The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-05
Some Kansas Railroad Incidents.

Some Kansas Railroad Incidents.
A conductor. in apologizing for his hand.
writing. said: IT wrote that or the train
and il isn't easily read" AS a matter o:
fact he writes a more legible hand while
being jolted.
At the gates in a Kansas town Is a man
20 whom all the engineers hello kindly.
He Is a former engineer. In the mountain
country he was fast runner. One day ne
ran down three children. Never after that
could he make time. He had lost his nerve.
He is fine man. OF high intellect. but he
has poor job. because, on a railroad he
can hold no other.
A good deal Is said about spiritual faces
There is an engineer on the Santa Fe who
runs through Wichita, who comes through
at dawn. He has a delicate face with a
transparent skin. a high. white forehead.
and a bright eye. His pale. intellectual
face. with the strain OF the night run still
cling.ng 20 his features IN the gray dawn
is as fine subjec; for a painting as any
thing in the world, not divine, could be.
II Is not generally known that the IA
nous North and South railroad has no tel
egraph wire. II runs a short distance IL.
southern Texas and has two trains. Re-
Gently these trains met midway. There was
a great quarrel as TO which train should
hack up 10 the end OF the line. Finally
the conductors agreed that the train hav,n g
the less number OF passengers should back
up. The passengers were counted. One
had nine. the other ten. and the train
with the nine passengers backed TO its
starting point.
When a man puts his soul into his fingers
and plays the piano ne has touch" He
may move thousands to tears. Not long
ago an engineer on a steep grade east OF
Wichita discovered that the track in front
and in the valley held a freight train. He
applied the air. II was not there. The
brakeman had forgotten 10 "cut IL in" He
gave the signal for hand-brakes-a short
loot repeatedly at intervals. A man who
heard the toot OF that whistle said il was
a gonlzing. The engineer had touch"
He bumped the freight cars. but did no
damage. He could hardly stand after il
was over.
The air can be applied from the car OF
the superintendent when it is attached. by
pulling a small lever. Not long since an
engineer was driving hard into town and
ahead of time. He forgot that the superIn-
car was attached. Suddenly he
felt the grind and knew that some one was
At the next station he walked
back the length of the train with fire in
oy,I IaI .ENEbn n-ifh
that air?" II did" said the superintend-
ent The engineer smiled and said: We'll,
she works fine, don't she?" and then scoot-
ed for his cab.
Not long since in the Flint Hills an engi-
1eer was driving along rapidly. Suddenly
he threw 'em over" (reverseD. and picked
up a flagman dropped by an extra freight
ahead On this engineer plunged. He came
onto the freight before he expected. He
threw 'em over white and terror
stricken. The freight was moving. but he
lacked up the back end of the freight ca
ooose. He jumped down from his engine
md began to oil it hurriedly. Lord he
said, this engine drinks in OIL THE
leviI it does" yelled the conductor from
he back-end OF the freight. What the
sam Hill did you try to do, you crazy
.ool," But the engineer was not reported.
Not long ago Charles Gleed of the Santa
Se was on a special train. The locomo-
i've. a fine one. got out OF killer. Gleed
vent out TO watch the engineer and fire.
men repair il. II wouldn't mend. One
:our passed and the engineer beneath the
,oiler was still hammering away silently.
lie couldn't fix II. G.eed still sat and watch |
d him. Finally the engineer came out
nd said: Mr.. Gleed. I'm going 10 swear"
iieed kept his seat. The engineer crept
Jack 10 his place and in the silent night
,oured out an awful volley of profanity.
n few moments he came out and sad:
We'll, fixed it,"
II was the ambition Of a country boy
lear Oswego years ago TO become an eigi-
Ieer He finally gained his point. and
ONE years after he left the farm was at
he throttle OF a passenger engine. one
wful windy day his mother was at the
epot to meet him with a basket of delica- |
les He took them, kissed her under her
and she started for home with
er old horse and spring wagon. For a
ong distance the road she took paralleled I
he railroad. The young engineer started |
p and presently came UP behind her. The |
find was blowing fearfully. and from her |
ERECTION. She was 10 turn and cross the 7
rack in a few seconds. and he. becoming |
neasy kept whistling without reaching 1
er ears. Then in terror he saw that both /
ne engine and the horse would strike the /
rossing at the same time. Pale as a ghost 4
g pulled the throttle wide open and threw l
ne great engine forward. but at the same /
loment he saw that his mother in her sun 4
onnet and with the wind blowing the 1
-arning away from her would reach the 4
rossing at the same time. With a fren-
led scream, he tumbled over into the cab /
a faint. The fireman brought him back
} consciousness and told him that the 4
ng;ne beat the horse 10 the crossing. and !
sat his mother was safe. Then he Rugged
le fireman and tainted again.
Along the Kansas Nile. !