Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-04-14
RSAPPRECfATED LAB0H1
The Hard Lives Led by Lrocomo-
 tive Bremen,
Although Subjected to Great Dangers They Are Rarely the Recipients of Public Favor or Com
 mendation.


 It 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 courtesies, bows to the baggage master who looks after its luggage in transit-perhaps, if it is masculine public, swears at him-trusts its valuA- bles with the express messenger and talks long and loud of the "brave engi- neer." But the fireman-he who bends to his work and feeds the fire that makes the steam-is never mentioned. Some times a purse is made up for the engi- neer. No one ever heard of the fireman getting a purse, but, according to In dianapolis News, 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 ex- cept, perhaps, the mail clerk, shut up like a rat In a 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 coals In the fire box; his view ahead is obstructed and he cannot see the danger that may be dashing upon him. The rattle and roar of the machinery may drown the engi- neer's warning call-a crash-the tender pins him to the boiler head and he dies a horrible death. Standing in the narrow gangway peering ahead, a sudden lurch around curve may throw him off. In stances have been known when the coupling between the engine and the tank parted and the fireman dropped between them to be ground to pieces. The records show that more fremen than engineers are killed in railroad wrecks.
 About the only time the fireman has little leisure is when the train is rum ming down grade. Then "she Is shut off, :" steam is saved and the knight of the shovel climbs up to a 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 guage, whose little black hands, fluctuating back and forth, gauge his labor as well as the steam. There is science in feeding" an en- zine that is not understood by one not In the business. There Is 0 way to throw In the coal and to empty the shovel and close the furnace door at the same time. It requires nice calculation that tells how many "scoop loads" are needed to send the hands on the gauge to the proper figure, delft handling to keep the deck of the cabin clean and a hundred other little things that go to make a slxillful fireman-one that saves money for the company by husbanding the coal. In the old days the fireman on "wood burners" had hard time oI it and certainly earned the small money he received for his services, but he had 8 sinecure compared with the man in blue overalls and Jumper who ''stolSes up" one of the hugo ''moguls" or 'hogs
 of the present day. These engines haul ! freight and eat up coal as if 1t were greased paper. The fireman is at work continuously, and about the only time he has to rest is when his train ''taket a siding" to let moro aristocrntic pas
 senger train pass. On the "ten wheel
 CTS" that pull the Big Four fast trains or the engines that haul the express trains of the Vandalia, Pennsylvania Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton ant the new Monon the fireman has hart time of it. The machinery needs large amount of steam, and it takes ; \ great deal of coal to make it, and thu
 scoop" is ringing all the time