Wichita eagle., 1886-10-15

The Locomotive a Large Fire Extin-
cuisher on Trucks-The Tender and
the Front Brakcman-,Iaking Up Time.
Heavy Pushing Behind.
Tho first train ever operated must have
been a grand sight First came the loeomu-
tive, large Babcock fire extinguisher on
trucks, with a smokestack like full blown
speaking tube with friu around the top;
the engineer at his post in plug hat, with an
umbrella over his head and his hand on the
throttle, borrowing chew OF tobacco now
and then Of the farmers who passed him on
their way to town. Near him stood the fire
man, now and then bringing in an arnful of
wood from the fields through which he
passed, and turning the damper In the smoke
stack every little while so that it would draw.
Now and then he would go forward and put
a pork rind on hot box or pound on the
cylinder head to warn people OF the track.
Next comes the tender loaded with nice,
white birch wood, en- economical style OF fuel
because its bark may be easily burned of
while the wood itself viii remain uninjured-
Beside the firewood we find on the tender a
barrel Of rainwater and tall, blonde jar
with wickerwoi1 around it, which contains a
small sprig of tansy immersed in four gallons
of New England rum This the engineer has
brought with him for use in case Of accident.
He is now engaged in preparing for the acci-
dent in advance.
THE FRONT BRAKEMAN.
Next comes the front brakeman in plug
hat about two sizes too large for him. he
also wears long wasted frock coat with a
hustle to it and tall shirt collar With O
table-spread tie, the easis Of which futter
gayly in the morning breeze. As the train
pauses az the frs. station he takes hammer
ou. of the tool box and nails on the tire OF
the fore wheel Of his coach. TIE engineer
gets down with long oil can ard puts lit
tie sewing machine OIL on the pitman. He
then wipes it of with lis sleeve.
1t is now discovered that the rear coach,
containing a number OF directors and the
division superintendent, IS missing. The con-
ductor goes TO the rear of the last coach, and
finds that the string by which the directors
car was attached is broken, ard that, the
grade beingepretty steep, the directors and
one brakeman have no doubt gene back to
the starting place.
But the conductor is cool He removes bis
bell-crowned plug hat, end, taking out his
orders and time card, he finds that the track
is clear, ard, looking ut large, valuable
Waterbury watch, presented to Kim By a
widow whose husband was run over and
killed by the train, he sees he can still make
the next station il time for dinner He hires
livery team to go back after the directors
coach, and calling "Al aboard" he swings
| lightly upon the moving train.
NINETEEN WEARY NILES.
=, a,,I ,,;,,
miles still stretch out between him ard the
dinner station. To add to the horrors Of the
situation, the front brakeman discovers That
a very thirsty boy IN the eUigrant car has
been drinking from the water SUPPLY tank On
the tender, and there's not enough water left
to carry the train through. Much time is
consumed in filing the barrel again ct a
spring near the track, but the conductor
finds 'spotter" on tie train and gets him TO
do It. Ee also induces hin, 10 cslt sosne more
wood and clean cut the ashes.
The engineer then pulls out draw head
| end begins to make up time. In twenty min
| utes lie he's made ua IN hours tilne, though
| two miles Of hocp-iron are torn from the
| track behind him He sails into the eating
station on tiII.o. and. while the master ne
! chanic takes several ef the coach wheels over
| TO the machine shop TO soak, he cats q hur-
! riei h,rch.
! The brakeman hero gets his tn lanterns
ready for the night run ard fills two Of them
with red OF - h. used O.. tie resr coach. The
| fireman puts fresh bacon rird on the eccan-
| trio, stuffs some more Gotten batting around
the axles, puts new lynch-pin il the hind
| wheels, SWEEPS tie erple reelings ou. Of the
smoking car, and he is ready.
| Then comes the conductor, with his pug
hat full Of excursion tickets. o-yIers. passes,
! and tirne cllccl1s; he iooAs 81 his " a.erbcry
, watch, WAVES his hand, and oaTs al
aboard again II IS upgrade, however. ani
for two u,i,es tie 'so.ter- has TO push behind
with au his might before the conductor wll
| allow him to e. on and ride
| Thus leci,n the history OF gigantic en-
! terprise, which hes grown till it is q comfort
| q convenience. a luxury. snd yet q necessity