The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29
COULDN'T STOP FIGHTING.
JONES DIDN'T SEEK FIGHTS, YET
THEY ALWATS CAME MS WAY.

bNeIy mhh " mas ThllTOuueu LOT n blnklo
day on the Rio Grande has heard OF John Jones
-"Scrsppy" Jones they called him. II there 10
such n disease rs scraptomania, then John Jones
had II, good aud hard. He began nj the bottom
as helper In the machine shops, and industriA
ously fought his way up the ladder until he be-
came n full.ledgcd locomotive engineer. There
lie scarcely n flag station on the entire system
that has not been his battlefield.
The most interesting feature in the h istory Of
Jones is the fact that he never sought a fight.
or fought for the fun Of it, as most fighting
characters do. knew him intimately. worked
with him many n day, and 1t seemed to me that
he had fights thrust upon him in nearly every
instance. When he was "hostler" at Salida l
was his assistant. One day when we were dang
ling our feet from a high bench In the round
house l asked him how 1t Was that he had 30
many fights. you are better tempered and
happier than I am l have had one fight since I
began railroading; how many have you had r.
Bout a hundred. !" said Jones. and his homely
face was sad. He told me. then and there. that
nghtinR was his b~esetting sin. He had worked and
prayed that he might DO spared the necessity OF
thrashing men. but 1t seemed a part OF his mis-
uion on earth. When the noon whistle sounded
We slid of the high bench and went into the
washroom to prepare for luncheon. Before we
left the house we were obliged to use the turn
table. Hey, there, back up. We want to use
the turntable!' Jones called cheerfully enough
to a passenger engineer who was oiling his loco
motive, which. contrary to all rules and Gus
toms. was left standing on the turntable. Now.
Jones had thrasbed nearly every engineer he
had fred for during his apprenticeship. and
they all hated him. so this middle division man
only gave him a sour look and went on oiling.
SAY" said Jones. rolling his thumb and twirl-
ing his watch chain about 1t, ARE you going to
back upT"
YES. when I get ready" was the reply.
Jones made straight for the engine. AS he
climbed up on one side, the driver mounted
from the other. and. snatching up n hand
hammer, raised it above Jones's head and
warned him to keep OF his engine. ! held MY
breath as Jones continued to climb and the
engineer stood ready to brain him. When
the hostler, who appeared not to have heard
the warning, had gained the deck. he twisted
the hammer from the grasp of the en-
gineer. threw 1t back into the coal tank.
backed the engine from the table. set the
air brakes, and leaped to the ground. He
had missed q night here simply because
the engineer weakened. and yet Jones was
wholly in the right. Once when he was firing a
passenger engine they stopped at Cleora, only
two miles from the end of the run. The engineer
abused Jones and Jones thumped him. The
driver told the conductor that he would not run
the engine in with that fireman. whereupon Jones
gave the driver another licking, drove him into
the cab. and compelled him to go to the end OF
the division. There was an investigation In the
office OF Master Mechanic Kelker, at Pueblo. The
engineer began TO abuse tie fireman and he
was notified by the latter that such a course
was liable to lead TO trouble. Presently the en-
Eineer called Jones Il liar. and instantly he fell
sprawling across the master mechanics desk.
This caused the ireman's discharge. But the
provocation had been great. and the Official
gave Jones o rather complimentary letter to the
general master mechanic at Denver. Jones
went up and told the whole story, not even at
tempting to Justify his own actions. and he was
seemployed upon another run. In those days en-
RIneers and hremen worked far apart, and q
Jones had licked about half the engineers on
the middle division. he was simply espised by
the men on the right-hsnd side. There was q
y ySRsiSl irish ana no whe was va 81 q m m sGd m sba man sna
TO this handsome fellow was given the task Of
thrashing Scrappy Jones. They met one day out
trouble in working Jones up to the proper pitch.
Jones told the story Of, this fight to me. III
me, but 1 was mad. Before I knew he was
within reach he hit me square between the eyes,
fell %sprawling on my back. but got up as quickly
as could. and he knocked mi down again.
EnocEpe aS me down OWN again sn1 Az More Dqs' fire. re- i Continued
to go down and get up. 1t didn,t hurt so very
for l was anxious to see how he did it. for I had
never found it utterly impossible to get ut a man
plumb between the eyes and down I went.
] had been down six. times. but my
that. very fact seemed to discourage him. He
was breathing like a snow plough, and when l
climb my frame M and that was .'h his II i I
saw him coming. dimly, as through a veil all
dotted Oft With stars. doubled up Ike a jack
drove my feet into the stomach Of my antag-
onis.; He went over on his back, and ! went
and Tires mors falls would have ended me. but
he got scared and wanted to end the fight"
yard master. jim Williams. Wien Williams vi
engineers on the middle division p asked jim
Jones showed plainly, that he was embar-
raised. He always looked SO when lie knew
ihat a H Ra an w y ,F{; ;hst to he P hsd done C su ,hs aes %' IN
could for those who had come up against him.
seconds were now wasted in preliminary
talk and then the two CLIMBED into an empty
side only listened to catch a word that
would give them some idea as to how the
t rEns ~ ons s"aia fancy SGS t thsts a T foasb nH t ,aln; w AS
performing inside. Now there came heaves and
sEssaaRRsy' s %s ', t aHa then anen y you night Light guess 10 DG sh Sp a a
dray had backed y. to the opposite door and
s sosy T Psesen nHEST there IN was a i s%r safks and %, r ihsy
threw in the dray. horse and all. This was fol-
lowed by perfect quiet, save for the heavy
breathing OF the horse. A few moments later
the door was opened and the two men came out,
bleeding through their smiles, and still the re-
suit OF tho fight was a secret. and 1t has, SO far
Us know, remained so to this day.
Jones's fights became so notorious that the
travelling engineer waited upon him to say that
She master mechanic had ordered that the
belllgerent engineer be discharged Mt the con
clusion Of his next fight; Jones promised to re-
form. About a month later the travelling en-
Reer climbed into the cab OF the engine. which
Jones was running, helping trains from Colo
RADIO Springs up over the Divide. The young
DRYER showed much feeling upon meeting the
Il. f., and at once assured the official that he
appreciated the kindness OF the management;
that they had all been very fOrgiviug, and now
he hoped that he might leave the service with
the good wishes OF the officials.
Why. you are not going to quit. are you.
John Z The old man has cnmplimented you
Fepeatedly upon the excellent work you have
been doing here on the hill"
Then / take 1t that the old man isn't on
said Jones. That's like you, Frank to try to
save my neck, but its no use."
Suddenly II dawned upon the mind Of the
travelling superintendent OF motive power that
Jones had been lighting. IL he wanted to be
sure all he had to do was TO ask Jones and he
Aia ~