Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1891-06-27
worse than tho most brutal driver
can maltrent his horse. HowV
T,yor+v vvavn For instance, they

Twenty ways. For instsnce. they
can give the enRiac less coal while cx-
acting the same speed. less oil on tho
bearing by pulling the throttle wtde
opcn on tho slightest pretcxt. OF
course such men are always in trouble.
."rhey burst cylinder head by leav-
ing the water-coc.ks closed to spite the
engine, or they allow the bearings to
heat, swell and jam. THO element or
danger i, largely Increased when such
a man is III the cab. Anything is liable
to happen K he hos cranky engine
that can get just as stubborn Us her
master. often am impressed with the
idea that some engines are mortal.
Speaking of mortals, did you ever hear
of haunted engine?"
mo. Are there such beliefs among
! cngineers?"
"Exactly the same superstitio1s that
sailors have about ships Tnre I've case
of the Matt Morgan, belonging to tho
Shore line and running from New Ha-
venfto Boston by way OF Providence.
never have seen the beast but I'd go 70
| New Haven to see her., She began her
career With a honicidc Ten years ago
she blew up while standing in the track,
near the station In Providence, killing
her engineer: She was promptly rebuilt
| and sent back to service. On the first
trim tnat she .1neds after being rebuilt
she went tearihgintb Providence In the
night with the train swinging Gshind
and the sleeping town echoing to tho
shriA whistle. ~ y st. y Il "a
On approaching the station tho engi--
neer leaned forward to shut OF the
steam. but to his horror a Shostly form
appeared at his side and Il ghoStly hand
prasped his wrist and held him fast.
When the station was reached the ghost
. disappeared and the engineer stopped
the train some distance beyond. Az
, least this is what the engincer-te tells
' | He saws the sam thing Still happens au
, intervals. - saE q
> II have heard that most engineers
= have n superstition regarding certain
, switch somewhere on their run. What
> do you know about that?" was the next
: inquiry. @E.'I. E-.sE
l. engineer l know. Yes, among the beS:
;, of them. Did yon ever hear OF dear Ole
a John Brunton, of the Cleveland. Colu1n
l. bus & Indianapolis? He made the same
Y run I'm now doing for over htteer
= wears. He was n thoroughly religious
: man. respected by everybody. lie wa
as brave az; q lion. but whenever ne up
=, preached the switch. two miles east o
, Silver Lake, he'd get right down on III
- knees and pray for the safety OF tn
l. train-thc human lives co"ii''0
r his care.
- ..rbe switch was at the head OF
,f very long and heavy 'fill.' and to ru
~ off the embankmcnt thirty or forty ice
- hirh meant death to nearly every bod.
don't think he ever prayed PERSONAL
~. for himself, but he certainly felt I'll
= awful responsibility for the hundred
~, of travellers behind him. Strange as
~. NAV seem, | never heard even an Ole
=. in the shops, much less any OF tn
,,o MANY fircncn who had been in the ca
with John, refer slightingly to II
ur prayers"
What other curious facts have ye
,st observed about cngines?'
,cs II am almost afraid to tell yon thi
but in my forty years experience
ID have detected, on several occasion
In evidences Of something like nervo
:, nrostration in Il locomotive after a pr
rs lonced responsibility has been p
I'd. upon it-such as hauling the paymH
lc. ter, or the president of the Unit
mt States, or a bridal party. in which t.
,rc bride was the daughter of the owner
civ the road Why, the story is still told
the Chicago about the famous George Cat'
The one of the most fearless men who CIV
sat in \ cab.
+h- old Commodore Vanderbilt liked
m travel fast, and when he went out or
rv. spccial train the track was kept Gle;
of and the engineer knew that the qulch
ed. he got over the ground the better
to chief would be pleased Gates
brought east to take the train 1r'
$ n Cleveland to Chicago. he knew eve
,s inch of the road, and got through
4,
mic had been ordered to be ready, but
her some niSundcrstah"in2 'hc
toll was not fred up. The one he
MO offered was machine that Gates
! or afraid of.
.on- ..Or il NAV have been that frcii
,w engine was offered through the bl
IAN der of the roundhouse men. Nhate
tbc reason was Gates refused 70 take
,scd new engine, and decided to run
am own through to Chicago. lie knew
4 1 risk and took the precaution 70 get
an division superintendent t. order
,rcd best locomotive IN 'he siiopn ~
ian to follow the special train as rel
The trouble came at Il little will
she about forty miles from Ioicdo. ;
most denly the engine quit working.
bule train came to n stop.
ute. George spraug ont or the
oine looked the engine over and thror
s in nothing appeared TO DC WRONG
but couldn't get her TO start ne Voi',
oOd she trcrblcd like horse thao h''i
man ovcrriddcn. How properly III ehs
- is called the iron horse. When the
Mr.. lief engine arrived inc oSceoia
mean n,lled on = siding, and the new en-
took the train into Chicago. No
,lnpt understood TINS utter ~
wed weeks rest vas neIcSS"S
the the engine. N. 4. Noi
ectly
otive Fashions Sh"hse
rnd A, idea has prevailed that Chi