Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-01-05

could tell the number and who was n II
charge.
Joe" Baldwin was formerly an en-l
ginoer on passenger run on the Kan-f
sas Pacific road. He ran from Kansas
City to Wamego, the first section end
He lived with his aged mother across
the Kaw river, in the railroad shu.
town OF Armstrong in Wyandotte
county, Kansas Every day on his
westward trip he would sound pri-
vate signal for his mother, as he
passed their house nesting on the side
Of a hill 200 yards from the track. The
mother would stand In the doorway
until she heard the welcome notes,
then she would go into the cottage
satisfied that all was we'll The next
day as the huge train Numbered along
the valley, Joe's loot would greet his
mothers ears and she would know
her son would be in to supper in just
thirty minutes. She also knew he
was well and sent her his love in that
mysterious foot.
Baldwin, like most engineers, was
exceedingly skillful in playing on that
whistle. 1t was one of the ordinary
type with but one orifce instead OF
three as the caliope brand now in
quite general use has. His signal to
his mother was a prolonged blast
varied by ascending and descending
tones, gentle and sweet. At other
times he would cut loose with an air
piercing blast and again make the
whistle toot like a fog siren.
The language of the locomotive can
much like those used in teegraphy.
For instance, long dash alone indi-
Gates that the approaching train will
stop at the station. II flag" station,
this is in reply to the order to stop.
All stations are signaled when the
train is within hailing distance. One
short dot means set the brakes. II is
not in use as much as formerly, owing
to the perfection of the air brake sys-
tenn. Still it is a hating signal and
will very likely survive many moons
yet. Two long dashes followed at
short interval by two sharp dots
means that the train is whistling down
a station or crossing and will not
stop, but glide through without SEN
sible dimnution of speed. Four dots
means the train will take the siding.
A short, sharp dot, impatient and at
tention compelling, means the engine
Is waiting for the safety signal at
crossing or turn. The tower man
knows what Is wanted and gets busy
with his levers at once. A wild
shrek, short and sharp, means dan
ger. A signal also used to indicate
danger is a dot, dash and dot. The
men on the engine can generally be
seen taking jump after this signal.
Every road has private signals, used
only by its employees. On one which
has terminus in this city the men
have established code by means OF
which they communicate with each
other. One of these puts the boys at a
given station wise" as they say, to
the fact that the superintendent Is
aboard. A long dash, beginning low
toned and rising TO shrek, then
dropping down to a sorrowful wall,
means I've got the old man aboard"
Then the station men get mighty busy
as that train thunders in and stops.
Half dozen dots means that the
engineer has a new boy at home.
Five means that the child is girl.
One dash and two dots tells them all
that trouble is brewing and strike
may come at any time. Every move
ment OF every man on the line In the
secret Is chronicled by the footing OF
the engineers whistle. He can tell
whole history by means of his cord
and he does it, using also the regular
code sounds for official business.