The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02

An Engineers story of Air Brakes That
Would Keen Getling Set.

WeWere up against n queer klnd OF nuncn
the other Friday night" said the fat engineer
to circle OF his friends. g 1t was tho night ot
the big circus in town and wo had the job OF
towing the circus train over tho division.
Whom | met Murphy, my side partner in tho
rOundhouso that night he says to me:
Say Bill. are you superstitlous? Do you
believe In siRnsY
Mary said: not unless It's restaurant
sign or a sign for the pay car
go I've had all sorts oi uueprthins happen to
me to-day he says. First N got up on the
wrong side Of the bel. and then got my shirt
on hind side foremost. ! took 1t of and
changed It, and my wife says that's the worst
thing could have done. She said IL wanted
to break the hopdoo should have let it on.
But didn't want to cone downtown looking
like ferry boat and have people ask mo which
way was going. Then to Keep the good WORK
going broke a looking glass this afternoon.
and everything seems to have been going wrong
all day. I've got creepy feeling like ustrr to
have when buried cats in Il graveyard at mid
night to Kill warts. Tho folks wanted mo to lay
of this trip. bat | thought it was all foolish
ness. so here am
Huh said YOU didn't sec cross-cyed
black cat with u crumrcl tail or lat Niger
with white spots, did you|
"No'
"'Or dream your mothcr-in-law was dead I?
He answered in the negative Well | says.
I guess wo'll go through o X. with nothing
more serious than Dustin water glass
What train We going to catch out to-
night Z he asked.
"'Circus train answered. as that's about
our turn out
Gee whz" he said know we'd be up
against n hoodoo That's the worst that could
happen. Circus train and Friday night
oh gowan.' broke in. maybe the num-
Der OF our train orders will be thirteen and
well have thirteen cars. You give mo pain
In the neck with your hoodoos
go wish YOU were GIRAFFE. sos you'd have
that pain good and hard, was his rather I'M
kind remark.
My guess had been correct and about II 30
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 to start. 1t
was good heavy train for one engine. and
said to Murf. I'll 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 EN- along pretty
good. i felt n little drowsy. und Ike all good
trusty engineers with my hand on tho throttle
and my eye on the track. thinking Of home
and the old. oaken bucket. dropt into n doe
II was about, hall asleep wh"n rhu,!
w in the front Of that cab and hit my hca on
the door frame, shut her Of and we storrel
the train air hose had separated. setting the
air brakes: The head brakeman came running
- Wot'l YOU think yer don' Tryin' to play
snap the whir|
the locomotive saws i. The air pipe has
/ busted somewhere near the engine; heard
Murt. / wish had laid of t% 10" ,'''' '''''
,nonlSen, " thmnLt@r =, T VII mo- 70" na3H
! dream book
Tho brakeman gave me a signal to 60
Its all right h" hollered;, hose just part
/ ed between the fourth and NTH cars,
Minute we y,V we're ok agan and h,t n ITEM nj IN
,'%onder what made the hose partT Murf
~, -. Dunno, I answered i sYppnose. those
BY my head bringing ~ against the cab win.
the glass on his side. The lire was dying from
the set brakes like a Dewey celebration /
shut Of steam. and we made another Rough
"Train pipe has parted again and guess
hns made the fat y sa hat ns
has been good to her to give her soft place
Murts teeth were chattcrinG. and he says:
Bill never expect 70 get home alive again.
There's hoodoo on this train.
you won't pull away hungry It's more likely
ahoeo trying to get fresh cutting the train
This time the pipe had separated between
two cars about twenty ca S lengths back from
AMI we we're on once f'St rn Ky ~" t "Ei,'t
gone very many miles further when. kcr-.am
bang We brought a. i%urs sf2n Iwas
was somr one .rparat'pg that tram ppG which
we f?and out what It was We had mais V such S,i
sudden stop the last time that We routed out
without much clothes o.. Trey ,r:escLtsi an
saying the rain was hooi0ord Tn" train hands
and myself started IN to make 4 thOrOugn in
om Of The " "rsu w T% S"cn1Gd
Three sSyp'ng cars a. thS rsar Of the train.
This his hlOpiy. booming. b'ArsteI coun-
| tray, ,;;aid Tho EnG .l-h riggmn~'er. Hover in
ho,d HenEEiIand, We wT.4nt r,S sa"N g"ns
why don't you uae the 'nrnI brakes?
So, say; ther" vas nor3nes on yer sstayin' ia
brakeman. II You don't Xix" the way we DO
things why don't yer go back They probably
IAN this while we had boon looking the train
gu, Hndine any defect in atrhrlKs hose Every
time the brakes had been set the ripe had been
found unroured ,"tw".n twn car: Certainly
made up our minds To start anil try once more
when one Of the braE"m"n. who wa about
hal! way NJ tn" length q the train yelled;
y
live. He hiding here on ono OF tn" trucks o!
this car
I'VE all made run for that chr. and sure
enough there was Il monkey sitting on one OF
the rear trucks.
"'How are YOU gong to get him ont OF
there Z asked the man who had made the dis
cOve"y. He made Il Increment toward his
, monkcyshir. and whist the monkey went
, dancing along on the under traces II the cnr.
| We had the DIVES own time getting thar mon
key. First HI wOult appear in Onr piece aud
I when his pursu1rS wonld get near he woaiI
! disappear and in u second show w sOM" place
else. He apueiiod tn niov this gam" ~ hde
aud seek. la was rather "rv -, n.r'ug ia front
OF the crowd Al iast hv uint Of much strategy
and the use ~ a handful u: nuts. one ~ inH
animal keerCrS sue" H"t,el ~ corrllhrg h m on
a hrak"h"Hu. arl t vas all 0y"r, The f,iiUs-
tering monkey was u,Hr"'! "a the car with the
rest az his race and chain"i M for safety.
g In the hustle aud bus ic Of loading tho anil
mails on the tram ~ had 10; away aGd i..,i him
self on one Oi IN" car TRUCKS, and when tia
train started hr Meanlorou around. II" prob
ably uncOuplrd the train pipe the first tlm" by
accident. and S""ing h" had caused uutt" Il
huhhuh tried it over md o'cr again WITH moro
sntsf "ioTy results. when w. got gOit nicely
again yelled Oy"r to Mar ant SAYS: