The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-12

| the locomotives coming back from the hog
, naoX, twice the ordinary number and Just a,
likely TO cause loss to property, 10 not ~ life OF
| trains, 1t was quick work. You must tAEe In,
| too, the presence Of trains running upderspecla
orders TO put them through Add 70 Chat the
| liability 10 an emergency call for props TO be
| forwarded instantly 60 the companYs mines 70
| guard against a threatened cave 10, and you
have good Idea Of the problems a train dis
| patcher has to grapple with.
Every once in a while a dispatcher gets a
realizing glimpse OF the responsibility placed on
| him by the way no is pulled ~ for any irregu-
larity. His superiors must be the strictest dis
| c.plinartans to guard tue company against
| losses For an Illustration: One winter night
| had a train which had positive orders to put
through. IL was blocked at certain point by q
! passenger train stalled in the snow. / could
| overcome the obstacle Ia two ways, either rush
| the passenger train through with an extra
! locomotive, or take the urgent train back,
| switch 1t TO another track, and 20 around the
| passenger The first would take about fifteen
! minutes, the other perhaps an hour and half.
| IL was late to lose time, so / sent an order 70
| push the passenger out OF the way. It was
| done, and through my other train vent all
| right. | mace the usual note OF the maneuver
| In my daily report to the division superiDtend-
! ent, and in day or two got a message that he
| would like to $50 me.
1.-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
about some commonplace subject he reached
down volume or the Penal Code and pointed
out a section for me to read. 1t described the
Offense OF pushing passenger trains aud the
statutory penalty. He said: L guess don't
need to say anything more, do II / said, i
hope not. and went out, feeling as II had just
escaped criminal conviction.
Passenger trains the law provides, must be
hauled, not pushed, and haven't given any. OF
ders to violate the statute since that time.
Then. for me- too, count as pleasant side
OF the business the chances man has 70 do
kindness in the position OF dispatcher. re-
member q particular illustration OF that whose
UNPLEASANT sequel doesn't even destroy my sat-
isfact'on In 1t.
"ln the running Of trains one evening by p
there was q hitch which compelled a change
from the usual orders from That point for
freight No. o. The preceding train was stopped
up the road near q so that the usual release
for No. TO pull ous and run 10 Q. could not be
given.
But Jim Wales, the engineer of No. 6, read
his orders wrong. thinking they were as usual
TO run to O., and had pulled out before knew IL.
One Of my men came running IN. Did you see
No 20 outY' ne said realized Jim 8 mistake,
and that he had assumed that the orders were,
as usual. for clear road, ana was for mo-
ment up stump to prevent collision. did,
by urging the wires get the train stalled ahead
OF No G on q siding to let No. through. But
that didn't clear jim. He had pulled out from
p. without orders. and that meant his discharge.
! knew he had a wife and six children and
wanted tn save him his job. No harm, TO be
sure, had been done, but it was a deliclte mat.
ter to protect him from the discipline OF the
company.
hadn't been in bed long that night when the
girl came to my room and said two men down
stairs wanted TO see me. knew who it was
Jim aud bis fireman They came up Jim said
he supposed knew about his mistaking orders.
SAID did and, being dead for sleep, let the
discipping 20 with saying It was a clear case
OF disobeying orders. Who knows itr said
No one but the switchman who shifted the
other train he said, knew when No. passed.
We'll. then, ! said, don't say anything, and see
what you hear With that turned over. No
one said anything, and Jim Wales kept his
place aud fed bis family.
''It wasn't three months after TO show the
ingratitude OF the mani that no wrote the
superintendent complaining because 1 had
tackled an extra five cars, in an emergency,
above the limit on his locomotive. IL was
mean letter When the superintendent called
me up on It told him OF the way had looked
out for jim once. He said: Don't you do IL
for another man. They won't thank you.
They'll hate you instead But some good turns
have done In that way have not turned out 80
badly"