The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-12-02

4
a0fue home honors. the life OF the
average congressman would be =
drearY round Of emptiness At the
capifol be i e nonentify. On = the
avenue . he il 4 nobody. Bot n the
boarding house he Is 3 king and in his
district prince.
Many Of the congressman who have
delighted the hearts and helped Ill the
30 textbooks Of Washington land
ladies will not return. except to finish
their terms this winter. have IN
mind one in particular whose ex-
perienees here az related in bis own
words, throw a strong light upon the
Congressional life lie Is rich man.
a manufacturer, long resident OF a
thriving toxin in Ohio. After many
years Of persistent schemisg. and the
expenditure Of . large sum OF money.
he secured a seat IN congress. lie
came down TO Washington last year
with high hopes.
II am not great speaker" he said
a month or two ago, "and | know i
have had bat a limited experience ia
public life. But | have had long and
and successful business career, have
made a study of the tariff and OF gov
eminent finance, aud felt that ! was
going TO be a useful man. hsve been
here long enough 10 ascertain that
ana Of no consequence. In the house
End that everything Is controlled by
10 or % men, the rest OF ms being no
bodies. In the committe room | soon
discovered that nay opinions we're not
wanted. | feel that am too old
man 10 spend nv time in this useless
way. I shall not be candidate for
reelection. ! have had enough OF
congress.
''Bui have you not enjoyed Wash
ington social life ?"
.'Yes. after fashion," and the
member smiled sadly In my board
iur-honse, where as it happens, | am
the only congressman, really have
good tines There | am OF some con-
sequence. But it was not 20 pose as the
social leader. of Wa hingt0n board
ing-housc that ] sought seat IN con
gress
And the disappointed man took the
congressional limited express for New
York to spend a few happy days
among his business friends in the me-
tropolis.
Nv the way. was aboard this fast
train Of parlor cars one recent day. 1t
makes the run between New York and
Washington. go miles, in little more
than i've hours. Between New York
and Philadelphia I sat. watch in
hand, counting the miie-p0sts, which
followed each other in from 81 10 So
seconds mile after mile Suddenly the
train stopped quickly. with an omin-
Gus Jolt. The locomotive had met with
a nj hap. A brakeman was at once
started back, Gag in hand. to protect the
train. As he passed the rear coach | saw
him stop, take from his pocket piece
OF chalk and mark the rails.
"What do you do that for?n asked
with travellers usual curiosity.
I'm tell you when | come back
be replied. And he did.
Some years ago, when a freight
brakeman, he was sent back to protect
the rear Of his train. The rules re-
quired him 10 go back at least half
mile. or fifteen telegraph poles. A
following train ran by him and col
lided with his train. There was an
investigation, and the question was If
he had gone back the required dis
lance. The engineer and fireman OF
the train that had done the damage
swore he had not. But he took the
division superintendent back to the
spot where he had tagged the train
and showed him some chalk marks
which he had idly and thoughtlessly
made on the rails.
These chalk marks were more than
half a mile from the scene of the
wreck, " the brakeman explained, land
my head was saved. Since that day |
always carry piece of chalk in my
pocket and mark the rails at the rear
end OF the train ] I'm protecting and
again at the spot where stop TO flag.
II is no trouble and may save me
trouble some day"
One of the passengers on this de-
laved train was a young. small man
with rather thin boyish face, a strip
ling's mustache, little felt hat on his
head and thoughtful eyes. He went
out and took a look al the dis
abled locomotive, and then came
back and told Us all about it.
He described, simply and lu-
eddy, how the connecting rod had
broken and smashed the eccen-
tric: how n locomotive was built
double, each side complete en-
Elle OF ltHtiI. lnA1 H& now
long it would take the engine to dis
connect the disabled side so he could
run into Trenton with his remaining
half engine, and seemed to know so
much about the construction of aloco-
motive that | asked him if he were
employed in a shop. He said no, and
| tried to talk politics to him. as every
body was talking politics then. lie
answered a few questions in mono
| syllables and then returned to rall-
reading and locomotives.
No use to try TO talk anything but
| railroad to him, said another paSsen-
ger, Baltimore lawyer. He knows
nothing but railroRding, thinks about
nothing else. ! think this concentra
ton OF thought and energy is the
| secret Of his success.
| Then he has been successful p
YES. 4 dozen years ago he was &
common railroad hand at $50 month
Now he i President Spencer, Of IN,
Baltimore X Ohio, at Si5. 0o a year.
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