Sharp County record., 1891-08-06


,. ocomotiyes become deranged and
io, ;acal. like human beings" said
len Bowcher, the Oldest express en-
ts,o or on the Big -Four. Bowcher has
tcc.' ,uperstitions common to nearly aii
Nm in his business.
,,,s assure you," Bowcher continued
1r 4 locomotives require regular rest
10 tant attention, even nursing when
:. don't feel right. An engine will
SMELLS when nothing you can 90
N.Y. make it act properly. Then the
is the only place for it, and there
Nays machine has got to go, or quit the
p.' S,, 2 ice Of the road"
ul,'t ta. ~ certain engines get bad charac-
re IN M develop some unexpected faint in
at u, blood. SO to speak, after being IN
'gooa for awhile?" was asked by re-
/, zoe ar who met Mr.. Bowcher at re-
/ tso S n Of locomotive engineers.
aI& ,bev certainly do grow unmanage-
le@ sometimes. Generally this IS
'GlN 'G.N oyerwork. Engines are like a
oIj,, ouch hbrrea horse in that particular
on. o. ect' They will get off their feed
ogR which | mean that they will not
,. n up right, the furnace will clog
'''' the Efficiency of the fuel will not
utme obtained. They suffer from lack
cthr nergy. You are liable to stall on
IN IN d upgrade. They will act badly on
"''a curves, manifesting a decided in
helm alton to mount the rails or to take
b CON len starts that will endanger the
,lings.
600 sooi 1ld No. 6 that l used to make the
,st% time with when she was right,
MANI an annoying habit Of starting with
BETA awful jerk. 1t didn't matter how
~ 'n' fully / opened the throttle how
1er,. S oughly.I understood the condition
hr lie steam, away we jumped every
ship It seemed as if the steam gath
'sia itself somewhere and, after it
Ir S-s ready, let itself go. The old mon
has been broken up, and | am
lh of it. She was the last OF the
r en-footers' The number OF seven
,. ~, drive-wheels now in use are very
teir do not personally know OF any.
COB six feet seems to be about right
I, recurring to the temper OF the To-
i@ NJ lotives, they are affected by the
4, .ther, which is readily understood,
eG a dull, heavy sky or dense at
Ta sphere has like effect. This can
a,s a explain in any way whatever. Why,
h rt Smith, who was strict church
boa d, couldn't do anything with one OF
eda engines during Lent. After Easter
II, the disinclination to make time dis
10 cared.
She would hustle whenever
led upon. Sounds very absurd,
.5or S ,sn't It? But It's true. The grip
he only distemper to which | can
nden locomotive such as Mart's was,
ap len machine gets so, tell you, she
N \ st have treatment--the best scien-
overhauling She needs masseur
or leeds galvanism."
iIA When once locomotive has lost
.@ ~, 90 Of character or self-respect, does
we ever regain it?" was asked.
city Generally not" said Bowcher, med
l5t lively. 81 know recent case in
m ich an engine recovered from a
sar ole OF this paralysis and became, as
hey } is to-day, the best on the road.
na ncn engine No. II, on the Louisville,
lS % Nv Albany & Chicago road, came out
!, the shop brand new, little more
pei an a year ago, she was successfully
+ In the hands Of half dozen Of the
st engineers on the road to make the
from Lafayette to New Albany.
After fair trial every man, with
I exception, pronounced No. II an
terly worthless piece of machinery
Al ie general superintendent heard of
"a 0 engine and ordered her condemned,
IA Il the master mechanic blurted out to
~ m:
o- "'She doesn't like the run. It's n
II lightly mean run, and she knows 1t as
|, oil as You do
"YUu see the master mechanic
4 anted the locomotive to have another
4 Gnce. Well, she got it, and / tell
, ,a 1t was TO have been her last one.
4 ned have been sold for scrap iron or
in off the track into forest and con-
,rted into the motive power for a saw
Ill. No. II was sent up to Indian
polls and put on the run to Monon. I
ent to the round house and looked
or over, for I'd heard Of her and am
cry curious. was asked what |
lought was the matter / spent an
our over her and everything appeared
? be right, / took an off day and ran
own fifty miles on her.
"She made great time. To-day she
the fastest on the road and the most
eliable. She can pull vestibule
rain Of five cars u mile q minute.
Vow she's the pet, the banner engine
y the road, A month ago she was in
fair way to be turned out TO die, but
low nothing Is too rich for her blood.
'hc has the best engineer and fireman
md tho best attention in the shop"
You speak Of the need OF rest, Mr.
bowcher. Must II be regular? mean
Vt regular times?"
Most assurcdly," was the prompt
'eply' "a locomotive must be allowed
. rocover her residence. That's the
word, you have II spelled correctly
-only one !. Remember a locomotive