Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1901-06-12

Sluccis TIC IL aS CdTcluIy sclsCtcu hs
the best man on the division. The sec
ond man Is the fireman The third is
the master OF transportation. He sits
in the cab alongside the engineer. and
the eyes of both are conferred on the
twin lines of rail before them. They
watch to make sure that aone Of their
subordinates make mistake and to
be certain that nothing Is In the way
of the presidential train.
When the train passes from one d.
vision to the next the transportation
manager leaves the train to make way
for the man who Is responsible over
the next division.
Whoever covers the entire $4,000
miles OF the journey might observe at
least thirty different men. sitting per-
haps in a seat In the smoking car.
with SLOUGH hats pulled over their eyes.
keeping careful track OF every incident
of the trip. They are the division SUI
perintendents, each of them with the
entire burden and responsibility of the
presidential train on his shoulders until
1t passes safely beyond the limits of
his territory. When such connecting
points are reached the observer. II he
walked out on the platform. would
be likely to hear conversation like
this:
Hello. Ed"
Hello. BILL"
Everything o. K.?"
yes, thank God"
''How's 26?'
Waiting at Cedarvilie."
wish me the same luck. Good
night"
Then the train would pull out at
forty miles an hour and another man
would take the place In the smoking
car just vacated by the sleepy-eyed
man who has left the train at the di-
vision terminus.
When a train carrying king or
emperor leaves one OF the great capt
tails Of Europe 1t Is always possible to
stop every other wheel on the line and
leave the track perfectly free for the
passage OF the imperial special. But
in the United States the railroad man
ager has also the problem OF running
the regular passenger trains and keep
ing freight trains moving with as lit
tie delay as possible. This greatly
ter Of fact few freight trains run on
the regular schedules when the presi.
Dental train is moving its wheels. and
the traffic manager has troubles Of his
own for day or two after II has
passed. Every train dispatcher on
each division knows that the special
has passed for several days by the
complaints which come In from ship
pers of perishable goods, even IL on
cial notice were lacking. II Is his
hard task to see that everybody IA
kept satisfied. even while the demands
OF the presidential train are complied
with. 1t Is safe to say that traffic will
be entirely upset on every road which
Is traversed by the train for at least
forty-eight hours.
These same train dlspatchers and
their assistants have in charge the
difficult task Of keeping the president
and his movable cabinet In constant
communication with Washington. Tel
egrams in the obscure presidential ci-
pher may be thrown from the train
at the most out-of-the-way station and
there must always be on duty there
a man capable OF handling the work
in an intelligent way. A mistake made
by a night operator at Spodunk might
possibly result in an international diff
ficulty. The responsibility which ev-
cry man connected with one OF the
roads over which the train passes may
therefore be imagined.
After all is said and done the man
who is chiefly responsible for the COM
fort, and in large degree for the
welfare, OF the presidential party. rides
in the last car of the train. He is q
colored man, and he is In charge Of
the culinary department Of the presi.
Dental train. Before he is selected
the whole force of the road Is care.
fully scrutinized. He Is chosen as one
among a hundred. and as a rule hs
feels not only the responsibility bu
the honor of his appointment. 1t II
told of the chief cook on previous
presidential journey that after an es
pecially fine breakfast the presiden