The Winslow mail., 1901-03-28
RAILROAD TATTLE.

u ia 8 OL Tue DdCh track at
Williams, but I do feel that a
long felt want has at last been
supplied. Whoever he is and
whatever his official title, he
has the gratitude of every brake
man on the 3rd who believes
like myself in giving the angel
bis dues even if he is a tri1e di-
latory in claiming them.
| have met with some bitter
disappointments in this lite; I
have had some soul narrowing
and heart rending experiences.
L have slipped some Of the most
saccharine Of lifes sweet nectar
and | have drained its cup Of
bitterness to the ultimate dregs
and feel glad that it was so.
But the sudden revulsion of for
tune | experienced yesterday at
Williams would have brought
the briny tears to the eyes Of
the most hard hearted and stole
al Indian of the cigar store tribe.
Actuated by the purest Of mo-
tives and professional zeal |
swiped a switch chain, draggeg
it across the yard and after great
labor and some profanity sue
ceeded in slowing it snugly away
in the cellar of our caboose. But
l could not obliterate the trail
made by dragging the chain and
thus the original possessor, a
red headed car whacker, traced
it to its lalr, and when [ refused
without compensation to be de-
prived Of the fruits of my indus
try he went ahead and informed
tue conductor.
In the meantime the train had
pulled up and while [ was hap
py in the full pride of victory,
revelling serenely in the con-
sciousness OF a good deed we'll
done, that brutal conductor
hunted me up and not only made
me unload the chain but with
cold blooded terocity insisted
that [ should drag the Internal
thing back to the west end Of
the yard from whence [ had
taken it.
1 suggested to him that it
would be easier 10 back up the
train but al to no purpose. See
ing that he was deaf to reason
or entreaty [ got over on the
oppisite side of the train to give
back up signal myself when
that chump Of a conductor who
has yellow caboose and is al
ways in his own way or some
bodys way pulled up behind and
blocked me.
A few such experiences { S t lis
would break the spirit and sub
due the enthusiasm of the moss
enterprisiug and determined
shack on the road. There is no
encouragement fer q thrifty and
Industrious brakeman when his
good intentions, honorable am
bitIons and honest efforts are
thus nipped in the full flower by
an unappreciative, ungreatful
and vicious conductor. Tt was
a heavy double chain too.
A few nights ago we met an
east bound extra at Hibbarl and
had to saw by late No. 8.
This gave NE an opportunity to
to observe a unique case of flag
ging. The head shach of the
extra east, which did not clear,
came down to flag No. 3. At the
east switch be put down two
torpedoes. About a hundred |
yards farther he deposited one
torpedo. At the whistling post /.
he struck a fusee in the track,
lighted it and went on8down to
the curve where he succeeded i'll
holding up the Chicago Limited |
with a red lantern. | thought
if that shach ever got hit in the
rear end by a hand car it would
not be due to his neglect Of any
reasonable precaution unless it
might be claimed on a legal
technicality that he stuck his
fusee in the wrong place.
In attempting short cut
while bringing his engine from
the round house to the main line
1 4 1