The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
TOLD BY A RAILROAD MAN.
AN ENoINEER's CUNNING ATTEup,
TO DO MUKD FER.

perils OF railway life. All tho men at tho t,h,.
were experienced railroad mon who had won
posts OF responsibility through long and yorioa
service, ana they had many n tale OF adventure
to toll. One related the history Of a hend.,o.
hand battle by night between a gang OF tracL
laborers and q company of roughs hired nv
rival road to drive them of a stretch OF am.
bankment which was In litigation. Anotb,,
recalled q race between his train and a
landslide coming down a Western NOM.
tain. A third told of tho toilsome hero.
ism Of two trainmen who went from a
snowbound train 100 miles to the neare,,
station for help; and n fourth described vIyIdly
the pursuit of a locomotive down n steep grad.
by q loaded fiat car which had in some way vo,
started from the summit. One story suggested
another, and the whole range OF adventure M
the railway mans life was run through; but 4,
was noticeable that all the "reminiscences wers
of events that occurred years ago and mostly in
the new West.
There aren't any such chances and danger,
nowadays in this part Of tho country said tina
senior member Of the group.
Tho establishment OF railroading as an cxac,
science has done away with the peril and
romance" agreed another. "Now, I'll wager
that Mr.. c. here. who hasn't been In tina
business more than n few years, has found 1t A
monotonous enough routine"
He turned to the youngest member OF III,
company, q mar who was graduated a few year,
ago from the University of Pennsylvania and
went into the service Of one of the large rail.
roads, where he had earned rapid promotion.
The young man hesitated a moment, then said.
"Tve had one little adventure that was OK.
citing enough for me. and 1t was right within a
few miles of New York"
go on said half a dozen voices. You have
the floor"
This is a story I've never told before. be.
cause I can't prove the allegation that is con.
tanned In Il" said tho young man. 80 III give
an alias to the other party in the affair. hi.
rectly after my graduation l went into the EN-.
ploy of what I'll call the Interstate Railroad
Company. and began at the bottom us q gen.
eral assistant in a roundhouse. as it was deslra.
BILE for various reasons that 1 should know tho
business from the bottom. From that | rose 10
be a locomotive fireman. They switched me
around a good deal, and l found the engineers
the whole as a man would want to associate
with. a rather earnest, anxious sort. not muc4
conscientious clean through.
such was my experience until came to be
put on Engine No. IL. under an engineer whom
l will call Mclean. He was. a good engineer,
sober. efficient. and. dependable, but as a man
he was pretty far below mark: By nationality
he was q Scotch-Irishman. He was about 10
years old, square built, with a stolid. stern face,
a glowering disposition. a harsh manner, and a
heart of black hatefulness.
HELL make your life a hell to you, will No
Lean some OF tn? other engineers warned Inc.
~ guess I'll get along with him by doing my
work and keeping my mouth shut, said l conf
1'""Bs1at I did not know my man. From the frs,
he hated. me because he knew l was n college
man and because he once saw me in the street
speech. but that little was bitter venom. Before
had dr 70 Expect Ssee .nf His =" every wssA orders s1se Sss sec S .
me. as it we're, with his authority.
Hustle along there. you young dude he
would say; you'll be none the worse for a little
grease on them hands of yourn.' Or 1t would
be: Take your college education out there on
Ing "M SHF reso live had az. n BEEN np always IN a nu To Recognize my
engineer as a captain and to yield uncompIain.
Ing acauiescence to his discipline, This I did
justice to him, never saw him to do before or
since; he called me a foul name. The Impulse
TO- nave IT out Tith him then was strong on me-
d. I'm be sransfer a,s from ls one Of these
GAYS; mcLean. i sara. AND that day you'll
swallow that word
IT was that. have no doubt, that put murder
only scowled at me. and for several days there.
after he spared me his taunts. About a week
Philadelphia. There was a stir wind blowing
aoa we Ju wers se t / Win Te essSilg f HTi!,b miles v an
Lean turned to me- sharply piy:n0u Elizabeth MO
What are you loafn' there for = he cried.
'D'you think you're in your society now Take
up: Step quick about -. too
tn order was a strange one. He knew per.
there at that time. Moreover, at that speed and
In that high wind the task would be by no means
deyoid Of danger. Hooked at him in surprise;
sneered. Don't stand smirkin' at me. there.
Get tha quito out to y fn " work o an, see YOU 60 all around
"Ou went, oil can in hand. with little relish
for my Job. The wind plucked at me- like the
keep from being blown away like a bit OF paper.
! worked along, however, till l came to tho
front front 81 Of the ane eoWeatGher. There was a bad
relinquish my hold for a second and grasp the
bar on the further side. a very ticklIsh bit of
Elizabeth when / did Il. Now. | do not say that
Mclean was watching me, and l cannot prove
that ne hsd reckoned on that very thing, but
AT the instant when / was standing, without
hand.hold. reaching for the further bar. ] felt a
great and sudden shock that thpew me off my
balance. With the thought tht was lost
came the realization OF the cause. Mclean had
check would shake me from the cowcatcbcr, To
be thus tossed from the cowcatcher of II train
tolerably sure death. and l regard my escape as
vation electrified every muscle for ne
of to one side. 1 kicked out liercely. struck
on on the wooden platform of the station,
so'Sa hhu OuhuC Will u momentum INV
bSought mo up on my feet and sent mo
rushing down the boards at a tremendous pace
until l coilided with a baggage man and NO
both, went sprawling. ] was unhurt, but twenty
feet beyond the point whore my mad rush ended
was the big, wing OF the fence that borders me
track. Had ! been thrown five seconds later
death. would have been certain. At the time
the thing that struck mt more forcihIy even
than my nairbreadth escape was the luGicrOu1
paralysis OF astonishment of the baggage man
He had seen the whole thing and insisted that
should go to a hospital. on the ground, appar'
emily. that a man as near death as ! had been
was a fit subject for the doctors.
The train was stopped and backed. and Me-
Lean climbed out of his cab. When he saw me
alive he was struck white. There WAS no time
to lose, and we got back into the cab. There !
said to him.:
i've got one moro score to settle with you,
Mclean. You're a murderer on this days work,
~ didn't mean It; l didn't mean it,. he sand
In a choked voice, but he had nothing furtherto
say when / gave him the lie.
shortly after / was transferred from rs.
How Mclean and ! had it out Is no part OF ne
story, but | came out of the fight with marks
that l carried for weeks. He went 10 IA hospital;
HHe had pluck and courage enough, in spiieo OF
his hellish meanness."
Didn't you have him discharged when yogH
rose 70 q position where you had the powerr