Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-02-24
Nd. 16

g. neral superintendent could tell me,
aud 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 he reported to. and
he said, Nobody l asked him who
be got his orders from. and he said
he 'did't take orders from any living
mau 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 run
that :raiG to suit himself, or he'd run
Der in the ditch Now you see, sir,
Pm railroad man, and / don't care
to run on road that has no time, or
makes no connections, runs nowhere,
and has no superintendent. 1t may
be all right, but I've railroaded too
long to understand it."
May be you went to the Congre-
gatioual church," I said.
Popular road, said the brakeman,
can old road, too; one of the very
Oldest in this country. Good road
bed and comfortable cars. Well man.
aged road, too; directors don't inter.
fere with division superintendent
and train orders. Roads mighty
popular, but it's pretty Independent,
too. Yes, didn't one of the division
superintendents down East discontin-
ue one of the oldest stations on this
road two or three years sgo? But its
mighty pleasant road to travel on.
Always has such splendid class of
passengers"
did you try the Methodist" 1
said.
"Now you're shouting" he said
with some enthusiasm. "Nice road,
eh? Fast time and plenty of passen-
gers. Engines carry power of
steam, and don't you forget it; steam
guage shows hundred and enough
all the time. Lively road; when the
conductor shouts all aboard you
can hear him to the next station,
Every train-light shines like head
light. Stcp-over checks are given
on all through tickets; passengers
can drop off the train as often as be
likes, do the station two or three
times and hop on the revival train
that comes laundering along. Good,
whole-souled. companionable couduc-
tors; amt road in the country
where the passengers feel more at
home. No passes; every passenger
pays full traffic rates for his ticket.
Wesleyan air. brakes on all trains, too;
pretty safe road, but / didn't ride
sOver it yesterday"
Perhaps you tried the Baptist"
l guessed once more.
"Ah, ah!" said the brakeman, she's
daisy, amt she? River road, beau
tiful curves; sweeps around anything
to keep close to the river, but it's all
steel rail and rock ballast, single
track all the way and not side track
from the roundhouse to the terminus.
1t takes heap of water to run it
through; double tanks at every sta
tion, and there isn't an engine in the
shops that can pull pound or run a
mile with less than two guages. But
it runs through lovely country;
these river roads always do; river on
one side end hills on the other. and
it's steady climb up the grade all
the way till the run ends where the
fountainhead of the river begins.
Yes, sir, I'll take the river road ev-
cry time for lovely trip, sure con-
nections and good time, and no prai-
rie dust blowing in ct the windows.
And yesterday, when the conductor
came around for the tickets with
little basket pinch, didn't ask him
to pass me, but paid my fare like q
little man; twenty-five cents for an
hours run and little concert by the
passengers assembled. / tell you
Pilgrim, you take the river and when
you want"
But just here the loud whistle from
the engine announced station and
the brakeman hurried to the door
shouting:
"Zionsville! This train makes no
stops between here and Indianapolisn
ROBERT T. BURDETTE