The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-18

thumb, was the way L maze my lTSI
trip. by rail, from Raleigh to Colds
boro We went to CASTOR, thence to
Hicksford, Va, and thence on the Pc
tersburg and Weldon and Wilmington
and Weldon roads TO Goldsboro; going
about two hundred and fifty miles 10
make journey of fifty.
1t took us all day and part of the
night to make that run, and cost
somewhere about ten dollars to get
there. Now we leave Raleigh at 1890
and at II M, or before, we are in
Goldsboro, at a cost of Ndollar and
a half or less, and We can be back in
Raleigh by $3.50 p. m.
Fifty years ago it was an unusual
thing for more than one freight train
to leave Raleigh a day; and half a
dozen cars made up the train, and
they were not always very heavily
laden. But now a dozen freight trains
going in one direction and another
leave here daily. some of them near
~ a quarter of a mile long. The lit
tie engines that used to puff and blow,
and frequently stall on the grades,
have been succeeded by mammoth
ones that can pull fifty cars up the
heaviest grades without materially
breaking their speed.
And that's not all. Those long
freight trains are run on Sunday as
wcll as on the working days 1 have
heard that to avoid breaking the law,
which forbids the running of freight
trains on Sunday, except such as car
ry live stock, and so forth, a certain
road keeps a billy goat for that pur-
pose. and the aforesaid billy goat goes
up and down the road every Sunday.
Another road, it is said, keeps for the
same purpose, an old blind mule that
has been jostled about until most of
the hair has been knocked off. / do
not vouch for either story; but / am
pretty sure that unless the goat and
the mule are thus utilized, there is a
vast amount of law-breaking done
every Sunday.
If railroads can run their business
on Sunday-and we know they do it
why may not every other business be
run? Are railroads above law?
Thousands of men-tired men-who
need rest, and can't get it. because to
mem there is no sabbath day, are be-
ing sacrificed upon the altar of mann
mon by corporations that cannot be
satisfied with dividends that do not
amount TO two or three times as much
as other classes of business yield. No
wonder that accidents and wrecks oc-
cur. when hard-worked operatives are
made to lose sleep night after night,
and then when Sunday comes, are re-
quired to begin a new weeks work
without being allowed enough time
to relax the tension or mind and body.
What's the reason the world cannot
stop and rest when Sunday comes?
Why all this hurry? Some things are
obliged to be done on Sunday; but
don't seem to recognize
at all. These big corporations
may be able to run rough shod over
the President. the Congress and re-
ligious sentiments; bid defiance to
laws and statutes, civil and ecclesias-
teal; but there's God who said: RE
member the Sabbath day to keep it
holy, who will surely have a reckon
ing with them. And, it will do no
good for the individual members of
those corporations to put in the plea
that il was not them but the corpor-
atfons. No such plea as that will APP
pease the wrath of Almighty God, for
He knows that the rich corporators
who go to church on Sunday and for
the real sinners. They are the cruel
task-masters who are driving with
heavier hands than did the task mas
ters of Egypt While they sit in their
easy peWs and listen to the fine sing
ing and enjoy the elegant discourse
gotten UP to suit their views, their
slaves are risking their lives and wear
trains that their dividends may be in
c. ed 80 their hges may be made
easier. They may haul their old
l.....-s ana lily coats, and in SO do
ing evade the laws of men. but God
knows how to deal with them. ana
they may look out for a terrible reck-
onng.
] remember reading of man who.
in the early days of railroading, would
not run 4 Sunday train. He was very
popular With the managers of a Ger
tain road and they were anxious to
retain him. but they wanted to run a.
Sunday train and he resigned. A man
was sent to see him TO ascertain from
him uDon what conditions he would
agree to resume his labors as con-
ductor. He stated them. and the first
was: he would run no Sunday train:
the second was; he was to be allowed
TO stop his train and marry couples
that might hail him at the crossings,
for he was a preacher; / think the
third was. that in the protracted meet
ing season, he was to be allowed. when
passing meeting on the road to stop
half hour to enjoy the services.
i The road managers, so the story
ran, acceded all his requirements and
gave him his train, the only passenger
train on the road. So great was the
confidence they had in him they did
away with tickets and let him collect
all fares on the cars. The road pros
pered, receipts increased daily, and the
management was delighted | remem-
Der reading this story in a magazine
several years ago and the name of
the gentleman as we'll as the name of
the road We're given. But that was
long ago, before we Southern people
got in such a hurry and when even
railroad men had not entirely lost
their respect for the Sabbath day
Speaking of not buying tickets. / am
reminded of an anecdote of Gov. Vance
1t is said conductor asked him for
ticket once and he replied: Il have
no ticket You'll pay me. then re-
piled the conductor. Certainly said
Mr.. Vance. II intended to do that, as
have made up my mind that these
railroad corporations shall have no
more of my money. In the future /
shall pay the conductors"
The conductor did Mt exactly see the
point, but the passengers glanced at