Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-01-05
THE BRAKEMEN AT CHURCH.


the following good thing on eth
l Brak men at Church.
On the road once more, with Leb
anon fading away in the distance, tn
, fat passenger drumming idly on th'
window pane, the cross passenger
sound as eep, and the tall, thin passen'
ger reading the Lexington GAZETTE
10 me comes the brakeman and seat
ing himself on the arm of the seat
says:
| L went to church yesterday
| 'Yes?' I said, with that interested
infection that asks for more. 'And
what church did you attend?'
| (Which do you guess?' he asked.
Some union mission church l hazard
cd
No, be said, / don't like to run on
the sc branch roads very much. l don't
often go to church, and when l do, I
want to iun on the main line, where
your run is regular and you don't have
to wait on connections. 1 don't like to
wait on bench. Good enough, but
I don't like it.
Episcopal guessed.
Limited express, he said, oil palace
cars, and two dollars extra for seat,
and only stops at the big stations.
Nice line but too expensive for brake
man. All trainmen in uniform, con-
ductor's punch and lantern silver pla-
ted, and no train boys allowed. Then
the passengers are allowed to talk back
to the conductor, and it makes them
too free and easy. No, l couldn't stand
the palace cars. Rich road, though.
Don't often hear of receiver being
appointed for that line. Some mighty
nice people travel on it, too
fUniye.salist?' I guessed.
'Brosd gauge said the brakeman
docs too much complimentary business
Everybody travels On pass. Conduc-
tor dosn', get fare once in fifty miles
Stops at all flag stations, and won't run
into anything but u ion depos. No
smoking car on the train. Train orders
axe rather vague through, and the train
men don't get along well with the
passengers. No, l don't g. to the
universities though l know some
awful good men who rue on that road.
Presbyterian asked.
Marrow guage, eh?' said the brake,
man, pretty track, straight a'a rule
tunnel right through mountain rather
than go around it. spirit level grade;
passengers have to show their tickets
before they,,get en-. the train. Mighty
strict road, but the cars are little mar
row; have to sit one in seat and no
room in the isle to dance. Then there
is no stop overs tickets allowed; got to
| 90 straight through to the station y,u
are ticketed for OF you can't get on at
all. When the cars full, no extra
coaches; cars are built at the shops to
I hold just so many, and nobody else
allowed on, But you don't often hear
of an accident on that road. It's run
right up to the rules.
Maybe you joined the Free Think
ers?' l said
Scrub rcad,' said the brakeman
: dirt roadbed and no ballast, no time
cnrd no train dispatcher. All trains
run wild, ana every engineer make'
his own time, just as he pleases. Smoke
il you want to; KIND of so as you
please road. Too many side tracks,
and every switch wide open all the,
time, with the switchmen sound asleep
and target lamp dead out Get on as
you1please and off when you want to.
Don't have to show your ticket, and
the conductor isn't expected to do any
thing but to amuse the passengers.
No, cir was offered pass, but l don't
like the line, I don't like to travel on
a read that has 10 erminus.
Do you know, sir I asked a division
superintendent where the road iun to,
and he said Ge hoped to die il he
knew asked him if the general
superintendent could tell me, and he
said he didn't believe they had a gene
raj superintendent, and if they had,
he didn't know anything more about
the road than the passengers / asked
him whom he reported to, and ne said,
Nobody. l asked the conductor who
he got his orders from and he said he
didn't take orders from any living man
Or dead ghost And when l asked
the engineer who he got his orders
from he said, he'd like to see anybody
give him orders; he'd run that train to
suit himself, CT he'd run her in the
ditch Now you see sir, ], IN rail-
read man, snd l don't care to run on a
road that has no time, or makes no
connections, runs now here, and has no
superintendent. II may be all right
but I've railroaded too long to under
stand it.
Maybe you went to the ConSrega-
tional church,"
Popular road said the brakeman,
'an old road. too; one of the very old
est in this c,untry. Good roaebed and
comfolt table cars. Well managed road
too, directors don't interfer with di-
vision superintendent and train or
ders. Roads mighty popular but it's
pretty Independent, too. Yes, didn't
one of the division Superintendents
down East discontinue one Of the old
est stations on this line two or there
years ago? But it's mighty pleasant
| roa1 70 irorol ON luayc hnc anCh o.