The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-15

blocked at certain point by pas
senger train. stalled in the snow. l
could overcome the obstacle in two
ways, either push the passenger train
through with an extra locomotive, OF
take the urgent train back, switch it TO
another track, and go around the pas
senger. The first way would take about
fifteen minutes; the other perhaps an
hour and half. It was late to lose time,
so sent an order to push the passen-
ger out of the way. 1t was done,
and through my other train went all
right. I made the usual note of the
man9uvre in my daily report to the
division superintendent, and in day
or two got a message that he would
like to see me.
"Tne 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
common place subject he reached down
a volume of the Penal Code and pointed
out section for me to read. 1t des-
cribed the offence of pushing passenger
trains and the statutory penalty. He
said: II guess I don't need to say any
thing more, do I?' I said. 4 hope not, ;
and went out, feeling as if I had just
escaped a criminal conviction.
Passenger trains, the law provides,
must be hauled, not pushed, and I
haven't given any orders to violate the
statute since that time.
"Then, for me, too, l count as plea
SAINT side of the business the chances a
man has to do kindness in the posi-
tion of dispatcher. L remember parti-
cular illustration Of that, whose un-
pleasant sequel doesn't even destroy
my satisfaction in it.
''In the running Of trains one even
ing by P. there was hitch which COM
PEELED change from the usual orders
from that point for freight No. 6. The
preceding train was stopped up the
road Gear O., so that the usual release
for No. to pull out and run to @.
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 1 knew 1t. One of
my men came running in. Did you
see No. 6 go out?' he said. T realized
Jim's mistake, and that be had as
sumed that the orders were as usual
for clear road, and I was for moment
up stump to prevent a collision. I
did, by using the wires, get the train
stalled ahead of No. 6 on a siding to let
No. S through. But that didn't clear
Jim. He had pulled out from P. with
out orders and that meant his discharge.
I knew he had a wife and six children
and [ wanted to save him his job. No
harm, to be sure, had been done, but it
was a delicate matter to protect him
from the discipline of the company.
II 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 and
his fireman. They came up. Jim said
be supposed knew about his mistaking
orders. said I did, and, being dead
for sleep, let the dieciplining 60 with
saying it was clear case of disobeying
orders. Who knows it?' said. No
one but the switchman who shifted the
other traiu, he said, knew when No.
passed. well, them I said, don't say
anything, and see what you hear
With that I turned over. No one said
anything,' and Jim Wales kept his
place and fed his family.
"It wasn't three months after Ito
show the ingratitude of the NAM that
he wrote the superintendent complain
| ing because had tackled an extra five
cars, in an emergency, above the limit
on his locomotive. 1t was mean let
ter. When the surerintendent called
me up on it, I told him Of the way
had looked out for Jim once. He said
Don't you do it for another man. They
won't thank you. They'll hate you
instead But some good turns I have
done in that way have not turned out
so badly"