Evening star., 1898-12-26
HOW HE FLAGGED THE TRAIN.
The Parson Has Learned at Least One
Thing About Railroading.

Thing About RailrOadiHg.
From the New York Tribune.
There is clergyman in This city who has
recently come to believe more firmly than
ever that he knows little of the ways of
the world, and especially of that part per-
tanning to the management of a railroad.
This clergyman is well known all over the
country, and he has FREQUENT calls from
western cities. Recently ahe consented to
visit small city Pm the% west, near Co
iumbus, Ohio, and dedicate a new church
that had just been built, Accordingly, he
took a night train, and about twenty-four
hours later he reached the city. He was
met by a delegation from the church and
was taken at once TO the best hotel in the
little place and <made. as comfortable as
possible. N .4-'"
The duty that he came to town to per-
form was promptly carried out, and he be-
gan to speculate upon th5 best way to get
home. He found that by catching a tram
that went through the town at o'clock
IN the morning ne could get home in time
to fulfill an engagement of Importance so
he decided to take that train. He refused
the KIND offers of several persons to come
around and take him to the station. He
said he would awaken himself, and that
he would not bother any one, but would
sip quietly out early in the morning. The
train he was to take did not stop at the
town unless tagged He visited the sta
ton agent and asked him If he would flag
the train The agent said regretfuly that
he went home at . o'clock at night and did
not come back until O'Clock the next
morning, but he would come down to oblige
the minister. The clergyman declined this
Kind Offer and said that if the agent would
leave lantern out where he could find
1t he would light it and flag the train him
self.
The agreement was made and the clergy
hnr, d
o clock he was astir, and after packing up
he walked down TO the station, a short dis
tance away. He reached there about 4:55
O'Clock by his watch. He found the lantern
and lighted it and sat down to wait for
the train. Now everything was all right
except that this minister was an absent
minded one and had never realized that
there was an hours difference in time be-
tween New York and the Ohio town. 1t
was o'clock by his watch, New York
time but only o'clock, western time, and
SO he was an hour ahead of time. 1t was
O'Clock by his time when the train was
due. He had waited only few minutes
when big train came rafting along. He
saw the headlight dare up through the
darkness, and he stepped out and swung
his lantern. The train drew nearer and
nearer and slowed up and finally came to
full stop. Then the clergyman discov-
cred that he had pulled down a long
freight. He was speechless with surprise,
but the engineer wasn't When he
learned the condition of affairs he broke
loose with torrent of abuse, to which
the minister made no reply. The engineer
nnaliy climbed back on his engine and
opened the throttle. 1t was a cold winter
morning, and the engine creaked, puffed,
snorted, wheezed and the wheels spun
Iranticaiiy In getting the big train started.
Finally he got under way and left the
clergyman behind, but still ignorant of his
schedule being awry
He pondered over the situation, and
finally came to the conclusion that the
t1aS 1,tn avid 1tc
freight was put In ahead on special sched-
ule. About ten minutes later he saw an
other headlight blaze up in the distance
and felt confident that this was the pas
senger. So he stepped out and swung his
lantern. The result was that the train
slowed up and stopped, and when he dis
covered Its outline Through the darkness
he was almost stunned totsee that he had
pulled down another big freight-as he
soon learned, the second section of the one
that he had first stopped. There was
nothing to do but to apologize and stand
the abuse This engineer also got his train
under way with difficulty and failed to
comment on the time ltliffetence.
After this the minister said grimly that
he would stop everything that went through
there until he got hiStrain, and few mo-
ments later when he 'staw another headlight
careening along toward the station he man.
fully. although with a. sinking sensation at
his heart. stepped oup and if1agged it. This
time he pulled doWntA heavy construction
train, and when he satv the result he threw
up his hands in despair! The conductor of
this train proved to bela cordial sort of citi-
zen, who wasn't greAtly put out He ex-
planned where all THE trouble was after
hearing the elergynlan,s story, and then
said: n
Here, YOU had better get on this train
with me and will put a stop to your flag
ging everything that comes along"
This suggestion was accepted, and when
the passenger train rolled Into the station
at Columbus the minister climbed on board
When the conductor came through for his
ticket the minister said genially:
Il saved you a lot of trouble this morn
ing"
How was that?" asked the conductor.