St. Landry democrat., 1893-05-20
THE LOCOMOTIVE FIREMAN.
One of the Hardest Worked and Least
Appreciated of Employees.

1ApPA SSA"SSA VI >N''
1t is doubtful if there is man on the
train who is less appreciated than the
fireman. The public shakes hands with
the conductor who has charge of the
train, thanks the brakeman for many
little courtcsies, bows to the baggage
master who looks after its luggage en-
transit-pcrhaps if it is masculine public
swears at him-trusts its valuables With
the express messenger, and talks long and
loud of the ''hrave engineer" But the
fireman he who bends to his work and
feeds the fire that makes the steam-is
never mentioned. Sometimes a purse IS
made up for the engineer. No one ever
heard of the fireman getting purse, but
the records show that he has performed
as many deeds of valor as the engineer.
Again, if the train leaves the track, or
goes into another train, the fireman has
fewer chances to escape than any man on
the train, except, perhaps, the mail clerk,
shut up like a rat in cage.
When the fireman is at work, and that
is nearly all the time when the wheels
are turning, he stands stopped over,
shoveling in the fuel or raking the
Goals in the fire box; his view ahead is
obstructed, and he cannot see the danger
that may be dashing upon him. The
drown the engineers warning Gala
crash-the tender pins him to the boiler
head and he dies horrible death.
Standing in the narrow gangway peering
ahead, sudden lurch around curve
may throw him off. Instances have been
known when the coupling between the
engine and the tank parted, and the fire
man dropped between them to be ground
to pieces. The records show that more
tiremcn than engineers are killed in rail
road wrecks.
About the only time the fireman has a
little leisure is when the train is running
down grade Then "she is shut off,
steam is saved and the knight of the
shovel climbs up to cushioned seat and
takes breathing spell But even then
one eye is ahead, his hand on the bell
cord and the other eye fastened on the
steam gauge, whose little black hands.
tiuctuating back and forth, gauge his
labor as well as the steam. There is
science in feeding" an engine that is
not understood by one not in the bust
ness. There is way to throw in the
coal and to empty the shovel and close
the furnace door at the same time. 1t
requires nice calculation that tells how
many "scoop-loads" are needed to send
the hands on the gauge to the proper
figure; deft handling to keep the deck
of the cab clean, and hundred other
little things that go to make a skilful
tireman-one that saves money for the
company by outstanding the coal.
In the old days the fireman on "wood
burners" had hard time of it and GER
tainly earned the small money be received
for his services, but he had sinecure
compared with the man in blue ovcralls
and jumper who "stokes up" one of the
huge "moguls' or ''hogs" of the present
day. These engines haul freights and
eat up coal as if it were creased paper.
The fireman is at work continuously and
about t;1c only time he has to rest is
when his train takes siding" to let
a more aristocratic passenger train pass.
On the "ten- whcelers' that pull the Big
Four fast trains, or the engines that haul
the express trains of the Vandalia, Penn
sylvania, Cincinnati, Hamilton and Day
ton and the New Monon, the fireman has
a hard time of it. The machinery needs
a large amount of steam and it takes a
great deal of coal to make it, and the
"scoop'' is ringing all the time ii Indian
apolis News.