The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-17
HE MADE HEADLIGHT TOM STOP.
How the old Engineer Was Cured OF an
Inconvenient Habit.

| How tho Old Engineer Was Cured of an
| Inconvenient Habit.
Funny things happen now and then on a
| railroad" said the old engineer. reminiscently.
things that don't come to the notice OF the
heads or get into the newspapers. either: and
| that makes me recall a little incident that oc-
CURED several years ago on the y. Nj.
There was an old fellow named Tom McHal-
| lock-commonly known as Headlight Tom
| pulling one OF the passenger runs at that time.
who had the reputation Of never stopping to pick
| up flag. Now you know when man goes out
to protect the rear end OF his train. he carries
| supply Of torpedoes besides his flag or lam
| terms. He puts one OF the torpedoes on the
rail about quarter OF mile behind the ca
| boose. and several hundred yards further back
he places two m ore. theso last two about fifty
| feet apart. Then he returns and takes up his
| post by the first one. When his train gets
into tho siding, or ready TO pull out, as the case
may be. the flaRman is called in by whistle sig
| nails from the engine-you've heard them. four
long blasts II the train is eastbound. and four
long blasts and short one II westbound
Well, II no train Is coming behind when this
| signal is given. the flagman takes off the ono
torpedo and comes in He leaves the other
two because they are only intended as a sort OF
warning: they mean Get your train under
control So when the engineer OF the follow
Ing train strikes them and doesn't hear the
third one or get a stop signal he knows that
the train ahead 10 safely out of tho way.
But the first train often pulls out in such
hurry that the fagman gets left. Then. unless
the following train will slow and pick him up
he has to walk In to the station: and this may
be some little water tank where he'll have to
walt hours before an ythng stops to take him
on. But the fact Is that nearly all engineers
will slow after striking the two torpedoes. when
they see the flagman waiting. bnt there's
nothing In the instruction book that says they
| must.
We'll. Us I've said. Headlight Tom would
never stop for flag. He was pulling Two and
Seven. and very proud OF always arriving on
time. though. OF course. the little he'd lose
In slowing to pick up flag or two wouldn't
have amounted to anything. He was unpopu-
lar on this account. but nobody ever took any
steps toward getting even with him un til Andy
Mullins came on the road.
Mullins was q man Off the 'Katy'-one OF
these big. rawboned westeners. a good deal OF
eoaster and bad man in fight. He hadn't
been on the road two months before Head
light Tom ran by him one night In a bowling
rain storm and Mullins tumbled into cattle
pass and had all kinds OF mshaps walking in
He swore he'd get even with old Tom for that.
and offered to bet box OF cigars that Tom
him to ride The bot was taken soon enough.
and everybody waited to see how the thing
would turn out
The haRman. you know. always has charge
OF the lamps In the caboose Well. the boys on
Mullnss crew used to notice lot OF old rusty
lantern frames in the oil room after this and
wonder how they got there. Never mind
says Mullins. we may need them some day;
who knows?
They had been making test Of a new COM
pound engine on the division. She'd been I'D
there nearly week. and the experts had got
all the figures they wanted. and it was finally
arranged to send her back East on 2 or
course old Headlight Tom was happy as a
boy with new drum. and he allowed he'd
make a record with that engine that would
su prise the folks that designed her. Mullins
got wind OF this. for he'd lust come in that
morning. and instead OF taking his layover he
got them to send him right out again in place
OF a sick man. He went on an extra. several
hours before rs leaving time. and took with
him u big awkward looking bundle from his
own caboose
Things must have gone lust about as he
wanted them to. for about half way down the
division they had to make quick run between
stations ahead of 2. and Mullins. going out to
protect them, got left OF course. He took the
big bundle with him. too
me rest OF 1t was told me by Headlight
Toms fireman. 1t seems that they had been
making record breaking time all the way over
the division with the new machine and old
Tom had her wide open and sat there with
tears in his eyes. he was so happy. They were
sailing down Bowmansvile hill under full
steam. TO get swing over the upgrade beyond
the station. when all OF a sudden. as they
rounded the curve. they struck two torpcdoes
ana the next minute tail-end doomed up down
the tangent.
Headlight Tom shut off. reversed. jammed
on the emergency air and pulled out tho sand
lever. and the fireman got in the ganRway
ready to Jump But he waited minute TO cal
oulate whether they'd hit the other train. and.
10 and behold the tail-end was gone They'd
pretty nearly stopped by that time. Old Tom
was weak as cat, and said they'd lust crawl
along slowly and see what it meant so they
did for little piece and pretty soon they came
up to fiagmnn standing with his red and
white lights beside the track. The follow
didn't make any move toward getting aboard.
though. and Headlight Tom hollercd to him
and told him to get on, But when ho saw who
1t was he was mad enough to jump into the
flrebox
Where's your tramp says Tom
Gone twenty minutes answers Mullins
But saw tail-end cut here. says Head.
light Tom. and then Mullins laughed
The way he'd worked it vas simple enough.
He brought along three old red lights besides
his own red light and white light. We'll. he
tied red flag over his white amr and that |
gave him five reds Ee set two Of them on
the ground few feet apart. held two more in !
his hands with his arms stretched out "A his
sides and had tho other on his head Then he
looked like the tail end OF train for fair
When he heard old Tom put on the air. he !
knew he'd be looking across the cab TO speak |
TO tho fireman. and he threw the old hmps |
INTO the ditch and stepped to one side Nun |
ms won the cigars. and Old Toms record was
flag since" ~