The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-10-17
He Made Headlight Tom Stop.
LFrom the New York SUM-


Funny things happen now and then
on a railroad said the old engineer
reminiscently, things that don't come
to the notice of the heads or get into
the newspapers, either; and that makes
me recall a little incident that occurred
several years ago on the Q. & NJ
There was an old fellow named Tom
cHallOck-cOmmOnly known as Head
light TOm-puIling one of the passenger
runs at that time, who had the reDu-
flag. Now you know when a man goes
out to protect the rear of his train, he
carries a supply of tOrpedOes. besides
his flag or lanterns. He puts one of
the torpedOes on the rail about a quar-
ter of a mile behind the cabOOse and
several hundred yards further back he
places two more, these last two about
fifty feet apart. Then he returns and
takes up his post by the first one. When
his train gets into the siding. or ready
to pull out, as the case may be, the
fagman is called in by whistle signals
from the eng1ne-yOu've heard them,
four long blasts if the train is east
bound, and four long blasts and a short
one if WestbOund Well, if no train is
coming behind when this signal is given
the fiagman takes off the torpedo and
comes in He leaves the other two be-
cause they are only intended as a sort
of warning; they mean Get your train
under control So when the engineer
of the following train strikes them
and doesn't hear the third one or get a
stop signal. he knows that the train
ahead is safely out of the way.
But the first train often pulls out
in such a hurry that the f1agman gets
left. Then, unless the following train
will slow and pick him up, he has to
walk in to the station; and this may be
some little water tank where he'll have
to wait hours before anything stops to
take him on But the fact is that near
~ all engineers will slow after strik-
ing the two tOrpedOes. when they see
hs fac fr7c
ing in the instruction book that says
they must.
well, as I've said. Headlight Tom
would never stop for flag. He was
pulling Two and Seven, and very proud
of always arriving on time, though, of
course, the little he'd lose in slowing
to pick up a flag or two wouldn't have
amounted to anything. He was I'M
popular on this account, but nobody
ever took any steps toward getting
even with him until Andy Mullins came
on the road.
Mullins was a man off the KATY
one of these big, rawboned westerners,
a good deal Of a boaster and a bad man
in fight. He hadn't been on the road
two months before Headlight Tom ran
by him one night in a bowling rain
storm, and Mullins tumbled into a cat
tie pass and had all kinds of mishapS
walking in He swore he'd get even
with old Tom for that and offered to
bet a box of cigars that Tom would not
only stop for him the next time, but
ask him to ride. The bet was taken
soon enough, and everybody waited to
see how the thing would turn out.
The hagman. you know. always has
charge of the lamps in the caboOse.
Well the boys on Mullins crew used
to notice q lot of old rusty lantern
frames in the oil room after this, and
wonder how they got there Never
mind says Mullins, we may need them
some day; who knows2'
They had been making a test OF a
new compound engine on the division.
Shed been up there nearly a week, and
the experts had got all the figures they
wanted, and it was finally arranged to
send her back east on ,. OF course old
Headlight Tom was happy as boy
with new drum. and he allowed he'd
make a record with that engine that
would surprise the folks that designed
her Mullins got wind of this, for he'd
just come in that morning; and instead
of taking his layover, he got them to
send him right out again in place of a
sick man. He went on an extra, several
hours before rs leaving time, and took
with him a. big awkward looking bun
die from his own cabOose.
Things must have gone just about as
he wanted them TO. for about half way
down the division they had to make a
quick run between stations ahead of ,,
and Mullins, going out to protect them.
got left of course. He took the big bun
die with him, too.
THE rest of it was told me by Head
light Toms fireman It seems that
they had been making record brea king
time all the way over the division with
the new machine, and old Tom had her
wide open and sat there with tears in
his eyes, he was so happy They were
sailing down BoWmansville hill under
full steam, to get a swing over the up
grade beyond the station, when all of a
sudden as they rounded the curve they