Daily Yellowstone journal., 1888-06-15
GROOMING The IRON sTesos.
The Routine Work That Is Dom In q
Railroad ROundhouse.

~ c'h''' -
Railroad Roundhouse.
a locomotive roundhouse. with It's
grim, steel armored giants resting from
their labor, is an object Of irresistible at
traction TO Sunday s~trollers along the
river front near the Union station. II a
visitor happens 10 be accompanied by an
inquisitive small boy, he will find that
there are many things about q round
house which are not comprehended in a
| youths definition in school the other
day, "a place where they keep engines"
Instead OF being dreary as a car
rage house, it is as lively as a
race horse stable. II is s O'Clock in the
evening, and that the New York express
has just departed on its way 10 Boston.
Soon the big express locomotive No. 1879
will slowly back down the yard, and
switch of down a side alley. as il were,
toward the great roundhouse. Rumbling
slowly down the grade, it will stop at a
gigantic coal heap, where a half dozen
dusky figures are ready with shovels,
and Mt once they begin TO send the coal
in showers into the tender. Meanwhile
the fireman and engineer have climbed
down from the cab, their days work
done. and have started homeward. In
their place has climbed a short, burly
man, whose professional name is ''hos-
ter" and the big machine is in his
charge from this time till the next morn
ing. After the weight of tue tender has
been increased to several tons by the
efforts of the ~shovelers, the ''hostler"
slowly runs his charge { the mrntable,
and the steed is prepared to go to bed for
the night.
waiting on the table" is not the most
inviting occupation, to be judged by the
back straining and ''leg achy" process Of
turning q thirty ton locomotive half
round, and the ''waiters, " instead OF
having dapper white aprons and clean
napkins, are equipped with oily overalls,
greasy caps and big boots. Indeed, they
are the same set who were seen viciously
%shoveling at the coal pile a momen ago,
and have followed the engine into the
house TO continue their attention. They
bear the name of ~''wipers" and the occu-
patton from which the term is derived
will soon be seen. When the engine has
pulled in" to its stall, two bulkheads in
the front of the boiler are unscrewed,
and two men, sticking long probes into
the hole, begin TO ram up and down with
| might and main. This is to get the
sparks out Of her, and the torturing
process lasts fully fifteen minutes, the
bright showers falling from the box into
the pit. Meanwhile the 'wipers' are
not idle. Armed with big punches of
waste soaked with black oil to prevent
rust, they rub and scrub vigorously. and
soon the effect OF their work begins to he
seen, for the big locomotive looks as
shining and sleek as a racer fresh from
the stable.
The "hostler" meanwhile has
banked" the fire, and, after pouring
nine buckets Of fine sand into the sand
box on the boiler. the traveller is left to
slumber on q warm bed-warm. for in
the pit underneath runs a network of
steam pipes, giving o temperate heat, the
effect of which Is shown by the dripping
OF the melting ice. If the weather is
cold. No. 1919 rests peacefully; a smoth-
cred snore now and then Is the only indi-
cation that a spark of life remains in the
machine. Early in the morning the
locomotive is awakened by the ''hostler."
who vigorously pokes the fire. and soon
the steam is sizzling at a lively rate.
About an hour before the train time the
.'hostler" pulls the engine u and after
making up the train, the engineer and
fireman reappear and No. 1919 starts out
for its days run Of 2I6 miles.
Like every big barn, a roundhouse has
its annexes in the front yard. Near the
entrance to the establishment there is a
wOudshcd, n sand house, and an oil
cuhhy. The latter is part Of the old round
house and the inside arrangements re-
semble a well regulated kitchen Near
q sink in one corner ury seen three hrass
handled pumps, which me with three
hig tanks underneath the door. which
have a capacity OF several barrels Of oil
each In VA OF these tanks is the lard
oil for drilling in tha shops, m another
rllc valve oil for the engines, and in nm.
other still l. the 'cuglgc oil proper.
Besides these substances IS the kerosene
~ headlight oil IA u tank 10y Itself, In a
little lack is the big pile Of waste,
anl the whole establishment Is in charge
Of a responsible servant Of the road, who
parcels out the material 20 the foreman
Of the roundhouse as he requires. Tn,
sand house Is also a modest brick strucS.
ure In which a pile Of sand is heaped
about a large stove, 10 he perfectly dried
before being sifted, and right opposite il
the gigantic woodshed whose pile is re-
plenished every day with a car load
There are, Of course, two gangs Of handi
who have charge night and day respec
lively, and, taken all together, a %jollier
healthier, and more hard working set o.
men it would be hard TO find the Who'll,
road over.-springiield Republican.
Inside oi a Japanese House.
While the blntO was poue 10 nronar