The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1896-05-23


e~kerybnlY. and mnA 8 never Applied
IS simil8r way 10 another calling. We
fo not a lam b lawyer man, 4 am 9
daetor man. 4 am carpenter man. hut
an q "railfoa1 IMAM.
What seem often % he a careless sen
&ence. IS d sentence sull Of point Raii-
readers. KS 4 clnas, have many elements
81 men. Every man must hare d head,
q heart and a muscle. u tho railroad
man does not exceed ID the FIRST he has
few peers "a the second and thtra. a
big heart ard d good muscles they are
bound together as 8 class Of men with
very tender tiea There are hardshipa.
there are dangera. and q horrible fate
comes unto one 81 their fellows ever and
anon, as be falls beneath the bumpers.
crushed, ground under the wheels,
caught ia the machinery Of the engine
burned BY The FIRE OF scalded by the hot
water.
The railroad man never looks upon his
ntanrIed comrade. but that he realizes
that This may be his fate some day. and
Thus the tenderest tiea are woven about
their hearts. These very dangers and
h~araahips bind them 70 their wives and
to theif children.
As the engineer stands on the door
step and kisses his wife and little ones
good-by, he knows not but that is his
last farewell 70 his family. There is 3
tenderness ID IL which cannot be de-
acribed. As he returns from his trip to
his wife and little ones. the feeling Of
home, again from a dangerous trip, has
in il much tenderness. These tender
scenes repeated DER and DER creates a
strong love aud tenderness in the home
Of the railroad man. Frequent sights
Of wife and little ones weeping over the
mangled body Of the husband and fa-
tber. brought to sudden death under the
wheels Of his train, intensity this low
ing sympathy, and / believe the rail-
road men are the most devoted to their
families Of any class Of men on earth.
There are wives left alone much Of the
time with the care drumming the home,
ard taking care Of the little ones. The
very responsibility or toll and care
brings q devotion to the heart Of the
wife. / believe the sweetest deyotion /
have ever seen anywhere / have Wit
messed IN these homes Of railroad men.
{ have met these brawny men on the
train. Ia tho rcundhouse and IN the
shops Of this country, and wherever
yan strike . chord that touches ones
heart. AZ goes from heart to heart, and
snswe K railroad man Il
lc, i love an hon-
Flaas. The smut
mhiena ofhon-
think more of muscle than I
do Of money. i think more of character
than lido Of ehatteis. more of grit than
i do "a gold.
I like the railroad man. Some OF the
best men that walk the earth belong to
this large company Of railroad men:
but unfortunately. some are the rough
est most profane and most reckless
devils That ever walked the earth.
The latter class are few ii number,
asd \ believes re annually growing few
el. Ten years ago RAILROAD men were
considered 4 very reckless, dissipeted
class Of men.
The saloonkeeper aud the gambler
and the trickster watched for pay day,
aksd much sweat money Of the railroad
msan instead Of going to his little family
Id buy the comforts that they 50 much
need, went over the counter Of the
saloon, over the table Of the gambler
ard into the hands Of the devisee. But
Is these latter years the Railroad x. M.
Es A. services III the railroad shops and
tbs r~oundhouses. the work Of the Sal
xation Army and Of consecrated men
and women with special reference 70
raiIroad men, has greatly changed the
moral condition o1 these brnwny toll
ers.
Some nf the finest Christian charaf-
tiers nre the men who hold the throttle
lever. 81 heave the coal into the furnace.
and that twist the brake rod, or punch
she ticket, or handle the baggage, or
wnEk ia fha r~oundhOuses and the shops.
But there arc q Few railroad men YETI
Il am sorry 70 say, who turn their hard
earned money into improper channels
Ihe nititude of the railroad companies
through the orgamlzed railroad ordars
towards 6he aliquor traffic has done
much to turn the money Of the railroad
1nen from The saloon into the home.
There are many temptations for the
railroad men 70 drink. Loss Of sleep,
irregular hours. exposure to rain and
cold, all call for the glass.
Railroad men 60 ii groups There are
sections 81 hands on the tracks on the
train and ia the shops. They 60 in
little groups and circles, aud as these
1iiils circles meet here and thenH. there
are great temptations to gather Of
amusement halls. aaloons and gambling
tables Absence from home. late hours,
and icrial groups. Ill 0Rer temptations
s. dissipation.
Few men have tho responsibility Of
faiEfoad men. The driving Of spikeao on
Glib track Tho making Of wheels, tho
ad'nr 81 the orders often cause life
81 death. We lnfrnst our lives to the
fdelitv 81 tha maehiniats che track
bands the engineer the conductor and
she crew. Their Hdeiity means 0ug
sife. their ne4lecf means orr death
The making 81 tbe al wheel The driv'
ng 5g tha epll the pulling Of the
hfn I'VE. the Ieading Of Al order. THE
cfames has always seemed
D fne aetea work.
~ oMsnW n~44 and i H4an4