The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-07-06
THE BRAKEMAN AT CHURCH.

lowing good thing.
On the road once more, with Lebanon
fading away in the distance, the fat pas
senger drumming idly on the window
pane, the cross passenger sound asleep,
and the tall thin passenger reading Seen
eral Grants Tour Around the World, " and
wondering why "Green's August Flower
should be printed above the doors of GA
Buddhist temple at Benares." To me
comes the brakeman, and seating himself
on the arm of the seat, says:
81 went to church yesterday
"Yes?" | said, with that interested in
Election that asks for more. "And what
church did you attend ?"
(Which do you guess ?" he asked.
''Some union mission church 9" | haz-
arded.
"No," he said, 81 don't like to run on
these branch roads very much. don't
often go to church, and when l do, l want
to run on the main line, where your run
is regular and you go on schedule time,
and don't have 10 wait on connections. l
don't like to run on a branch. Good
enough, but | don't like it,
Episcopal ?" l guessed.
tLimited express he said, sail palace
cars, and two dollars extra for a seat, fast
time, and only stop at the big stations.
Nice line, but too exhaustive for a brake
man. All train men in uniform, conduc-
tors punch and lantern silver plated, and
no train boys allowed. Then the passen-
gers are allowed to talk back to the con-
ductor, and it makes them too free and
easy. No, | couldn't stand the palace cars.
Rich road, though. Don't often hear of a
receiver being appointed for that line.
Some mighty nice people travel ON it,
too
'Universalist? Isuggested.
Broad guage," said the brakeman;
sdoes too much complimentary bushes.
Everybody travels on a pass. Com
duetor doesn't get a fare once in
fifty miles. Stops at all flag stations,
and won't run into anything but
l mr. dtlDb. ~ SAtphitiS CdA ob INT
train. Train orders are rather vague,
though, and the trainmen don't get along
well with the passengers. No, | don't go
to the Universalist, though | know some
awfully good men who run OF that road"
Presbyterian? | asked.
Marrow guage, Ell ?" said the brake
man, pretty track, straight rs a rule; tun-
mel right through a mountain rather than
go around it; spirit-leycl grade; passengers
have to show their ticket before they get
on the train. Mighty strict road, but the
cars are a little narrow; have to sit one in
a seat and no room in the aisle
to dance. Then there are no stop
over tickets allowed; got to go
straight through to the station you're
ticketed for, or you cant get on at all.
When the cars full no extra coaches; ears
are built at the shops to hold inst so many,
and nobody else allowed on. But you
don't often heal of an accident on that
road. It's run right up to the rules"
Maybe you joined the Free-Think-
ers - | said.
''Scrub road" said the brakeman, dirt
road-bed and no ballast, no time-card and
no train dispatcher. All trains run wild,
and every engineer makes his wi time,
just as he pleases. Smoke if you want to-;
kind of a go-as-please road. Too many
side tracks, and every switch wide open all
the time, with the switchman sound asleep
and the target-iamp dead out. Get on as
you please and off when you want to.
Don't nave to show your tickets, and the
conductor isn't expected to do anything
but amuse the passengers. No, sir, was
offered a pass, but don't like the line. |
don't like to travel on a road that has no
division superintendent where that road
run to, and he said he hoped to
die if he knew. I asked him if the
general superintendent could tell me,
and he said he didn't believe they
had a general superintendent, and if
they had, he didn't know anything more
about the road than the passengers. /
asked him who lie reported 60, and said,
Nobody l asked a conductor who he
got his orders from, and he didn't take or
ders from any living man or dead ghost.
And when | asked the engineer who he got
his orders from, he said. he'd like to see
anybody give him orders; he'd 1un that
train to suit himself, or he'd run her in the
ditch Now You see, sir, I'm a railroad
man, and | don'tcare To run on a road that
has no time. or makes no connections, rams
O here. and has no superintendent. 1t
may be all right, bnt Eve railroaded too
long to understand it."
"May-be you went to the Congregational
church - | said.
Popular road" said the brakeman, "an
old road, too; one Of the very oldest in this
country. Good road bed and comfortable
cars. Well managed road, too; directors
don't Interfere with division superinten-
dents and train orders. Roads mighty
popular, but it's pretty independent, too.
Yes. didn't one Of tie division superinten-
dents down East discontinue one of he
Oldest stations on this line two or three
years ago? But it's a mighty pleasant
road to travel on. Always has such a
splendid class of passengers.