Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-12-21
ENGINES HALF HUMAN.
Some of the Superstitions of Loco
 motive Engineers.
Some Carry Cats in the Cab for Good Luck and Others Do Not Care to Start on Run on Ffiday-Presenti-
 ments of Accidents.

A great many tales have been told about railroad engineers and the queer notions they have about their Spets, as they call them. Some of these stories look all right in print, but in reality they are pure inventions. The Globe Democrat correspondent resolved to in- terview number of railroad engineers in view of securing their experiences W ith locomotives, and to find out, ii possible, whether engineers, as rule, are superstitious.
 Creston is quite a railroad town, and is the end of division. It is no trick at all to meet half dozen railroad en- gineers, and as they are all good fellows, an interview is cheerfully granted.
 Tom H. is one of the oldest and most reliable engineers on the C., B. &S Q. railroad. Being asked concerning lo- comotives and their engineers, he said: ''A locomotive engine is, to my mind, as near human as any inanlmate object can be. Sometimes I think that they are more than half human. Of course that's all fancy, though. I have driven this engine, No. 4s3, for ten or fifteen years, and I know every inch of her, and hAOW hO" UO hhAdSO UhO OAu AooJ' ooaAO | days she gets cross and doesn't seem to care about working. Then I have got to coax her. Other days she'll feel bad | and take on at dreadful rate; then I've got to doctor her carefully. We fellows | have way of tending to these little matters. As general rule my engine is in good trim and goes like bird. She acts like human, trembling with | s. f1. foc cf running.
 l 'Do believe in presentiments? Well, I'll have to say yes. The night we went l into ditch near Malvern, smashing up things badly, told Jim (the fireman) half hour before the accident happened that something was coming, because never before knew the engine to act so queer. She didn't want to go, and when I crowded her she pounded badly, seem ing to drag like, along the rails. When the poor girl toppled over on her back in the ditch 1 thought she groaned aw- fully. I believe an engine smells dafl- ger ahead, somehow, and then goes to tremblin' and pounding. Leastwise | mine always did"
 ''Ever see any ghosts?'
 'sWel1, can't say that I ever did but once. We were coming west from Ot- tumwa about midnight. It was moon- light, and could see ahead pretty we'll. We were nearing a place where young girl had been killed while crossing the track on a little pony. As we came up rapidly I noticed something white on the track in front, and presently, to my horror and astonishment, 1 saw the shadowy outline of a young girl. She was holding a little pony by the bridle rein, and the animal was prancing with fright. Both were square on the track. blew the whistle and turned on the air. At this moment the girl turned her face toward the engine. long, cruel red scar extended from her fore head to the chin. Her eyes had pitt full look. But we couldn't have stopped the train for our lives. We dashed upon them and-went through the apparition like it was cloud of mist. I felt a chilly sensation as we passed, and my blouse was damp, as if dew had fallen upon it. That was the only apparition | I ever saw. Poor W ran over the girl, and has never ceased to grieve about it.''
 It is almost amusing to note the myriad of queer fancies that engineers
 have about certain things. Yet, as far
 as known, these fancies do not deba.
 them from being brave and trustworthy
 men. While they may have many a
 superstitious fear that an accident is
 impending, it does not unnerve them,
 and is more likely to keep them on g
 sharper lookout. Many an engineer be.
 lieves that his fate is only question oi | timo wbi1a others ha1iave them so ves
 to be insured against accidents.
 It is said that the engineer on one oi
 the express trains that telescoped be | tween Creston and Ottumwa some years e ago, when so many passengers were
 killed, had vague forebodings of i'm
 pending disaster for several days. Ii
 was a feeling that he could not shake
 of. His intuition proved correct, and l ,f a&cr. (