The sun., 1897-10-24
ENGINES WITH ISDIyIDUALITT
The old Wood burners Werc Locomotives OF
Character. by CIndcrN.

Character. by Cindc-@.
BrcKsPoRT Nc, Oct. 22.-The through after.
noon freight had Just pulled in on the siding,
and Larrabec, the oldest engineer on the line,
dropped down from his cab and strollcd into tho
roundhouse while the fireman took 145 up to
the coal sheds for her daily rations. The vet
eran driver sat down upon the grimy settle in
the yard engine stall, carefully filled his brar-
wood with properly pulverized pugcut, and,
having insured a good draught and clean fire.
settled back to enjoy himself with comfort.
lie putfed away in silence for time. re.
garding through the smoke wreathes the semi
circle of stalls before him. each with its big
Moeul or high Schenectady pecring out from
under the arched front like many huge mas.
tiffs IN their kennels. Then he broke out with:
They're handsome and powerful an go
like timcnation and pull mountain, but they re
just alike; they lack Individuality. There
no individuality to em. none OF EN-"
One or two cleaners, several enginemen Off
duty, lounger or two, and reporter gath.
cred around as Larrabcc went on to explain
with rather startling examples what he meant
by 'ndividooality' in locomotives.
I'm the good old, smoky, wood burner days
the engines were just like persons; all had
different quirks an notions an constitu-
tions, an tempers an you had to git used to
em or else you couldn't do nothing with en-.
All of cm had Individuality in them days, yes
sir. individooality.
About the first Of my riding on the right
hand side Of the cab was done for the G. and
P. on the little branch about eleven miles long
running from Tarrytown Junction down to
Duck Trap harbor at tidewater. used to
have a different engine about every week or
two because the company seemed to think that
any old stove was good enough for that line
was first sent down. She was an old settler
run there long that she was jest like milk
mans hoss. Why. she d run clearn from the
junction to the harbor without any one touch.
lar stops herself and start up agin when she
heard the bell. and perhaps you don't believe it,
she'd stop at a red flag herself, and you couldn't
cinders she did.
But she was obstinate turrible, obstinate.
have her way and tho same old way too Now
l don't pose youl believe what I'm going to
Py tsI ye, bn5 / MY old llreman Bill MuIiisan: was
there was bad piece O. grading down through
Crambry holler, sorter quakng ma'sh like. and
1t. The fust day the new piece was let into'th
main line men ol' % come down as usual with
did but jump the rails when she come to that
boiler on the old grade BY clnders. :, Fact;
some nothing but the ties. but bumpcty-whack
bumpety.whnck she went like all possessed; |
the bit in her teeth, an she went a-hyperin
By cinders. that was exciting.
For more'n month we had a tussle every
trip TO keep her from scootinR down through
the boiler. stead O. going round the new way.
Then we had go while, and she was q
woman. She was nice to look at, most new,
with lots Of brass work, but turrihlc hard t git
she d run as elegant as You please and make
time sometimes In spite OF all could do But
let sbad long rainy ho or foEEy spell then
sneeze an cough, and have the Amy jest aw-
ful. She wouldn't steam nor take oil nor moth;
have hemorrhage every once in while. yes
sir-tubes would spring q leak and stall us Jest
perticklar about her feed-had t give 'er jest 50
many sticks of wood jest so often. and there
Bridge over Boggy. Crick. If We filed her up
With water from the same crick down to the
Wall ss was too delikt for that run, and they
sent ,er up in tn ppognlains mon to rccooporae
stubby chunk of an engine, sound and kind. but,
"Ty nna a%5u S5 sha shpPr she had
cylinders, hut she wouldn't. steam easy, as
could be- We We got out of wood one day and kept
backer and an ol'. broom YES, sir. ;,
An slip-what an awful slipper that Of
maehine , was She'd commence to slip an slide
keep il up till long into June She Just dc.
lighted in slipping. she did, an the sand had
to use on cr was all they needed to ballast the
road when it come spring. But she ovcrstcppcd
herself one time, by cinders. Twas an awful
hot day long about the middle Of August, an
| we were hauiin' Q big circus excursion uI
through Pcttingills cut when 92 commenced
all OF sudden to slip an spin 'er drivers till
we most come to a dead stop We couldn't
| think what the matter was but soon found out
| Now, s'pose you'll think I'm a-fooing, hut
hope to holler II that old critter hadn't struck
| some whitewash that the fence painters had
| split on the rails an she took it to be frost an
imppoxed !I O. the opportunity to slip, by einders
rare up on her drivers like a hoss. an'-but
| can't stop to tell You about her now. for here
comes my Jas, She's a good machine, but
lacks Individuality"