The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-23
BILL SYE'S LETTER.
Description of the First Railroad Trains
Trial Trip-Thc Locomotive Largo
Fire Extinguisher on Trucks.
Bill Nye in Chicago News.

The first train ever operated must
have been a grand sight. First came
the locomotive, a large Babcock fire
eXtinguisher on trucks, with Il smoke
stack like full blown speaking tube
with frill around the top; the engin-
eer at his post in plug hat, with an
umbrella over his head and his hand on
the throttle, borrowing chew of to-
bacco now and then of the farmers who
passed him Oh their way to town. Near
him stood the fireman, now and then
bringing in al arnful of wood from the
fields through which he passed, and
turning the damperin the smokestack
every little while 50 that it would draw
Now and then he would go forward
and put pork rind on a hot box or
pound on the cylinder head to warn
people off the track.
Next comes the tender loaded with
nice, white birch wood, an economical
style of fuel because its bark may be
easily burned off while the wood itself
will remain uninjured. Beside the fire
wood we find on the tendera barrel of
rainwatel and a tall blonde jar with
wickerwork around it, which contains
small sprig of tansy immersed in four
gallons of New England rum. This the
engineer has brought with him for use
in case of accident He is now engaged
in preparing for the accident in adj
vance.
THE FRONT BRAKEMAN.
Next comes the front brakeman in a
plug hat about two sizes too large for
him. He also wears a long-waisted
frock coat with hustle to it and tall
shirt collar with table-spread tie, the
ends of which hutter gayly. in the
morning breeze. AS the train pauses
at the first station he takes hammer
out of the tool box and nails on the tire
of the fore wheel of his coach. The
engineer gets down with long oil can
and puts little sewing machine oil on
the pitman. He then wipes it off with
his sleeve.
1t is now discovered that the rear
coach, containinga number Of directors
and the division superintendent, is
missing. The conductor goes to the
rear of the last coach, and finds that
the string by which the directors car
was attached is broken, and that, the
grade being pretty steep, the directors
and one brakeman have no doubt gone
back to the starting place.
But the conductor is cool. He re-
moves his bell-crowned plug hat, and,
taking out his orders and time card, he
finds that the track is clear, and, look
ing at q large, valuable Waterbury
watch, presented to him by a widow
whose husband was run over and killed
by the train, he sees he can still make
the next station in time fordinner. He
hires livery team to 90 back after the
directors coach, and calling "All
aboard,' he swings lightly upon the
moving train.
NINETEEN WEARY MILES
1t is now 10 o'clock, and nineteen
weary miles still stretch out between
him and the dinner station. TO add to
the horrors Of the situation, the front
brakeman discovers that very thirsty
boy in the emigrant car has been drink
ing from the water supply tank on the
tander, and there's not enough water left
to carry the train through. Much timeis
consumed in filling the barrel again at
spring near. the track, but the conduc-
tor finds Il "spotter' on the train and
gets him to do it. He also induces him
to cut some more wood and clean out
the ashes.
The engineer then pulls out draw
head and begins to make up time. In
twenty minutes he has made up an
hours time, though two miles of hoop
iron are torn from the track behind
him. He sail .lto the eating station
on time, and, while the master me-
chanic takes several of the coach wheels
over to the machine shop to soak, he
eats a hurried lunch.
The brakeman here gets his tin lam
terms ready for the night run and fills
two of them with red oil to be used on
the rear coach. The fireman puts a
fresh bacon rind on the eccentric, stutfs
some more cotton batting around the
axles, puts new lynch-pin in the hind
wheels, sweeps the apple peelings out
of the smoking car, and be isready.
Then comes the conductor, with his
!. plug hat full of excursion tickets, Or
ders, passes, and time checks; he looks
at his Waterbury watch, waves his
hand, and calls -'All aboard" again. 1t
is upgrade, however, and for two miles
the "spotter'' has to push behind with
ali his might before the conductor will
allow him to get on and ride.
Thus began the history of a gigantic
enterprise, which has grown till it is a
comfort, convenience, luxury, and
yeta necessity.
A $3.50 Pair of Twins.