The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-06-29
DO TRAINS THINK?
Some Interesting Psychological
Questions.

Evidences of the Instinct of Locomotives
From the Stand point of the Man on
the Observation-Disclosures of Lo-
connective Mind and Matter.
Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph
@Do railroad trains think? have they in
stinct? do you fancy a train has any quail
ties that has not already been attributed TO
it as a common carrier? I mean psyche
logical qualities" was the odd lot Of ques-
tons hurled this morning in a bunch at
reporter.
II can not say as TO trains" he replied,
with elaboration; shut as you suggest the
possibility, 1 may say that anything is
within the limits of the attainable IN this
progressive age. Locomotive engineers
have been known to regard their engines
as things possessing qualities fully up to
the instinct of animals. It's sort of iron
horse sense 1 should say. Sometimes a
certain engine is regarded as unIucky, and
engineers dislike TO handle it. There have
been stories of the tendency of such an en-
CINE to get into smash-ups and to kill its
attendants for all the world like vicious
horse. Others have been renowned for do
ciIity, the ease with which they work,
their quick response to the manipulation of
. the levers, their cleverness in not being on
hand when there is an accident, their small
consumption of fuel and water, and their
tnfreauent visits to the hospital. Such an
engine seldom gets sick, and il the pet of
the engineer, and receives the tender atten-
ton of the rubbing down cloth of the fire.
man.
An interesting book might be written on
the engineers and firemen's estimate of
anatomy, physiology, and psychology Of
DIT -of Il on Eyranx I
have my doubts as to its having a thinking
arrangement within it's iron-bound car
cass. In reference to the engineers super
stition perhaps it would be well to give
a point as to locomotives possessing in
stinct, but draw the line there; they GER
tainIy haven't brains. AS for cars, be-
Heve they are positively stupid. They
have no motive in life except when an
nexed to the intelligent engine"
"Possibly, them" said the searcher into
locomotive mind and matter, "perhaps it
may be that an engine may have so much
wit as to be the mentor of an entire train
permeate the stupidity of the cars, so to
speak When you rush for Union station
and see the train you were hurrying for
putting out Of the shed and the cylinder
cocks putting out sarcastic remarks at the
hardness of mankind, don't you fancy for
a moment that that train knows more
about Eastern standard time and prompt
ness than yOu"
s'No, the feeling is that of an indignant
reproach at the locomotive. acknowledge
regard it for a moment as would a man
who hadn't quite come up to my expecta-
tions in regard to an appointment, but the
train, the cars, do not enter into the con-
sideration except as dead responsibility
anuax of no more account than the coat
tails of a man."
ST am largely of your opinion" was the
interested reply. 'Let me relate the in
cident that impelled my first series OF
questions. Yesterday evening, when
got home, 1 found two relatives from a
CITY in az adjoining State. They had
taken a sudden notion to visit me and
came without notice, of course. Within
an hour two relatives from the northern
part of this State put in an appearance.
No sooner did party No. 2 see party No.
1 than there was cry of surprise. why,
YOU herep calculated No. 2. How fortu-
nate. We went to o. this morning
to take the train to pay you visit. At
Owe saw our train leave a minute too
soon, but Just then an engine on another
railroad began making up a train for
Pittsburgh md we concluded to visit our
friends here AS party No. had not left
home until two hours after, No. ex-
perienced the wisdom of the two en-
eyines at O., the inference is that loco
motives not only know what is going on,
but possess a sort of prescience, proph-
etc instinct that in this case was superior
TO the minds Of the fewer intelligent per-
sons comprised in my Nos. and WIS.,
itinE 0-'ins-"