The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-07-28


Over in the lounging room for the
/ trainmen at the terminus Of one Of the
trunk lines in Jersey City several train
men were exchanging stories Of hair.
breadth escapes, fast rides and Instances
Of presence Of mind. while waiting to
be summoned to their duties. Finally
It came the turn of a small, gray
haired, keen eyed a
"Well, yes" he said, taking a chew
Of his neighbours tobacco. II had one
excitin trip. 1t was long back In So,
before the comm Of these double
cabbed Mother Hubbard e~njines on
which, IL you want to speak to the fire.
man, you have to stop mt a telegraph
station n send him a message or else
slap the air over In the Emergency
notch n bring him up to you whether
he wants to come or not. Never did
like these pesky double deckers. l was
doing stunts on the 8O7-a good old
mogawl she were, too. Just out the
shop, where she'd been o%verhauled n
had the airbrakes put on her.
II left the other end Of the division
on a trip right after pay day n my reg.
ular fireman had reported Ill. I'd seen
him the night before n he looked
rather weak n tired, n l thought he'd
been taken Ill. They used to have u
great trick doin that after they's got
their mon. I..had a fellow by the mann
Of Conroy In his place, n we hadn't
got along very far fore l came to the
conclusion that he was q mite under
the weather, too, n he couldn't make
Of 1t vas that we laid down several
times on the trip n barely caught
the steamer with our export freight.
Old Nuthead, the enjine dispatcher. he
made me walk the carpet, n said II |
didn't do better'n that he'd drop me
back on coal again. | hadn't been run.
min fast freight very long n l left him
feelin rather testy, but l didn't say
anything bout Conroy. as | thought
that durin our lay over In this end he'd
kinder pound his ear n sleep of the
booze n be all right goln back.
1--WE caught train 70 for the return
trip with about 10 cars perishable stuff
for Chicago which were rugged up
with the air, which u a purity good
string Of airbrake cars for those days,
n about Is scabs, without air. | was
thinkin what a stop you could make on
short notice with them. n how you
could turn things owe In the caboose.
Old Joe Hoffman was our conductor,
n be was an awful man to swear n
cut up high links II everything didn't
come his way.
I'VE hadn't moved out very fur along
the meaders when | saw as how I'd
have to do some tall fgurin to git that
train In on time. Soon's we'd git to a
little grade I'd drop her down a notch
or two. n she'd kick up her heels y
lay right down for wan Of wind. Con.
roy, instead Of sleepin while he was Off
duty. had gone out n put on some fin.
ishin touches n made It worse.
"You can just guess l was mad clean
through. n l thought to myself rs how
l would get MI. Conroy about 80 days
In which to rest n p'raps end his little
%railroadin career soon's we got home
again. When we got to the first wa.
term tank, about 40 miles out. we had
used up jest 2 hours n Is minutes.
The regular runnln time was only !
hour n 45 minutes. 50 you see we'd
lost 30 minutes on 40 miles almost lev.
Ell n with d light train. The outlook
was that we'd never make the heavier
grades on the western end unless Con.
roy took a brace. While | was oilin
around Hoffman came runnin up cuss.
In like one mad n says:
'Blankety blank blank, you. what
the blanks matter wider? | wanter
git home In time for church Sunday.
Here's a message from Jersey which
says as how II yer don't hurry up
they'll take yer off here at the mex
plug n give us a respectable man
"As this was only about midnight
Tuesday night his speech got my dan.
der up. n told him as how he n Jer.
sey could both 60 where asbestus cloth.
in Is q boon n the broilin sun never
sets. But ! climbed up on the tank, n
maybe ! didn't give that fireman a
settin out.
"'You long, lanky blunderbuss,'
says. for he was q big codger, much
bigger'n meself, II you don't take a
purity sudden brace n keep the wind
up on this mogawl till we get In you
might az well sit right down here n
send your regrets to the super. cause
I'll report you soon's we GIT In. or my
name amt John Stafford
HE give me u kinder %reproachfui
look n commenced Akin his ire. As
70 put my oil can In the box !
spied q bottle Of whisky. grabbed
that bottle u turned roun TO conroy.
'Ahar ! says. so this In the cause OF
Dur gasp!n for breath every five min
utes. IL Il? Well. here she goes n
that bottle over on the track
. broke II into 30 pieces. not without