The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-20

the oil lamps, necessarily rendered smoky
by the draughts 1t was now considered
practical,to light passenger cars with gas,
and the apparatus necessary for such
equipment was then being experimental
with in the Altoona shops.
Another most important device for the
manag cement of fast railroad trains was
just then being tried with a view to its
application TO our trains, if found prac-
ticable. This was q system of brakes ana
brake rigging. The locomotives in use at
that time, the heaviest of which | be-
lieve did not weigh over thirty tons, as
compared with the ninety-ton locomotives,
for example, now in use, We're construct
ed TO burn wood: but il was recognized
that some substitute for this primitive fuel
would have TO be found at an early date,
and skilled mechanics at Altoona were
building locomotives and designing fur
naces to use anthracite and bituminotrs
coal These were but few of the inn
portant operations in progress at the time
when | had the good fortune to enter
upon this novitiate. There was indeed
nothing that the PENNSYLVANIA Railroad
needed in the way of mechanism that the
Altoona shops did not provide
Employment there was, consequent
ly. not only q liberal but a gem
BY and by we apprentices began to pride
ourselves on knowing how to SEPARATE
great machines into their component parts.
to name each part and TO put them TO-
gether again.
after the surprise that naturally felt
In. associations so different from those to
first idea of the hard part Of physical la
bor Knocked the skin off my knuckles,
OF course; my finger nails We're soon brok-
en- and blackened, and my blue jumper
and oyeralls quickly lost color under the
machine oil and Crime. 1t was not long
though, until began to take an intelli-
gent interest IN what was going on about
me. That meant that forgot the hard
knocks of the first few days work ana
then ! ceased to ponder over the wisdom
OF he adoption of another career. l had
to think all that was good for me about
the duty of each day. and al night / was
too tired to do anything but sleep. don't
say was not tempted to quit but two
considerations came promptly to aid my
oetsrmlnailon-my promise TO my mother
and my pride.
self se.f-made man in the best sense of
that term, and who had lived life of con-
stant occupation since he grew up in the
vicinity OF Johannesburg, had kept his
eyes on me 10 the shop although / saw
MIN but seldom BY and by | began 10.
forget how i was that / came there /
know that l snever received q favor or
indulgence on account of the auspices
under which had entered my apprentiee-
ship. Early in March, 1850 we Ksar1 that
Mr., Scott had been made vice president
of the pennsylvania Railroad. There was
a great deal of talk in the shops about
TINS ana 4 Tor one felt a natural pride
ia his promotion, but | did not suppose
that his elevation would make any differ-
ence IN my station. l went on working in
me me shops every day and going TO bed
Then the war ceme on The Hon. Ed
ward NJ. Stanton. Secretary of War. in
Vited MIR, Scott 10 come 10 Washington.
l suppose he VAS considered about as
near the iypical railroad man of the Units
ed states as anybody. Shorty afterward
the President appointed him to take
charge in the war department of railways
and teiegraphs between Washington and
Annapolis. i had thought Il good deal
about the war and l wanted 10 get to the
front but | had no intention or desire 10
give UP my apprenticeship in the shops
the three years Of which would soon ex-
pire. / feh much fiattered and overjoyed
when Col. Scott for he was now off,
cially a colonel and aide-de-camp, wrote
asking me to join him In Washington in
April 1861. | jumped at the chance and
felt no hesitation in leaving the Altoona
shops at the suggestion of the man who
had been responsible for my entering
them. on May 23, 1851 Col. Scott was
put Ia charge OF all government railways
and telegraphs. well as of those appro-
priated for government use
"The strategic use Of railways in war