Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-25
HOW HE FLtGGED THE TRAIN.
The PRrson Has Learned mt Least
One Thing About RniIrondinG.

q ~ - HNHF
One Thing About R~nilrondinG.
CNcw York Trlbune)
There is a Clergyman I'm 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 pertaining TO the management of q
Z railroad. This clergyman is well known
all over the country. and he has frequent
! calls from western cities for his services.
Recently he consented 10 visit a small
city in the West. near Columbus, o., and
dedicate "a new church that had just been
built. Accordingly. ne took a night train.
and about twenty-four hours later he
reached the city. He was met by a dele
cation from the church and was taken
at once TO the best hotel in the little place
and made as comfortable as possible.
The duty that he came TO town 10 per
form was promptly carried out, and he
began To- speculate upon the best way
10 get home. He found that by catch
ing a train that went through the town
at . o'clock I'm the morning he could get
home I'm time TO fulfil an engagement OF
importance. so nc decided 10 take that
train. He refused the kind offers Of
several persons to come around and taSIe
him TO the station. He said he would
awaken himself, and that he would not
bother any one, but would slip out quietly
early I'm the morning. The train he was
to take did not stop at the tow unless
tagged. He visited the station agent,
and asked him if lie would flag the train.
The agent said, regretfully, that he went
home at 9 r.. NJ. and did not come
back until 8 o'clock the next morning.
but he would come down 20 oblige tho
minister. The clergyman declined this
kind offer, and said that if the agent
would cave a lantern out where ne could
find It he would light 1t and flag the train
himself.
This agreement was made, and the cler-
gyman went home retired early.
About 1 o'clock he was astir, and after
packing up he walked dow to the sta
ton, a short distance away. He reached
there about 400 o'clock biz his watch.
He found the lantern and lighted il, 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 between New
York and the Ohio town. 1t was > o'clock
by his watch. New York time, but only 4
o'clock western time, and SO he was an
hour ahead Of time. 1t was 6 o'clock by
his time when the train was due. He had
waited only a few moments when q big
train came rafting along. He saw the
headlight flare 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 a full stop.
Then the clergyman discovered that ne
had pulled down a long freight. He was
speeches. with surprise. but the engineer
wasn't. When he learned the condition
of affairs he broke loose with a torrent of
abuse, to which the minister made no re-
ply. The engineer finally climbed back
on his engine and opened the throttle. Ii
was q cold winter morning, and the engine
creaked, pufed, snorted. wheezed. and
the wheels spun frantically i'm getting the
big train started. Finally. he got under
way and left the clergyman behind, but
still ignorant of his time schedule being
awry.
He ~pondered over the situation, and
finally came to the conclusion that the
passenger train was late, and that this
freight was put in ahead on a special
schedule. About ten minutes later he
saw another headlight blaze in the dis
lance and felt confident that this was
tho passenger. So he stepped out and
swung his lantern. The result was, that
the train slowed up and stopped. and
when he discerned it's outline through
the darkness he was almost stunned TO
see that he had pulled down another bic
lIClSuL-dS ne SOOU ltdiltu, the second
section Of the one that he had first stop
ped. There was nothing to DO but to
apologize and stand the abuse. This en-
gineer also got. his train under way with
difficulty and failed to comment on the
time difference.
After this the minister said grlmly that
he would stop everything tina went
through there until he got his train. and
a few moments later, when he saw an
other headlight careening along toward
the station ne manfully. although with a
sinking sensation at his heart. stepped out
and tagged IT,. This time he pulled down
a heavy construction train, and when he
saw the result he threw up his hands in
despair. The conductor Of this train
proved to be a cordial sort Of citizen. who
wasn't greatly put out. He explained
where all the trouble was, after hearing
the clergyman's story. and then said:
Here, you had better get on this train
with me and / will take you up TO Column
bus. That 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:
ing '''' '''''
'How was that?" said the conductor.
II was going 20 get on down at c."
said the minister, "and / was to flag you,
but instead 1 happened TO flag a con-
struction train. and the conductor brought
me up here to saw the trouble Of stop
ping YOU"
An ominous look came into the con-
ductor's eyes as he said, in a forbidding
way:
what aid you flag him with?"
"Why. a lantern, of course" said the
Clergyman.
what did you DO with II afterward?"
said the conductor. and the lines around
his mouth hardened.
"Why." said the minister. instinctiVely.
feeling that there. was something wrong.
II put II down on the platform, whef-
the agent could get it when he came
along"
"Tes.r said the conductor, YEARLY.
',just where II would flag anything that
came along. Next time you want to. nag
a train, parson. you get an agent 10 do
It for you. You stopped me all right
down there, and II / hadn't put the light
out. and put the lantern away you would
have stopped everything that came along
there mil the agent got down."
In 1870 there were only LOO newspapers
published In all Spain. and to-day the
number is still smaller.
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