Griggs courier., 1898-10-13
HIS LAST RUN
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DIG, BURLY. good-natured Jake
I'D Woodford. the most popular engi-
neer on the H.. w. & H., ran the linn
tied express eight years and eleven
months. Having worked his way up
from wiper to the proud position of
engineer Of the flyer. he knew the
routine thoroughly. His experience
enabled him to understand, and his
kindly nature caused him to sympa-
thize with, his fellow-employes in the
innumerable trials pertaining to all
grades of railroad service. A thor
ough disciplinnrian within the limited
sphere of his authority, he boasted
that he had yet to make his first "re-
port To that was due his popularity.
Ordinarily modest man, Jake was
proud of his family and his railroad
record. Having married late in life,
his family was small, consisting of a
wife, not half his weight, who led him
by the despotic power of pure love and
faithful devotion, and two toddlers
Jimmy, aged five, and Sallie, q
midget of three. It was with them,
in the privacy of his home, at whose
threshold the authority of superin-
tendents and master mechanics ceased,
that he enjoyed the reward of his long
years of corporation servitude. And
to them, the big, genial husband and
father was the embodiment of all hat
was grand and good.
His record was absolutely clear-a
condition almost unparalleled in rail-
road annals; for the rules of the serv-
ice are especially framed to catch the
unwary. Hence, to acquire and re-
tain such record requires constant
care and quick wit in emergencies.
You are not to understand that dur
ing all those years his train had ar
rived at, and departed from, all sta
tions with chronometric accuracy.
That, indeed, would verge on the i'm
possible. Although an engineer aims
to be on time "all over the road," he is
safe if he delivers his train at the ter
minus, or to the next division. tech
nically on time. There is limited
amount of time that may be lost with
out censure-n this instance it was
three minutes-and a train arriving
within this limit is bulletined ION
Time" Even if time is lost along the
road, arrival at the terminus within
limit squares it. It was in accomplish
ing this apparently simple feat that
jake Woodford had established phe-
nomenal record.
When three minuteswere lost on the
limited the engineer received an or
der to report to the superintendent
and explain-if he could. The fact was
noted on his record, and a second oc-
currence in one month proved his un-
fitness for his position. During those
nine years Jake had never given an oc-
casion for being called to the office.
Jake's engine, a big six-wheeler,
number 81, stood at the head of her
train, the incarnation of latent power.
The gentle, regular putting of the air
pump exhaust gave her the appear
ance of enjoying quiet smoke while
waiting. She glistened and shimmered
in the sun with profusion of polished
metal-a mute tribute to the fireman's
industry. Quietly and patiently she
waited for the touch of the masters
hand that should send her tearing
along through the country at a mile-a-
minute gait.
Jake sat in the cab, his left hand
grasping the throttle lever, and his
head out Of the window, watching the
conductor for the signal to go. He had
inspected her thoroughly with wrench
and hammer, and knew her to be "all
there" Not bolt nor nut was
slack, wedges were accurately adjust
ed and. firmly secured, oil cups feeding
correctly, the gauge "a hundred and
enough" and, in short. she was ''all
ready" And yet he was uneasy. The
recent heavy rains had fouled the wa
ter in the tanks along the road, caus-
ing it to foam in the boiler-nothing
very serious or unusual on locomo-
tive, but there was no time to bother
with foaming boilers on the limited
no time for anything but to run at the
very highest speed obtainable. Both
Jake and his partner had reported
''Boiler washed" on their last two
trips. but, being week ahead of her
regular wash-out day. the roundhouse
foreman had not chosen to disorgan-
ize the routine of his work to accom-
modate couple of engineers. Jake
might have reported him. but that
wasn't his way, and, besides, he had
promised to wash her out next trip.
sure.
The last passenger ascended the car
steps, the conductor waved signal
to Jake; there was kissing and spit
ting from cylinder cocks. and. TO the
accompaniment of the slowly changing
bell. he pulled out. He left his cylinder
cocks open longer than usual. and
tried the water frequently. Before Re
got clear of the yard he stood up and
kicked the leg from under his seat
something was unsatisfactory beyond
a doubt.
But he gave the usual 'toot-toot"
and wave of the hand to the little