The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-28


Nincty-six years II seemed good
while 10 wait; yet in the regrsar course |
of events on the Mountain DiviNoh there
anpearel no earlier prospect OF JIMMIE
getting a passenger run.
Got your rights. amt you? sald
Doubleday when Jimmie complained.
Il have and | haven't grumbled JIM
mic, winking hard: there's younger mon
than | am on the fast runs
They got in on the strike: you're oeeh
told that a hundred times. hang on
10 your freight There's better men than
you in ireland up TO their bolt IN Tue
bog Jimmie
ITS pity they didn't leave You there,
Doubleday.
You'd have been q good while hunt
inr for a freight run il they had
Then Jimmie would get mad and shake
his finger and talk fast. "Just the same,
I'll have fast run here when you're
dead"
Maybe: but I'll be alive good whlle
vet. my SON. the master mechanic would
laugh The talk always ended that way,
and Jimmie Bradshaw knew it always
would end that way.
The trouble was, no one on the dlvls-
ion would take Jimmie seriously. and lie
felt that the ambition OF his life would
never be fulfilled; that he would go ping
cling 10 gray hairs and the grave en- an
old freight train. IT was funny TO heaf
him complaining about it. Tor everything.
even his troubles came funny to hint,
ard in talking he had an odd way of slut
tering with his eyes wheh were red.
In fact. Jimmie vas nearly all red: hair,
face. hands-they said his teeth were
sandy.
When the first rumors about the pre-
poyed yellow Mail reached the MOUNTAINS
.JinlIsie was running new ten-wiIe& Ter +;
ireakiag her n on y freight for sefA !"
fellow without Il lick o sense TO use on
= limited passenger run" as Jimmie OBJ
served bitterly. The runners about the
mail as tho season advanced few thick
or ana faster. Washington never was
xe:y progressive in the matter OF i'm
proving the transcon;ineSial service. but
once by mistake they put in Postmaster
G.nstaI down there who wo1ldnt take
The oil song When the bureau fellows
fl.ai put their brains M in the eur papers
softly told him it couldn't be done he
smiled softly snd sent for the managers
Of sha crack lines across the continent
without suspecting how il bore incidental
l. ~ jimmie Dradsha~s grievance
AGAINST his master mechanic
The Postmaster General called The
managers OF Inc big lines. and they had
= dinner al ChaGlbcrlains and they told
sin tho same thing. 1T has been tried, :
they said in he oil. tired way.
"caiiforna has heea getting The worst
uf il To-. years on the mail service per-
sisted the Postmaster General moderate
II NJ.
iag New York mail in Chicago in twenty
hours 1t ought TO be simple to cut half
day across the continent Where's 1.-The
fall down."
The general managers looked at our
representative sympathctically. and
ooughed cigar smoke his way TO hide
Ia -
West of the Missouri murinared \
Pennsylvania swell. who pulled irdiffer-
entity at a ffty-cent cigar.
The West End representative WAS UNI
happily accustomed TO ffcing The finger
of scorn on such occasions. II had be-
come with our managers tradition.
There was never conference of trans
Continental lines in which VIC were not
sccffod a. as tho weak linc in the ch:in
of everything-m passenger specials,
what not
This time n new man was sitting for
the line at the Chamberlain dinner: u
youngish man With face that set like
cement when the West End was trod on.
The Postmaster General was inclined.
from the reputation we had. 10 look on
eur man as one looks at dog without
pedigree or at a dray horse in Il
bEach o. standard brcds. Bat something
in the mouth OF the West CrnG man gave
hirl laGsc Tho Post aster General sun
pressed Il Using sarcasm with sin of
C.artreuse aui waited: noi did he mis-
take. the West LnG.l was about TO
speak
WHY west of Tie Missouri y? h asked.
with lift of the face not altogether
candid. The Pennsylvania man shrug-
sed his DraWs.
It it is pat through. how ..luch of ii
do you propose to take sourself?" in
ouired our man. looking evenly at the Al
leshary official.
"SiXtv-fve miles. including stops. from
ne New York post office to Canal street. =
replied The Pennsylvania man. and his
words flowed with irritating ease.
What do YOU t1ke?' contirred tho
man with the jaw. turning to tho Bur
lington representative. who was strug-
SHHS. RELATED. NllE du dfllcnokt.
About seventy from Canal to Tenth
aud Mason. say. seventy" repeated the
{" manager. with the loneliness Of a
man who has miles to throw away.
Then suppose we say sixty-iive from
Tenth and Mason 10 Ogden. suggested
he West Ender. There was wcll-brcd
stare the table round. Sixty-fve miles
an hour? Through the Rockies?
The Postmaster General struck the
table quick and heavily; he didn't want
to let il get away. why hang it, Mr..
Bucks. he exclaimed with emphasis ..if
you viii say sixty. the business is done
We don't ask YOU to do the Rockies in
the time these fellows take TO cut he
Allcghanies. DO sixty. and ] will put
mail in Frisco day earlier every week
in the year.
Nothing on the West End 20 keep you
from doing it. said General Manager
Bucks. lie bad been rut IN then only
about SIX months. But"
Every orc locked ap the young mana
ger. The Pennsylvania man looked with
confidence for he instantly suspected