Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-08
DURING The WAR.
EXPERIENCES IN LOCOMOTIVE
RUNNING.
A limo When the Nan al The Throttle Stood
On His Coffin Some Train Orders
An interesting Story

~ VIII give rulrouuers Oh tVudf sum-
idea Of engine driving during the war;
After pulling General Grant TO Nash
vile got n couple of days rest and re
sumed my old run on passenger without
any very serious mishaps About TINS
time we bad some changes I'm the machin-
cry department. but do not remember
the dates. Elijah Benjamin took charge
of the motive power department he
brought Harry Elliott with him as as
sistant; he also brought Ace Daniels
and James Mccormick. Daniels aud Me-
Cormick were mndc division master me-
chances, Daniels being located at Chat.
tanoOga and Mccormick nc Stevison. 1
think he was sent from there to Hunts
Vile.
II viii here have to relate little
story connected with MIR. Elijah Bcnln.
min and myself which occurred in 1893.
Mr. Benjamin was then master mechanic
of the New Albany and Saline road,
which had shops at New Albany, Ind.
~. Brooks az that time WIS master me.
chanic Of the Ohio and Mississippi road
ut Cnckron, Ird. had been working for
Mr. Brooks. but hearing 80 much said
about young men learning so fast under
Mr.. Benjamin nc New Albany, j pulled
up stakes for New Albany and applied
for job TO work under instruction; ]
got it and went to work for "Bcn.' as
the boys called him. ] found my rabbit
foot, and never was there y place where
one could learn so fast. NJ. II. Carson
was nm apprentice there; he is now SUI
perintendent of motive power aud ma.
chinery Of the Mobile and Ohio road
and man of considerable reputation.
After ! had boon TO work for Mr..
BENJAMIN some four or five weeks, /
found out they did not have any pay day,
but that all mon who were discharged
could get their pay Well, ! worked
along about four months. | had spent
all the money ] had brought with me
for board and washing. and tried every
way ! could think of 10 get some money,
but IL could not be- done, nor could !
sell my time. 80 one day an idea struck
me. aud az / was young man, ] put
no particular valuation ON my repula-
ton. ] had fired three and u half years
and had run an engine about year.
/ concluded 10 give mp shop work and
hunt other fields and 40 ! Carried my
plan out and lost the respect Of Mr. Ben
iamin never thinking / would ever en-
counter bin again In business way;
but, boys, don't any Of YOU do the same
thing, but ulwas command the respect OF
your BOSSES
II did nothing very serious, but Il was
enough TO condemn me In the eyes OF
any foreman or master mechanic. j wits
working on n little old dOme-bOiler cn-
an old hook engine aud had two bearings
for her rOcker-bOxcs. She had an out
side frame. The out end was held IN n
box with two stall brusscs. was clos
ing them up by fling them Of ] had a
pnrelel wise which was quite well worn
on the jaws; Il would not hold good, 80 /
screwed " up as tight rs | could | then
took big stick for a lever. put it under
tue bench md came down on II ana
broke the brass. / stopped down and
picked up the two pieces, stuck them
together looked at them a little. ripped
out big word and threw them through
the window. Mr.. benjamin was stand
ing behind me and saw the whole per
Torrance. He stepped up, tapped nue.
on the shoulder aud told me TO 20 10 the
Office and get my time
Il never expected 10 see him again
after / loft Albany, but | did for ho was
made master mechanic of the military
road where | was a passenger engineer.
/ was ont ON the road about seventy
five miles from headquarters when |
heard of It, ! was n married man then,
but j autographed I'm my resignation 90
him nc Nashville he did not answer me,
but came TO the depot and met me on
the arrival Of my train. lie came up 10
the engine and shook hands with me
and asked what l meant by that tele-
gram.
II told him l did not want to get dis
charged, as / knew be could get plenty
of men TO take my engine.
Gle said NO no; ! have heard all
about you and feel proud TO know you
have built up a reputation, and your
job Is good here.
"TIe then handed me back my tele.
gram and told me TO tear u up-and ]
did. and kept my run, lie made NO
changes in the running department OF
the roads but did changes a good many
petty BOSSES
as / had been considered a very
faithful servant, Mr.. benjamin thought
| deserved n better job, 80 ] gave up
'"The government concluded they would
build the Nashville and Northwestern
road 80 as TO connect Nashville with the
Tennessee river, which was about ninety
miles of road. This road was contem-
| plated 10 be built before the war and
the company had several boat loads u
| iron nt the river end; they. Intended "a
| build from both ends. 80 tho government
carried out this Idea. Mr.. Benjamin
/ told ine / could have the job at SLOT
month, so l took the engine and train
| down the Cumberland river and up the
| Tennessee river and built up from that
end, This iron had been buried by the
| rebels when thoy retreated from the
river. Colonel Floyd of st. Louis,wa.
sent down ahead of MS with his regiment
| He was colonel OF the first Missouri
| engineer corps OF sappers and miners
| he built eighteen miles of this road witt
| his regiment | ran the engine that did
/ the work Jack Johnson was the con
| ductOr. Wilson Davis and his brother
| Mike ran the engine and train that bull
the other end, B.ll being conductor ant
| Mike the engineer. In this chapter Oi
| my military career ] could relate q great
| many little incidents and scares that hap
| pened, but Il would take up too mucl
| valuable space and my time Is too mucl
/ occupied by my old scrap heaps 80 / vii
| try and conine myself to the important
! parts.
"A man named Elulf was sent down {,
| take my engine and / was ordered bncl
20 Nashville This man Hun had JUS
been on my engine about one hour whei
| he had eleven bullet holes put through
| him. lie was killed on the engine. IN,
| bush-Whackers made up their minds tina
| we could not run this road they kille,
about six engineers and three or fou
firemen and several train hands befOr
the government got Il stopped. OF cour
! many trains were wrecked. ] was d0wi
there four months bnilding the road an'
! was only fired into three or four times
my fireman was killed on the engine; h
was a colored man who IN slave times be
longed 10 the Nashville ana Chattanooga
road He won't by the name OF 1871
Marshall. About this time we wer
ready for the last spike,
~ went 10 Nashville as ordered AN
reported 20 Mr.. benjamin, master me