The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-07-14
AN ENGINEERS NERVE.
A Story of Railroading in the
Olden Days.

While the westward bound express
was stopping at the Jericho station,
noticed that the station master was in
close conversation with the engine
driver. This was an unusual act on
his part, as he strictly upheld the dig
nifty of his Office, and held no COM
munication with engine drivers except
to hand them such telegraphic orders
us he might happen to have received
for them. So after the train had de-
parted, and the station master had re-
turned to his usual lounging place on
the platform, 1 asked him who was
the man with whom he had been con-
versing.
That man?" he replied. That was
Hank Stevens, the best engineer on
this or any other road. I've known
him FOR going on twenty years, and
have helped to pull him ont from un-
der three wrecked engines. He's quiet
and careful though nowadays, but
there was a time when that there man
was just the greatest daredevil that
ever handled the throttle of an engine.
There is nothing in the world"
continued the station master, that re-
quires the nerve that engine driving
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 engineer.
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 en-
ginecr running, say, at forty miles an
hour. round a sharp curve. meets an
engine coming his way on the same
track. he hasn't even time to cuss. All
ihe can do is to reverse his engine,
which most times is a 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
engineer in such circumstances isn't
always killed. but tell you it takes
nerve to handle lever and wait like
an intelligent man when another en-
gine is almost atop of you. Nine men
out of ten would just drop on the floor
of the cab and say the first bit of a
prayer 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 sim
gular circumstances, and Hank Stevens
was at the bottom of those circum-
stances, as you might say. 1t isn't at
all uncommon for an engineer to lose
his nerve. 1t may happen through
having his spinal marrow hurt in an
accident; at least that's what the doc
tors say, or it may be that he has
been frightened once clear through,
and when that happens he's done for.
The least little thing will frighten a
man who has had one good scare, and
he knows it and is always on the look
out for something that is going to
scare him. There are men who will
run an engine for forty years and then
something will happen; some little
thing. perhaps, like a collision, or go
ing off bridge, or the bursting of a
boiler, and after that they are never
At to run even cattle train. Now
this here Hank Stevens was, at the
time am speaking of, engineer of the
engine that hauled the accommodation
train between Athensville and Tibe.
rius Center. and Matt McGinnis was
engineer of the express, being man
who had been thirty years in the
company's service, and was considered
to have no superior in his line. He was
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 ir
running for siding when he
knew that he had only mebbe
a minute to make it in. and that
If he didn't make it, or II his
watch happened to he minute slow,
another train would be into him
That's what | call recklcssness and
don't care who says it amt. Well
every afternoon Hanks train used to
meet the express. Going mp he would
meet her about ten miles north of here
and going down he would meet hei
Just mile out of Spnrtansyille. 1t was
his duty to go on a siding and wait fol
the express. but when she was five
minutes late Hank had the right ci
way. aud could go ahead and require
the express To wait for him. You may
bet yoiIr life he never wa tied more
than the five minutes. and sometime,
ne would pun out when he could heal
+ Ahc express coming. and make her bscl
down to,the next station.
"'rhe,e was girl somewhere ON th'
line. disrcmemberi just exactly where
though. come to think of it, she mus
have lived at Spartansville. No. sh'
couldn't either. for the accommodation
never stopped the night there, and 81
Hank couldn't h4ve spent his evening
with her. which was his general rule
&be must hssS liVsd.. 1t Tiberias Cen
ter. where Hank laid up at night ant
where Matt Mc(;innis lived when h
WA. AZ home. Well, anyway, we'll ~,
she lived there, and 1t isn't Of any con
sequence where she did ike so far =
this here story = concerned.
'nnth the men were desd In Low
sflth he cirl and abe didn't seem dis