Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1899-12-20


Eleven hundred and four was a
freight locomotive. little bigger. but
no better. than other engines OF Ler
class. MoSley. who managed her. was
like her. He was just fair. average
engineer. and tina, was all. And yet
when another man went out ON the
'Lcvcn-four she would lay down on
him eight times out of ten.
And so IT fell out that. while she did
her work willingly and well with Mos.
ley aboard. she gained a bad name.
The conductor. coming out with the
orders. always glanced up into the cab,
and If Mosley were there he would
smile. otherwise he would frown. And
If Mosley came out with another en-
gine the conductor would be just as
unhappy. Mosley aud the 'Leven-four
went together, or they didn't go
One night an extra man went out.
or rather. started out, with the Leven-
four. At the very last ditch leaving
the yards she broke the switch bride,
climbed the rail. turned over on her
back. Jammed her whistle into the
sand and sobbed her life away.
Twenty-four hours later. when she
stood upon her feet again. they pushed
her into the back shops to be over
hauled and painted. and in that way
Mosley got another ten days waiting
for her.
Locomotive engineers are notorious
exceptions | was one OF them.
The fireman OF Il pusher notices that
when the head engines slip the pusher
will almost invariably fly up. The
head engines slip because they have
found a sharp curve. but that would
not cause the pusher. lying back ON
tangent. 10 slip. But she viii slip. and
You Will see the driver open the sand
valves the moment he hears the head
engine going or secs the fire shooting
up in solid stream or feels tle weight
of the train suddenly up against his
pilot bar.
Many good and plausible reasons for
this responsive or answering sin
might be put forward. but to the mind
of the average engineer ii is sym
pathy strike pure and simple--one en-
gine feeling for another. Why. | have
known men who would argue that
locomotive would not only SympathiZe
with sister engine. but would actual
ly grieve for dead engineer. Hear
ing and seeing these things for years.
the newly promoted engine driver car
ries with him. consciously or uncon-
sciouSly, n certain amount OF super
StitiOn
One day when | was hoStler the
master mechanic sent for me. went
into the office and came out nm enSi-
neer TO be sure. had expected pro
motion some day. but not ;hat day.
though | knew that somebody would
he promoted TO take Mosley's place. for
Mosley was dead. The master me
chanic had run me around others, but
no one complained.
Old runners had SHE'D at the Leven-
four when Mosley was alive. Who
would want her now? She was count
ed "unlucky" then-she would he extra
hazardous now.
or course 1t did not follow necessari-
ly that she would fall TO me. but she
did. and the first night out seemed TO
feel the arm rest still warm where
the late luckless engineer had leaned
watching the glistening rail beneath
his pilot
Noah. the old fireman. had refused
at first to go ont with me. but there
was no one to take his place. and he
was forced TO go. To this day see
that fireman's sad. bony face
He seemed at first to resent my
presence on the right hand side. and
began TO resent his resentment. The
mead brakeman asked him. I'm the Ian
guage OF the cabOosc. What was eatin
him." Noah said nothing and sighed
again.
AS ] went about oiling the engine
heard the fireman telling the brake
man how she had behaved when Mos
ley laid Off and an extra man had
gone out on the 'Leven-f four
IF she'd do that then. what'n she
do to EN- now; whatll she do TO this