New-York tribune., 1886-07-11
THE FIRST BELL ROPE.
AMENITIES OF EARLY RAlLRoADGNC

AMENITIES OF EARLY RAlLROADING.
lFRoa OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
ATLANTA. Ca, July 5.-The recent change
gauge the various Southern railroads recalls many
interesting incidents of early railro'iins. The ola
Georgia roa OF the hrt built 10 this country
and the men who constructed it all came from YORK
and Pennsylvania George Adsir, OF Atlanta tells with
great gnso OF the origin OF the bell rope which is IN
Itself incident worthy OF preservation
At the time the Erie Railroad extended from Permont
Hudson Port Jerys, on the Dela are Ola
Dick" Ayers was a conductor the line. They ran
mixel trains in days-One or two freight cars,
couple Condo As and caooose aud Iassen.er car
az The rar en- OF the train. Ayers d for an engineer
rough Old Eng 81 cockney who arrogated unto hmself
deal OF authority and felt hat he hal as mueh 10
say about how that train should be run a. Conductor
Ayers hal. when Ayers would wave his hanl 10 the
engineer to start sometimes the Englishman would obey
the signal and sometimes be woulin't IL was pretty
much the same way about stopping the train. once IN
wnie the ngnerr got his temper up ana would rin Dy
a station when be that Ayers had Passengers to
get of there.
Finally day after cuisellns his BRAIN Conductor
Ayers hit upon plan for adjusting all the dhcultes'
He procured a txne and fastened one enl to the
rear platform OF the passenger coach ant then carreI
the string Tor tied the other end Of 1t to stick OF
hrewooi Oh the ioor OF tue Engineer Wllamss
feet.
Now, when pull the cord William'.' said Ayers,
+" that means you are 10 slOp. IL Je ucdr
HI don't ike these ere blarstsd new ways! was the
engineers only comment. AyeIs LETT TIC engine and
went back to thc passenger coach.
Coming down from Nj !lletOwn 70 Otisvie the tr lin
WAS rolling along a pretty Lively pace. when Ayers
he had passenger for the station now know
a. Uowers He reached up ana gave the cord a hard
In i1,t "A the ynistl. Glow for satiOn. UniOru
II ely Ayers pulled the string te too harl, Tor ths
"A DOy the sam. taxing on some or
the sAiD This angerei the Old man, dnd lhstedh Oh
blowing brakes ne pulled her open another notch
lie ratlled through That tDWn was ciutOD
TIA. people came % their windows % mat IS tue
matter. or course Ayers was mad. In tine me .ntlme
had cJblly cat the s.ring AMI had owed up 10
came oIt 10 the engine, cl.moed AMI tied the string
fast to the STICK There was grim determ nation
in lie turned 20 the engineer ani sald' nov"
hors. Williams the next time pun thit sThS II you
dOut stop tla lT4ln one Ot OtHoi " uS uS 5VS ~
tAke lckn. -. -.
Williams vonch~atet reply and Ayers went back 10
his Dlce. Guymsrl be pulled he stnR again, out
a, the took no nOtIte OI tne s-htl du
the tr,in never came to stop until Port Jervl> Was
reached gi % the engine Win us coat du'
vest of ,Om- down. Williams he criei. W iiIAs
came, similarly equ ped for hnt ana tiry pl'chri H.
The OF the engineers sile !Or ne Was tle
L,lver m All OF the two, bur Ayers proved 70 nave LIc
best wind and finally williams called enoush. lie
WAS minus part OF finger, which Ay r. Nal ehr"ei
uch better condition. As soon "a they We're abe 20
resume their Work Ayers sDt new cord ald u Is
scarcely necessary add th 10 Williams a ways Oryrd
nm. -rial Tns the OrigiI W the Dell -rore n"w
o ii-pensiDle. ied only recently, and
NJ. adur WHO tells thls story, attended D@ tinrra.
Cpt,u Adat the nrst pOntuctor that eve" OrOiEht
a railroad train lntO Atlanta Wh~h was lneh o"n %
about thirty mrbitauts ani the prOpe ub ectri O., tie
raroa being bG IL Derause they iesret the uoke rom
the engines would sO the clean clothes wnel the weekly
wAshlGg hIng out 10 dry!