
Bill Nye on Railroads.


hasenown more marked progress in
the.i .iHSt century than the railway and
IT'S <diierent auxiliaries. When we
relasMber that much less than a CEN
turt has passed since the first patent
iof #;pcolnotive to move upon track
wa I~ued, where now we have
eve}tbing that heart can wish, and,
III iFft live better on the road than
weA,at home. with but thirty-six
houfs netween New York and Min
neaIe'ls, and a gorgeous parlor, bed
roNa and dining room, between
Niue and Oregon, with nothing
iileihg that may 60 to make life a
ries Messing, we are compelled to ex-
pis pur wonder and admiration.
4 HlAter Cooper is largely due the
fD0Om given to railway business, he
haVlng cthstracted The first locomo-
i've ever nade in this country, and
put it on the Baltimore and ONO
railroad.
The first rain ever operated must
have been agrand sight. First came
the locomotive, large Bahcock fire.
eX'ihgubheron trucks, with "A smoke
stack liN' iuil-hlown speaking-tube
win ffli around the top; the en-
glheer aplis post in a plug hat, with
an unbrlla over his head and his
hand onthe throttle. borrowing a
cneW OF pbacco now and then of the
Farmers Who passed him on their
way to ttRn. Near him stood the
fheman, ntW and then bringing in
an arntul Pf wood from the fields
through whch he passed, and turn
ing the danper in the smoke.stack
every niue While SO that it would
draw. NowAnd then he would 90
Forward ana put a pork-rind on a
hot-oox or pond on the cylinder
head To warn lfople off the track.
NeAl COMES he tender loaded with
nice Whlte DTch wood, an ecOuOIoi-
cal style OF fuel because its bark may
De easily buried pff while the wood
ltselI VIII remain uninjured. Besides
the nre- WoodWe find on the tender
pafrel OF RlnWater and ia
blonde jar wiha wicker-work around
II, Which coltalns small sprig OF
tansy ltnmehed in four gallons of
New Englanl rum. This the engi
neer has brOtght with him for use in
case OF accident. He is now engaged
ln----1ei siis..s,sszfss.>lhs aeciasnt IN adj
vance.F
Next comes the front brakeman in
plug hat about two sizes too large
for him. He also wears long waist
ell frOck coat with a bus,Ie to it and
tall shirt-cOlIar with "A table-spread
tie, the ends of which fiutter gayly
in the morning breeze. As the train
passes at the first station he takes IA
hammer out of the toOl.boX and nails
on the tire of the fore wheel of his
coach. The engineer gets down with
long oil can and puts Il little sewing
machine oil on the pitman. He then
wipes it off with his sleeve.
1t is now discovered that the rear
coach, containing number of direc-
tors and the division superintendent,
is missing. The conductor goes to
the rear of the last coach. and-finds
that the string by which the direc.
tors car was attached is broken, and
that, the grade being pretty steep.
the directors and one brakeman have
no doubt gone back to the starting
place.
But the conductor is cool. He re.
moves his bell-crowned plug hat, and
taking out his orders and time card,
he finds that the track is clear. and
looking at a large. valuable Water
bury watch, presented to him by a
widow whose husband was run oyer
and killed 10y the train, he sees he
can still make the next station in
time for dinner. He hires livery
team to 60 back after the directors
coach, and calling "All aboard !" he
swings lightly upon the moving
| train.
Ii is now 10 O'Clock, and nineteen
weary miles still stretch out betWeei
him and the dinner station. To add
to tie horrors of the situation, tht
| front brakeman discovers that a very
thirsty boy in the emigrant train ha'
been drinking from the water-supplS
tank on the tender, and there is no
enough left to carry the train through
Much time is consumed in filing til,
barrel again at spring near tn
track but the conductor finds spot
ter on the train and gets him to d.
ii. he also induces him to cut som
more wood and clean out the ashes
The engineer then pulls out til
draw-head and begins to make u
time. In twenty minutes he ha
~