Griggs courier., 1888-11-16
A BaAkEMAN's EXPERIENCE.
What Happened to uim in the Absence of

What Happened to Him in the Absence Of
the Automatic Car Coupler.
There is Il great deal of small wit aired
by laraglnpllsts i'll connection with rail
road ear couplings. The inventor of
car coupler occupies about the same posi-
ion in the ranks of crauks that is as
Signed to the lalllativc barber and the
.um chcwer. SO accustomed have the
funny men of the press become To treat
in" the subject from Il humorous stand
point that it is doubt fll whether 5 per
cent of hem could write seriously about
IL new car coupler if they tried. Aud yet
it is II serious thing enough to some
people.
There is at least ono man acting as com
,luctur on Il liitsburS street car who can
tell a thrilling story of The lrrils that be-
fall blaie,nrll in HE absence of automatic
car couplcr> How. in the dark. foggy
nights. the brakeman has to lean side
WAYS against tiie cud of II freight car, his
feet outside the rails. and his arm on
tended i'll such Il position that false
movement of two inches vii! drop linn, Il
Man,ylrd mass of inamimatc flesh, bet wcen
the rails. when inc rest "t he Train backs
u,', suddenly and iTi"si>iibly, and crashes
v'l.l :, force of h;lulr.d, of tons against
i & i:'v.. :; G H., is almost touching his
hand how on these. same dark nights,
ii is n"crS-,iv for lhc brakeman TO face
the way he train is mo-ill-. so that in
ease lii, car runs forward! Il few feet. he
may go with it, and save himself from
being swung around and crushed under
the wheels. II cont tin rr,lcy that is almost
certain, should he forget himself and face
the OF hpr WAY How the conductor is
likely L" turn around and give you
thunder if You 'mss Il coupling the
first time, and how You are expected to
take s"l:.e risk in your work 50 as to do
it swiftly and effectively.
lncn this man. viii" has been :! brake
! man. but who had To quit rlilroading
when he got hurt, can tell You how it
happened ON that unlncliv night, near
| DERRY, hat he got "all smashed up" lie
was on The iron ladder at the end of Il ear.
with his lantern in his hand when he SAW
f, he OF or part OF III" train backing down
| upon Ii i'll. 1t was coming at Il good speed,
and he had IL" time L" jump off and make
f, the rouplin. from tllc ground underneath.
| (which is the best way, as he naivcly
remarked though 1.-The hes, way" is sur.
rounded hv more danger than threatens
| the average soldier in Il battle. lie
; reached down from above. (which is an.
OF her good way" holding the pin ready c
! drop int" its place when the two cars
i should come together. They came ,n-
| .rtner. he dropped Tho pin with true aim
/ il fell int" it's proper receptacle, but no,
quite straight. IL was jerk'd out. strill
in. him III the stomach with surh force
as to make his brain r,,.l with pain. Ilt
fell in be-, tween the ears. and for half ~
hour lay w.'g,,i i'll, with one arm broker
in Two places. l,rre ribs fractured and his
head cut and bleeding.
vt ,hc end of The half hour he rest "
the train crew missed him. He could MOI
be released until the conductor had not i
fled he engineer Then the forward par
of the tram was drawn away. and tht
brakeman. with n>r enough life to asl
for Il drink. was taken out. \, he say!
himself. he is ''prct' nearly all rigl
now. but his wife w',', L.: him railrn,,
any longer I, might be thought tina
this man would hc i'll favor of nlli"Eat i
ear cnuplpr>. But no. He sa.s that
while they a all very we'll for 1,..~>"lgr
coaches. the, will! never d' 1u" freight
They do not give enough play, and i
would he imp">>iblc To make up Sncl
long lrAi,!s. 1t would not t'c :, prn,a
BE for IL railroad companies. and rs fo
The danger the men. Why there's
sort OF excitement about railruajin. .
when You DON'T know wien YOU may b
ON 1hc ia>i "trip. that men kinder like
after all. --Pit,sbury B;.llc,n.