Western cyclone. [volume] (Nicodemus, Kan.) 1886-1887, 1886-08-05
EARLY RAILROADING.
An Amusing Story About the Origin of the
Bell-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 railroading,
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 constructed it
all came from New York and Pennsyl-
vania. George Adair, of Atlanta, tells
with great gusto of the origin, of the
beu-rope, which is in itself an incident
worthy of preservation.
At the time the Erie railroad extended
from PiermOnt, on the Hudson, over to
Port Jervis, on the Delaware, old Dick
Ayers was conductor on the line. They
ran mixed trains in those days-one or
two freight cars, couple of ''gondolas,"
and caboose and passenger car at the
rear end of the train. Ayers had for an
engineer a rough old English cockney,
who arrogated unto himself a good deal
of authority, and felt that he had as
much to say about how the train should
be run as Conductor Ayers had. So
when Ayers would wave his hand to the
engineer to starr 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
temper up and would run by a station
when he knew that Ayers had passen-
gers to get off there.
Finally one day, after cudgeling his
brain, Conductor Ayers but upon plan
for adjusting all the difficulties. He
procured stout Irvine and fastened one
end to the rear platform Of the passen-
ger coach and then carried the string
forward and tied the other end of it to a
stick Of frewood on the floor of the cab
near Engineer Williams feet.
Nov, when l pull the cord, Will
Jams" said Ayers, that means you are
to stop. Dye hear?"
Hi don't like these ere blarsted new
ways" was the engineers only comment
as Ayers left the engine and went back
to the passenger coach.
Coming down from Middleton to Otis
vile the train was rolling along at a
pretty lively pace, when Ayers discover
ed he had passenger for the station
now known as Howells. He reached up
and gave the cord hard tug just as the
whistle blew for the station. Unfortu-
nately Ayers pulled the string a little
too hard, for the stick of fire wood to
which it was attached flew up and hit
Williams a severe blow on the shin. TAX
ing eff 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 a caution. The people
came to their windows to see what was
the matter. OF course Ayers was mad.
In the meantime Williams had coollv cut
the string and had slowed up to take
water at 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 as he turned to the engineer and
said: Now. here, Williams, the next
time l pull that string If you don't stop
this train one or the other Of us has got
to take hckin'."
Williams vouchsafed no reply and Az
ers went back to his place. AT Guymard
he pulled the string again, but as before
the engineer took no notice Of the signal.
and the train never came to a stop until
Port Jervis was reached. Ayers came up
to the engine with his coat and vest of.