Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-01-11

on board knew how to use them. II his
train got stuck 10 the snow be must dig
his way out as best he could. There
were no such things ~ relief or wreck
ing trains then, and, In fact, they would
not have been OF much use had there
been any, for how Was one to inform
headquarters OF an accident or break
down before the telegraph came into use
In railroading?
"Nowadsys q conductor Of train
gets into some kind Of trouble and sits
down In q passenger coach to walt for
the wrecking train to reach him and
make the way smooth again. 1t WAS not
so In the days Of which am speaking.
"Trains were not run In hsph 'z,rd
manner, however, as what | have said
might lead you to believe. There WAS
one fundamental order for running n
train over the road and this order must
never be broken, no matter whit the
emergency. You were instructed that
your train WAS to cross another train at
such and such point. When your
train got there you pulled out on sid
iug and waited for the other train 10
come along. How long must you wait
Wait until the iron wheels rusted of
under you II necessary, wait though the
snow drifts piled up about you and
buried your train from sight. Wait on
that siding though your wood and water
were exhausted aud your engine power
less TO move train. That was the order
on which the trains were operated, and
to break Il might mean death to every
passenger on your train and terrible
catastrophe.
The telegraph changed all Of this and
ss | Was saying can well remember the
first order I ever received to break this
rule. NV train was on siding near
some station up the road Ia which
telegraph instrument had just been To-
Gated. / must walt on that siding for
the passage OF down train. II might
be hours, II might be days, but wait there
I must. Suddenly the brakeman comes
running back to me with little slip OF
paper in his hand. Il WAS telegraph
message. II resd, Proceed to such and
such a point and there cross train nun
Der so and So" Should move? That
message had the proper signature. IL
was, knew, telegraphic order from
the proper authority. But how did |
know whether IL WAS correct or not! III
it were not correct what might happen
So many women and children, so many
men and so many dollars worth OF
property might all be ground to powder
In an instant of time.
"How could know whether or not the
information held In the headquarters
from which that message came WAS right
81. ,~,ti ~ n
Instrument, q few, to me, meaningless
characters; Well. can you not under
stand what that tirst telegraphic message
meant to mef obeyed 1t OF course 10
fear aud trembling and found that II was
all right but II was long time before |
learned to rely absolutely upon that
talking wire.
"Whst would q railroad rman ssy to-
dsy II he had TO sit for hours at a time
on the buffer Of m engine, with the
thermometer below zero, holding
shovel 10 his hands scraping the snow
of the track before him! That WAS what
had to be done when we were caught out
without our snow plow. Or course we
had snow plows but we could not carly
them with US always and had to use the
above expedient TO keep from getting
showed In. have been showed In with
nv train for three days and nights at
time and left home Monday morning and
not got back to II again for four or five
days. Rsilroading st the time speak
OF II was hardship; to-day II is made
easier BY thousand and one inventions
and conveniences. With only 5000 miles
Of road then built against over ls5, 600
now, with no telegraph, no air brakes,
no steam heat, no sleeping cars, no
sumptuous restaurants along the way,
no automatic railroad signals and with
primitive locomotive burning wood
which had often TO be replenished along
the road, rsilroading was not pleasure,
but II was considered even then TO be
far pleasan,er 10 take ones chsnces on =
railroad train than II would have been
TO have mounted the seat OF slow 60.
ing stage coach, to be frozen, TO be JOLT
ed, TO be cramped up In one position for
hours at q time with An uncertainty
about the end Of the journey aud the time
when the end might be reached"