The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-11
FROM BUMPERS TO THROTTLE.
The Luck of a Tramp Who Knew
Something AbOnt Locomotives.
the Chicago Inter-Ocean.

we were cunning east Wtn the laSi eN-
press" said the engineer, land my fire
man got sick. pitied the poor fellow and
told him to get up on my SIDE and run The
engine, and ! would keep up the fire We
did not want to fall behind time. but the
train was a heavy one and the engine.
which was a big ten-wheeler, appeared to
be working poorly. so that no matter how
We tried TO keep her hot she went back on
us and before We got TO F. We were
fifteen minutes late After leaving F.
I went back to get things ready to take
water at the next plug, ana found a
grizzly bearded fellow stealing ride on
the blind baggage car. He looked at me
as if anticipating an order TO get off at
the next stopping place, and ] looked at
him, perhaps saVagely, and soon gave him
the expected order.
q" All right pard, he said in a good
humored way, L am only trying to get
to P, and Will leave you, but would be
glad to do something to work my way
" What can you do2' ! asked.
Well. sir he answered, L can fire
that engine of yours If you will give me
a chance.
I'VE needed an extra fireman real bad
ly just at that time, and l said to him,
get up then, and let me see what you
can do
'The grizzly beared man came up, and
the way he mounted the tank and bal
anced himself ON the coal and swung down
into the cab gave me some confidence in
the fellow. He took up the scoop at once,
opened the furnace door, and examined
the fire critically. Then he began to break
up coal and mix it, with the smaller partl-
cles, after which he threw in four or five
shovelfuls. scattering it with profession
al fling of the scoop. Then he closed the
door with a bang, put the scoop in the
proper place, examined the steam and wa
ter gauges, and took a seat behind the
sick fireman. Before we had gone half q
mile he was down again, carefully feeding
in coal. Before the next mile had been
reeled off the engine was steamng nicely,
and, although | was pushing her hard
on a slight opposing grade, the steam was
keeping uD around the $50 notch. Our
tramp fireman watched the steam and
smoke as it left the stack and kept his
eye on the furnace fire, aud we saw at
once that we had picked up a profession
al. My fireman offered the stranger his
dinner bucket, which had not been touch
ed. and after feeling the bottom of the
part that contained the coffee, he shook
1t a little and set II just where l would
have put il for the same purpose, and
then while he waited for It to get warm
ne HdIelullN lOOktu ONNi MS 4llt tliA BhL
in some more coal.
The old fireman and l were getting in
terested and | think that the conductor
must have noticed that we had struck
new gait, but he did not know the cause.
/ looked at the sick fireman, and he look
ed at me, and then we both gazed respect
fully at the stranger, who was eating as
though he had endured long fast. kept
the throttle almost wide open with the
engine well hooked UP to the high-speed
notch, and the way we want up that hill
and down the next was a caution TO the
freight cars we passed along the way
When we reached the distant signal at the
Y tower l found It right, and just then the
new fireman, who was also on the alert
cried out, White block and came down
to put in some more coal. The home sig
nal happened to be on his side of the curve
and he knew his duty and had the proper
words in his mouth before L could see
what kind of a lightFwe were to get.
"Well we made the run for the remain
der of the stretch of 100 miles dead easy,
and gained seven minutes besides, ana
when we got to the tower near the depot
we were right on the dot. 1t was some
thing unusual for our train to get in on
time as 1t was a very heavy one and on
that particular night we had an extra car,
and did not know that the superintendent
was on board until the next morning, when
he complimented me on the splendid run
1 had made.
I'm the meantime ! had provided the
stranger with enough cash to pay for his
bed and breakfast, and asked him to come
around and see me before he started for -
-. Sure enough, he did come around,
and as ne had washed up and got clean
shave he looked like a different man. l
questioned him about his previous career,
and he talked like a gentleman and show
ed me recommendations as fireman and
engineer which had been written by the
superintendants of some big roads. He
explained that his last unfortunate move
was voluntary to get away from some
swell headed minor officials who had no
use for a decent man unless he was laud-
ing them eternally TO the skies.
&" 4 could not hatter such people, he
said: they deserved to be kicked; but /
gave one Of them an uppercut under the
jaw. and took it for granted that it was
best for me to hunt new job. ! say that
/ did this voluntarily because | did not
have TO hit the chump, but hit him for
the sake of some of the other men who
had been his victims so long. But bad
luck befell me. l got sick, lost my mon
ey and had to try to beat my way to P,
where / have friends.
would you accept a job firing now If |
could get you one? / asked
" Yes, he answered, J would be Will
ing to do anything to get a little money
81 had learned that my fireman would
not be able TO report for duty, and l went
to the superintendent office and asked
him II he would permit me to recom-
mend a fireman for that week.
" Certainly sir was the answer. You
are entitled to such a privilege after the
good work you have been doing
well, l took Edmunds with me Chat
was the tramp 6remans nance, and he
performed wonderful work with the scoop
and hated to let him go, but the superin-
tendent heard of my windfall, and before
a week Edmunds was running a freight
engine and now he is hauling the limited
express and one of the best runners Of
the road,
Il have picked up lots Of tramps since
then, but never found one of them worth
the heal he obtained from the furnace
fire, but whenever I see some poor fell
low shivering on the bumpers | think Of
Edmunds, who is now my best friend, and
try to help the pilgrim along"