St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-25
The Locomotive Fireman

Mr.. Editor: It is doubtful if
there IL . man on the railroad train
who is less appreciated than the
Fireman, and this little article is
devoted to showing that he is .
hard worked and unappreciated in
The public shake hands with the
who has charge of the
train, thanks the brakeman for
many little courtesies, bows to the
baggage master who looks after
the luggage in transit, trusts its
valua6les with the express messen-
ger, and talks long aid loud of the
"brave engineer. But the fire.
man, he who bends to his work
and feeds the ERE that makes the
steam is never mentioned.
Sometimes . purse is made up
for the engineer. No one ever
heard of fireman getting purse,
but the records show that he
has performed as many deeds of
valor as the engineer. Again, if
the train leaves the track or goes
into another train, the fireman has
fewer chances to escape than any
other man on the train, except,
perhaps, the mail clerk, shut up
like rat in cage.
When q fireman is at work, and
that is nearly all the time when
the wheels are turning, he stands,
stopped over, shoveling in the fuel
or raking the Goals in the fire box;
his view ahead is INSTRUCTED, and
he cannot see the danger that may
be dashing upon him.
The rattle and roar of the ma
ch,nery may drown the engineers
warning call; a crash; the tender
pins him to the boilerhead and he
is dead. Standing in the narrow
gangway peering ahead, a sudden
lurch around curve may throw
him off. Instances have been
known when the coupling between
the engine and the tender parted,
and the fireman dropped between
there to be ground to pieces. The
records show that more firemen
than engineers are killed IN rail
road wrecks.
About the only time the fireman
has a little leisure is when the
train il running down grade. Then
.sshe is shut off, steam is saved,
and the knight of the shovel climbs
up to a cushioned seat and tskes 8
breathing spell. Even then. ont
eye is ahead, his hand on the bel
cord, and the other eye fastened or
the steam guage, whose little blacl
hand fluctuating back and forth
guages his labor as we'll as hi.
steam.
There is science in feeding al
engine, that Is not understood BY
one not in the business. There il
q way to throw in the coal, and t.
empty the shovel and close th'
furnace door at the same time.
It requires nice calculation tina
tells how many scoop loads ar
needed to send the hands on tn
guage to the proper figure, def
handling to keep the deck of tn
cab clean, add a hundred other lit
tie things that go to make he skill
full fireman-one that saves none,
for the company by outstanding
the coal.
In the old days the fireman Oh
wood burners had a hard time o
lit, and certainly earned the small
money he received for his services
but he. had a sinecure, compare
with the man in the blue overall
and jumper who stokes up one O
the huge s'moguls" of the presen
day.
| The engines haul freight and ca
up coal as if it were creased paper
The fireman is at work continu
ously, and about the only time b
has to rest is when the train "taka
a siding" TO let more aristocrati
passenger train pass-Goiden Days
Jas. Elverson, Publisher, Phils
delphia. Pa.