Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-02-15
MAKES A rLEASANTER SOUND.


What the marine reporter might call
the foghorn or steamship siren, has
become 50 popular with many rail-
roads for use on their locomotives
that an expert IN steam whistles says
the shrIll cry Of the iron horse viii be
a thing of the past within Ave years.
The majority of the steam engines Of
this country have the regulation high
noted whistle that comes out sharp
and quick from the hills. the forests.
on the plains, or wherever steel rails
! are laid, II Us not quite MS irving on
the nerves as the celebrated penny"
whlHtlcs Of the locomotives Of eng
! land hut II lacks the deep musical
| foot Of the gong which many OF the
IRON horses now carry.
The New England Railroad was
about the frst road 10 introduce the
mellow sounding Rteamboat whistle
IN the cast When George Gould
heard It for the first time on loco
motive OF the New York and Putnam
| Road he was SO charmed with 1t that
he Immediately changed many OF the
whistles on the engines Of tho Missouri
Pacific
The steamboat whistle Is great
deal more expensive than the regula-
don one, but 1t hasn't the waking
the dead" qualities Of the latter,
though II has many more redecmlng
| features
Talking Of whistles said an old
railroad man to a Mall Express re-
porter, Il think the unfortunate
steamboat Golden Rule. that was 30
well known between Cincinnati and
| New Orleans. had the star one. There
was no MISLEADING that whistle, The
Golden Rul. was burned and after
| the fire spent Its fury, 100 pirates set
to work TO ilnd her whistle, II was
discovered buried deep among the
debris, and then the pirates had
bloody fight for It's possession. Two
| hardened wretches lasted LONGER than
the others, and secured the prize They
sold II for old brass. and threw In
! their good will In the bargain. That
whistle Inns had more lives than
cat going from this boht to that boat,
and not long since, after years OF
travel, II was purchased by Captain
james II. Williams and placed on tho
tug Hercules Carrel OF Cincinnati. Il
IL every bit as musical now as II was
twenty-five years ago
II know many railroad men who
distinguish trains solely by their
whistles OF ell locomotives on any
ri lpnlup rand -
alike In construction as well as sound
II IL a common thing to have a man
say. That Is No. ILL., or There goes
f44' when he hears the toot OF loco
motive. II III the same way at sea, I'm
told. A friend OF mine. a sea captain,
says that he has often established the
identity Of ship by her whistle when
she passed him in fog. or even when
II was his watch below and he couldn't
see the craft as she went by
Right In this harbor, and don't
follow II closely. either. | can close my
eyes and tell the names OF dozens OF
boats az they go along. All through
their whistles. too. am sorry that
The calliope has gone from the wa ter
The General Slocum, with her chime
used TO bring back TO me the
the General Sedgwick and the ply
mouth Rock.
Whistles? Why, they are the voices
u the story OF steam. and speak as
plainly as you and do don't think
nat two men were created with the
'ame voice, and as for whistles. there
ieyer were two alike In sound. II you
ionbt Il make study OF the subject,
Is ! have done. New York Mail and
Express.