The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1894-09-14
LOST HIS NERVE.

In close conversation with the engine
driver. This was an unusual act on
his part, as he strictly upheld the
dignity of his Office and held no com.
munication with engine drivers, ex-
cept TO hand them such telegraphic
orders as he might happen to have
received for them. So, after the
train had departed and the station
master had returned to his usual
lounging place on the platform, had
asked him who was the man with
whom he had been conversing.
THAT mani" he replied. THAT
was Hank Stevens, the best engineer
on this or any other road. I've
known hip for going on 90 years
and have helped him to pull out
from under three wrecked engines.
He's quiet and careful enough nova
days, but there was time when
that there man was just the greatest
hustler and the biggest daredevil
that ever handled the throttle of an
engine.
There is nothing in the world"
continued the station master, "that
requires the nerve that engine driv.
ing requires. You may talk about
your soldiers and your sailors, and
don't deny that they are a nervy lot,
but they don't compare with an en-
gineer. When they see themselves
getting into tight place, they have
some time to look about them and to
make up their minds what to do, but
when an engineer, running, say, at
40 miles an hour, round sharp
curve, meets an engine coming his
way on the same track he hasn't
even time to cuss. All he can do is
to reverse his engine, which most
times is big mistake, as I've heard
our best engineers say, and either to
jump and break his neck or to stay
and be smashed. OF course the en-.
gineer in such circumstances isn't al.
ways killed, especially if he sticks to
his engine; but, l tell you, it takes
nerve to handle lever and wait like
an intelligent man when another en-.
CINE is almost atop of you. Ninemen
out of ten would just drop on the
floor of the cab and say the first bit
of prayer that they could lay
hand to.
Speaking of nerve reminds me
that there was an engineer on this
road once who lost his nerve under
very similar circumstances, and Hank
Stevens was at the bottom of those
circumstances, as you might say. 1t
isn'tat all uncommon for an engineer
to lose his nerve. 1t may happen
through having his spinal marrow
hurt in an accidental least that's
what the doctors say-or it may be
that he has been frightened once
clean through, and when that hap.
pens he's done for. The least little
thing will brighten a man who has
had one good scare, and he knows it,
and is always on the lookout for
something that is going to scare. him.
There are men who will run an
engine for 40 years, and then some
thing will happen-some little thing
perhaps like a collision, or going off
a bridge, or the bursting of the boiler,
and after that they are never fit to
run even cattle train. Now, this
hyer Hank Stevens was at the time
l am speaking of engineer of the en-
CINE that hauled the accommodation
train between Athensville and Tibe-
rius Centre, and Matt AlcGinnis was
engineer Of the express, being man
who had been 80 years in the compa.
ny's service and was considered to
have no superior in his line. He was
a very nice, quiet sort Of fellow, and
he didn't like Hanks noisy and reck.
less ways, for there's no denying that
Hank was reckless at times. l don't
object to an engineer taking chances
when there is anything to be made
by it, but Hank just took pleasure
in running for a siding when he knew
that he had only mebbe minute to
make it in, and that if he didn't
make it, OF If his watch happened to
be minute slow, another train
would be into him.
That's what l call recklessness.
and l don't care who says it amt.
Well, every afternoon Hanks train
used to meet the express. Going up
he would meet her about 10 miles
north of here, and going down he
would meet her Just mile out of
Spartansville. 1t was his duty to 90
on a siding and wait for the express,
but when she was five minutes late
Hank had the right of way, and
could go ahead and require the ex-
press train to wait for him. You may
bet your life he never waited more
than the five minutes, and sometimes
he would pull out when he could hear
the express coming and make her
back down to the next station.
There was n girl somewhere on
the line. l disremember just exactly
where, though, come to think of it,
she must have lived Mt Spartansville.
No she couldn't either, for the ac-
commodation never stopped the night
there, and so Hank couldn't have
spent his evening with her, which
was his general rule. She must have
lived at Tiberius Centre, where Hank
laid up at night and where Matt Nc.
Ginnis lived when he was at home.
Well, any way, we'll say she lived
there, and it isn't of any consequence
where she lived SO far as this hyer