The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1899-08-30
! Circus Tain HOOdOO 4,
& An Engineers Story OF Air Brakes I
n That Would Keep Getting Set 4
a. "a "a a. "a Ia "a a.
iANASASASiAAiANiAAANiAJ
"E were up against a queer
wv kind of n lunch the other Fri

w hlnu OF u luItn lilt OlntI + IT.
day night" said the fat engineer TO a
circle of his friends. ut was the night
of the big circus in town and we had
the job of towing the circus train over
the division. When ! met Murphy, my
side partner, in the round house that
night, he says TO me:
Say, Bill, are you superstitious
Do you believe in signs?'
Mary said; not unless it's a res
taurant sign or a sign for the pay car.
I've had all sorts of queer things
happen TO me to-day he says. First,
j got up on the wrong side of the
bed. and then ! got my shirt on hind
side foremost. took il off and changed
a., and my wife says that's the worst
thing | could have done. She said il
] wanted to break the hoodoo should
have left il on. But | didn't want to
come downtown looking like a ferry
boat and have people ask me which way
] was going. Then TO keep the good
work going broke looking glass this
afternoon, and everything seems to
have been going wrong all day. I've
got a creepy feeling like | ulster have
when I buried cats in a graveyard at
midnight to kill warts. The folks
wanted me to lay off this trip. but |
thought it was all foolishness, so here
j am
"'Huh, l said; you didn't see a cross
eyed black cat with a crumpled tail or
q fat niger with white spots, did your
"'No.'
"'Or dream your mother-in-law was
dead?' He answered in the negative.
Well / says, I guess Wen go through
o. X. with nothing more serious than
Dustin a water glass
"'What train we going to catch out
to-night?' he asked.
"'Circus train / answered, 'as that's
about our turn out
Gee Whit he said, Il knew we'd
be up against a hoodoo. That's the
worst that could happen. Circus train
and Friday night
"'Oh, gowan, / broke in, maybe the
number of our train orders will be 10
and well have 10 cars. You give me a
pain in the neck with your hoodoos.'
Il wish you were giraffe, SOS you'd
have that pain good and hard was his
rather unkind remark.
MY guess had been correct, and
about 1880 we got orders TO proceed
down TO the yard for the circus train.
We got down there all right and the
show people were all ready 10 start. 1t
was good heavy train for one engine,
and l said 10 Murf: III take the creepy
feeling out of you before We get very far
with this train We got away, and
after we'd passed out of the yards
commenced to swing 'em along pretty
good. | felt a little drowsy, and like
all good, trusty engineers. with my
hand on the throttle and my eyes on
the track, thinking Of home and the
old, oaken bucket, l dropt into doze.
81 was about half asleep when phut! |
phw-i-s-t! / heard something go and |
l brought up in the front of that cab |
and hit my head on the door frame. |
shut her off and we stopped very sud |
den, just like we had broken in two or
the train air hose had separated, set
ting the air brakes. The head brake
man came running up and says;
"'Wot1 you think yer dOin'? Tryin'
70 play snap the whips?
"'You tend to your biz and I'll look
out for the locomotive says !. The air
pipe lbs busted somewhere near the
engine | heard her go?'
"'This trains branded with a hoo
doc, said Murf. Il wish ! had laid Oft
tonight
"'Yes, by thunder, ! wish you had"
thought. You make me feel like
walking dreambook.'
"The brakeman gave me signal TO
go anead.
Its all right he hollered; hose
just parted between the fourth and
fifth cars
II tried the air, and as il worked an
right in a minute we were OFT again
and hitting il at a respectable clip.
"'Nonder what made the hose part?
Murf hOllered over To me-
Dunno | answered. Il suppose
those darn Dincompoops in the yard
didn't have them connected good.
They
'nu; my little speech was here in
corrupted by my head bringing up