Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1893-04-21

it was quick work. You must take in,
toe, the presence of trains running
under special orders to put them
through. Add to that the liability to
an emergency call for props to be
forwarded instantly to the company's
mines to guard against threatened
cave in, and you have good idea Of
the problems a train dispatcher has
to grapple with.
"Eyery once in, while dispatcher
gets realizing glimpse Of the respon-
sibility placed on him by the way he is
pulled up for any irregularity. His
superiors must be the strlctest dlscip-
linaries to guard the company against
losses. For an illustration: One
winter night 1 had a train which /
had positive orders to put through.
1t was blocked at a certain point by
passenger train stalled in the snow.
could overcome the obstacle in two
ways, either push the passenger train
through with an extra locomotive, or
take the urgent train back, switch it
to another track, and go around the
passenger The first way would take
about fifteen minutes; the other per
haps an hour and half. 1t was late
to lose time, so / sent an order to push
the passenger cut Of the way. 1t was
done, and through my other train
went all right. l made the usual note
OF the manoeuyre in my daily report
to the division superintendent, and in
a day or two got message that he
would like to see me.
"The superintendent was one Of the
kind who doesn't make any fuss, but
goes to the heart Of the matter in
hand. While speaking to me aboiit
some commonplace subject he reached
down a volume of the Penal Code and
pointed out section for me to read.
1t described the offence of pushing
passenger trains and the statutory
penalty. He said: Il guess l don't
need to say anything more, do I?' 1
said, Il hope not, and went out, feel
ing as if l had just escaped a criminal
conviction.
Passenger trains, the law provides,
must be hauled, not pushed, and l
haven't given any orders to violate the
statute since that time.
"Then, for me, too, l count as a
pleasant side of the business the
chances man has to do a kindness in
the position of dispatcher l remem-
Der particular illustration of that,
whose unpleasant sequel doesn't de-
strey my satisfaction in it.
''In the running of trains one even
ing by p, there was a hitch which
compelled a change from the usual
orders from that point for freight No,
9. The preceding train was stopped
up the road near O., so that the usual
release for No. to pull out and run tc
Q. could not be given.
''But Jim Wales, thc engineer Of
No. 6, read his orders wrong, thinking
thep were usual to run to O., and hat
pulled out before knew it. One O
my men came running in. Did yOu
/ see No. 6 60 out?' he said. l realized
+ Jlm's mistake, and that he had as
sumed that the orders were as usua
! for clear road, and l was for mo
ment up a stump to prevent coils
: ion. / did, by using the wires, ge
+ the train stalled ahead of No. on
: siding to let No. 6 through. But tina
didn't clear Jim. He had pulled ou
e from p. without orders and. tha
i, meant his discharge. l knew he ha
a a wife and six children and / wante
I to save him his job. No harm, to
n sure, had been done, but it was a del
4 cate matter TO protect him from th
discipline Of the company
Il ii hadn't been in bed 1ong tina
/ night when the girl came to my reol
and said two men down stairs wante
l. to see me. l knew who it was-Jil
y and his fireman. They came up. Jill
r said he suppOSed knew about h
It installing orders. said did, ant
s. being dead for sleep, let the discipli
X ing 60 with saying it was clear ca'
Is of disobeying orders. Who knows it
a. / said. No one but the SWITCHING
ss who shifted the other train, he sal
a knew when No. passed. Wen, theI
T. / said, don't say anything and s.
ns what you hear With that turn'
sy over. No one said anything and ii
Wales kept his place and fed his fal
t. lily.
ok sit wasn't three months after
~ show the ingratitude OF the manl tn
Sc he wrote the superintendent col
rs planning because had tackled an