San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-23
MAN WHO DIDN'T STRIKE.
Sixty Years a Switchman on the Cen
tral--He Once Defied Two
REGIMENTS,

Down at Stuyvesant, on the Central
Hudson road, there is stationed 9
switchman who has been at his pos
ever since the first train passed over
the rails, and has been in the com.
pany's employ before that, almost
from the day when the first tie was
laid and the first spike was driven.
| This man did not strike when Lees
order went over the wires on the
evening of August s. He is not made
of of the sort of stuff of which they
are made that blindly followed the
| beck and call of an autocratic leader.
Old Patrick Sweeney remained at the
post which he has faithfully guarded
for nearly sixty years now.
He is wholly illiterate, his mental
| powers have q natural vigor that is
that is remarkable. Once the COM
pany issued an order directing that
all switchmen who could not read or
write were to quit service. Pat got a
| a boy in his shanty to teach him how
to read the numbers OF the engines so
that he could report the time and
number Of trains that passed his flag
shanty every day. The old man ap-
parently passed the age when the
mind can yet be turned back and
made to grasp what 1t has out
grown, for he discharged the boy
but his ear was still keen. In
less than a month he had learned the
number of every engine on the road
by the sound of it's bell, and never
made single error in his reports.
This is vouched for by people who
have known Sweeney half a century.
He does not know what fear is, and
a story is told how he once defied
two regiments of soldiers be-
cause he knew what his duty was and
they did not. 1t was in April. 1862,
during war times. Sweeny was at
his post on the road, which was then
double-tracked north of Stuyvesant,
but had but one track between that
town and New York. Fifteen car
loads of soldier on a special
train, bound for New York !
reached Stuyvesant early one MORN
ing, and Sweeny, who was on the
Lookout, stopped the train which had |
Immediately preceded it whichcarried |
no signal to give warning that the |
special was behind 1T. 1t was before
the days of block signals and much
depended on a remembrance of order
as TO how trains were to run. The
cOmmandant of the troops could not
why the train had come
to a standstill. Leaping from the
train he began making inquiries and
found Sweeny standing at the switch
which he had locked.
What does this mean?" thunder !,
ed the officer. Don't you know
these are Federal troops, under orders
from Washington to proceed to New
York without delay? What do you
mean by stopping this train without
oders?"
Sweeny pointed his thumb over his
shoulder in the direction of the single
track.
1.-THE train ahead carried no signal
for yez," said he, "aRd there bees an
up train on it's way"
Unlock that switch instantly"
commanded the officer, drawing his
sword. mot q moments delay now.
Unlock it!'
IN not" said Sweeny. and the
words were scarcely out of his mouth
before a dozen soldiers, in obedience
to an order, hustled the switchman
into his shanty. One thrust his bay
onet into the boards alongside of
Sweeney's neck. The others pinned |
him in similar manner under the
arms. Half dozen others placed the
muzzles OF their loaded muskets with
In few inches of his head.
"Give up that key and let this train
proceed" was the command, and
while no threat accompanied it the
switchman knew that the next order
would be to pull the triggers. He
never flinched.
mot wan foot does this train
move" he said, without a tremor.
Il will give you one min
AT that moment a shrill whistle |
was heard, and before the officer
could finish his order the train for
Albany came flying along at the rate
of forty miles an hour. Sweeney's |
watchfulness had prevented q terri
BILE disaster. He knew we'll that the |
first train should have displayed sig
all flags to indicate that there was |
another following. Had he permit |
ted the train carrying the soldiers to |
proceed there would have been a |
frightful collision at about Stockport, |
where a curve through a rocky cut
shuts out all view two hundred yards |
ahead. 1t didn't take either the |
officers or the men long to realize
what narrow escape they
had made and to appreciate the brav-
cry of the switchman who was ready
to give up his own life rather than
permit thousand men to put theirs
in danger.
Famous Sam Sloan was President