Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-28
THE BRAKEMAN AT CHURCH.
whexe He Attended Services ana What He |
Thought or the Churches.


Thought OF the Churches.
Robert J. BurdeTte.
On the road once more, with Lebanon
fading in the distance, the fat passenger
drummer drummipg idly on the window
pane, the cross passenger sound asleep,
and the tall, thin passenger reading
general 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, rays:
al vent to church yesterday"
"Yrsfn said with that Interested in
lection that asks for more. "And what
church did you attendH"
(Which do you guess2" he asked.
"Some union mission church," l heZ-
arded.
"No," he said, "I don't like to run on
these branch rosds very much. 1 don't
often 60 to church, and when l do, /
want to run on the main line, where your
run is regular and you go on schedule
time, and don't have to wait at connec-
lions. don't like to run on q branch.
"Episcop,lf" guessed.
"Limited express" he said, Gall palace
cars, and So ,xsra for seat, fast time,
and only stop at the big stations. Nice
line, but too exhaustive for brakeman.
ALI treinmen In uDifo m, conductors
punch and lantern silver plated, and no
train boys allowed. The passengers are
allowed to talk bsck TO tine conductor,
q hoo hnn
l couldn't stand the palace cars. Rich
road though. Don't often hear Of 8 re-
ceiver being appointed for that line.
Some mighty nice people travel on 1t,
too"
"Un'versalist2" suggested.
"Brosd gauge" said the brakeman;
does too much complimentary business
Everybody travels on aspsss. Conductor
doesn't ges fare once in fifty miles
Stops 81 all flag stations, and won't run
into anytime bat an Uaion depot. No
smoking car on The train. Train orders
are rather vague, though, and the train
men don't get along well with the passen-
gers. No, don't go to the U9iversalist,
though l know some swfully good men
who run on that road "
"Presbyterian 2" asked.
"Narrow.gsuge, eh?" said the brake
man; "pretty track, straight as q rule;
tunnel right through mountain rather
than go around it; spirit-level grade;
passengers have to show their tickets be-
fore they get on the train. Mighty strict
road, but the cars are little nsrrow;
have to sit one II seat and no room in
the aisle to dance. T1en there is no
stop over tickets allowed; got to go
str ight through to the station you're
5icketed for, or you can't get on At all
When the Cars full, no extra coaches
cars are built at the shops to hold Just SO
many, and nobody else allowed on. But
you don't often hear Of an accident on
that road. It's run right up to the
rules "
maybe you Joined the Free Thinkers7"
said.
"Scrup road" said the brakeman, "dirt
rosd-bed and no ballast, no tlme-csrd
and no train dispatcher. All trains run
wild, aud every engineer makes his own
time, just as he pleases. Smoke II yCu
want to; kind of q go-ss-you-plesse road.
Too many side tracks, and every switch
wide open all the time, with the switch
man sound asleep and the tsrget-lamp
dead out. Get on as you please, and II
wnen you Want to. DON'T have TO show
your tickers, and the conductor isn't tx
pected 70 DO anything but smuse the pss-
sengers. No, Sir, was offered S psss,
but don't ike the line. don't Ike 10
travel on q road that has no terminus.
Do you know, sir, asked division
superintendent where that road run
to, and he said he hoped to Gle IL
he knew. asked him II the
general superintendent could Tell me, and
he said be dlun'g believe they had gen
era superintendent, and If they had he
didn't know ANYTHING more about the
road than the passengers. / Asked him