The San Francisco call., 1896-11-20

city of New York, and every few days one
or more of them receive notice to appear
before the examining board and have
their eyes tested.
OF course, TO every one of these, IL is like
saying good-by to their best friend when
they leave the cab of the engine of one of
the great trains and come down to less
exciting position. But of all among the
number there can be none who, in many
ways will feel the change more keenly
than Engineer James w. Wood, who has
been in the employ of the New York Gen.
trail for over fifty-one years, and whose
record is one of the most phenomenal in
the history of railroading.
Every railroad man in the State of New
York knows .oi Jim" Wood. Not rail-
road man in the city but will be sorry to
hear that he is among the number who
failed to receive frst-class certificate.
Mr.. Wood himself takes the matter philo-
sophically, is proud of his long career
and still mainteins the friendliest rela-
tions with the great corporation for which
he has lahored during so many years.
Jim" brought the special train con-
tanning James Gordon Bennett's party
from Buffalo to Syracuse On March 1, 1876.
The run was the fastest ever made in the
world. considering the distance. The
and forty-five minutes. Jim" ran into
Syracuse at the rate of 1854 miles an hour.
An instance is related of a trip that
Commodore Vanderbilt took behind Jim"
Wood. The commodore used to like to
ride fast, but this time he rode too fast.
Jim" drew the old railroad magnate
from Rochester to Syracuse in eighty-three
minutes. He attained such a rate of speed
that the commodore actually rang him
up. This was the only time that he was
ever Known to give orders to an engineer
to slow up.
During the ffty-one years that "Jim''
Wood has run an engine on the Central,
1t is said that he has never cost the COM
pany dollar; has never been in an acci-
dent, and in this respect has a record
which is absolutely phenomenal. He pos
sesses strong aYd manly traits of charac-
ter, is temperate in mis- habits, is vet a
well-preserved man, and appears physi-
cally as strong as ever. He has been noted
for his GOODNESS, the steadiness of his
nerve and his great presence of mind
He practically inaugurated the fast
train system, and for years was known as
one of the most successful engineers in the
world. London papers have contained
long accounts OF runs by Americas fast
engineer. His career shows that intelli-
gence has as much to do with running an
engine as knowledge of machinery.
When the two are combined it is at once
evident that master hand is at the
throttle.
In October, 1894. Jim" Wood drew the
train upon which Governor Mckinley was
making a tour through the State! At
Syracuse, N. Y, Engineer Wood was in
troduced to Mckinley. who said: AT feel
like taking off my hat to you. Glad to
meet you," and then he added, as he re-
called the lightninglike manner in which
the train had been run and swung around
the curves. 81 have felt a great interest
iu you all through the morning"
Engineer Wood will be given local en-
gine for the present, and doubtless some
good position will be made for him in the
service of the road with which he has
been so long and honorably Connected
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.