The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-03-15
OBSTINATE TRAIN DISPATCHER,
Nearly Caused = Head-End Collision In the
Tebatchipt Mountains.

ters for the north and south divisions
Of the San Joaquin valley of the S. L,
railroad were located at the small town
of t. Back in the early sos, after,
travelling from ST. Paul through the
railroad centers to the coast, in a vain
effort to secure a position as train dis
patcher, finally learned that 1 had
been blacklisted by a superintendent
under whom l had worked in the east.
So gladly accepted job as dispatch
er's operator at the place mentioned
One night. shortly after the midnight
hour having finished our lunches, light
ed our pipes and settled back in our
chairs for comfortable smoke, a
special train from the north, consisting
of q baggage car and two sleepers,
having on board United States Senators
elect Leland Stanford, General Man
nger Towne and a, few others (Mr
Stanford being bound for Washington,
D. CD, rolled into our station. Having
changed engines and thoroughly tested
the air brakes, the conductor called for
his running orders" to the. next d.
vision. The engineer who was to make
the run, Maurice S., a droll, easy-go-
ing fellow, one of the best and safest
runners on the coast stood out at the
window waiting to sign and get his or
ders,
i SdLlS OuL. NuuTlCe, Will YOU TOOK
them to sleep?"
He replied, with twinkle in his eye:
"Oh, I'll get them there in. a. little
more than an hour"
At this my boss handed them! the
following order:
Conductor and Engineer. Special
South: Run to s., regardless of
train No. %; keep clear of regular
trains"
49,. ,oo,.,., ,,,o,. ~, 49,, ,.>,... -
that all trains due from the south had
arrived. the conductor registered out
at 1880 a. M, and turning to the, engi-
neer said: Are you ready?" Maui
rice replied: Eyes, pull the clothesline.
and We'll hit the high joints"
A few strokes of the bell and the
slumbering statesman and his coms,
panions were speeding on their jour-.
ney. Save the clicking of the instru-
press reports were passing and an oc-
casional click on the instruments OF
the railroad wires denoting the passing
of a train at some station on the north
division, everything about was quiet
again. The special was the only train
moving on the south division and had
clear track to S. little over six
tween T and S. was at D.
midway between the two stations.
About 1880 the dispatcher began call
ing operator D., but did not succeed
In getting him until he had called
about twenty minutes. The first qucs-
ton he asked was:
Where have you been?"
II have been here"
why didn't you answer your call?"
IT was out in the freight house."
Have you been asleep?"
mo"
Report special south passing"
mot passed yet"
. Are you sure?"
Take this order: Operator D..
Flag and hold special south for or
he asked, II train No. % would be
ready to leave on time e a. m.). III
Yes, all ready" ~
Copy you and D.. Conductor and
engineer No. %. S.. Conductor and
engineer special south, D.. Train
No. %, Conductor b, engine No.
Here the dispatcher stopped, and.
getting up from hist chair, went to the
cabinet in the superintendent room.
to refer to train sheet of previous day,
to get number of engine that would
haul No. 20. AS he did SO. reached
over the table, closed his key, and said
to operator at s.:
Tell Johnny E. engineer on 22)
to stay at s. until special south ar
rives."
Hearing this, the dispatcher flew into
rage and said: II am running this
order business and am responsible You
are to copy my orders and have moth
ing to say" endeavored to reason
with him as l had before tried
Look here! O." I said, either that
special has broke down this side Of
D or that kid operator has been
asleep and does not know the special
has passed. II you hold No. ~ at s.
thirty minutes longer it won't delay
her arrival here on time, as her running
time is slow"
But he refused to listen and COM
pleted the order, Engine 221 and spe-
cial south. Conductor P: engine LAT
will meet at A., train % taking sid
Ing, which was repeated by both oper-
ators and o. KID by dispatcher. Call
Ing s.. he said: Tell conductor of
No. 20 want him to get out Of there
as quick as he can" @
A few moments later he called s.
again and said: Report No. 22." OPP
erator-Here yet. Dispatcher-What's
holding them? Back came the answer:
Waiting for bills"
Five minutes more passed and he
called for report Of 40. 90 again. The
answer was. Here yet" This nettled
the dispatcher, who said: you tell
that conductor II he don't leave there
I'll change his orders
About three minutes after this the
operator at S. called up and reported
arrival OF the special south at 2:12 a. IN,
senator Stanford never knew how
near he came to a head-on Collision on
the winding tracks in the canyons OF
the Tehatchipi mountains. In case he
aid he would In all probability have
needed different set OF credentials
than those he carried On the occasion Of
his first election to the senate
Killed wife and Himself.