The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-01-16
BY w. l.. French.

fifteen years when he was given charge J
OF the night telegraph office at. Balm on {,
the G. F. & c. c. rainway. Johnny"
as he was: Familiarity known, had shown |
aptitude for the railway business from
the day he had commenced as a crew
caller at the dispatcher's office at
Brooks, and he had learned operating |
at odd times and had been sent out as |
relief operator several times with sue |
cess and now he was placed at Balm in |
an office requiring more than the aver |
age ability. Balm was a junction point |
and while the building in which the Of |
flee was located was a very insignifi- |
cant affair, the amount of train order |
work done there was very large, and |
Johnny felt the Importance Of his new
position somewhat. The superintend-
ent had expressed some doubt to the
train master of Johnnys. ability to ham
die the work successfully at Balm, but
that individual was satisfied that john
ny had the ability and all he needed
was an opportunity to develop, and he
was going to give him that opportunity,
and the superintendent said no more
The train master overlooked one fact,
that where there is important work to
be done there must be reliability, as
we'll as ability; as ability without re-
liability will often lead to disaster.
Johnny felt the Importance of his new
position. but not the sense Of respon-
sibility that an older man in the same
position would have felt. He went to
work full of determination to make
his way upward in the line Of work
he had chosen, a determination that
afterwards aided him in reaching the
top in other fields and under other con-
ditions.
Balm was in Canada, only thirty miles
from the United States boundary line,
and trains going west out of Balm
crossed into the States on their way
to the metropolis of the lakes. Johnny
despite all his determination to do his
duty, was only boy in years, with a
boys heart and a boys ]ongings and
desires, and all night at the wire and
all day in bed was dreary life for the
boy. Out in the woods and in the fields
the birds called him and the fresh bios
soming flowers of early summer babe
him welcome. Down in the stream the
fish sprang and swan and waited for
him to come and catch. them; SO John
ny was often in the woods or down by
the river when he ought to have been
fast asleep in bed, or resting for his
nights work. Then, too, he liked to
ride down the line with big Jim Ran
som and some back on the passenger in
time to go to work. Ransom went east
on time freight in the afternoon, and
doubled out on another fast freight
west in the fore part Of the night.
All these things deprived Johnny Of
needed rest, and often the trick: man
would call him for. an :. aggrapating
length of time before receiving an an
| swer, and then Johnny would get
| hauled over the Goals for his neglect.
Johnny commenced to think the trick
men we're *:tyrants;; " he had never:
lthough NJ them 1 i sue i whenN HeE
fused to meet"athem UP In the office
| when he was crew-caller. These
| amusements of Johnny's were all
| healthy and good for, boy. The only
| trouble was that Johnny had taken a
mans place without being prepared to
| lay aside the rosy-hued picture of life
that boyhood had drawn for him and
| accept the stern facts of life as they
| really exist. These conditions finally
led up to an event that caused Johnny
sorrow and regret all the rest Of his
life.
One night as he sat at his desk he
heard an order pass over the wire as
! follows: mo. Is Engine 927 Cobb and
extra west 684 Smith will meet at Roth.
| No. 1856 and No. II engine 972 Ransom
will meet at Balm" Johnny zllstened to
| the order almost mechanically: Roth
was the first station west of Balm and
| Johnny had no particular interest in
| those trains, except that he wished
| they were gone SO that he could get a
| nap before the midnight passenger
came No. 16 was stock run east and
I the extra was a work train that was
| working in a cut just beyond the first
| station east of Balm and it should have
been at Roth about 7 p. M, where the
company had facilities for caring for
the men and the engine but they had
been delayed on this particular day by
! a slide in the cut that had blocked the
main line and required them to work
late in order to clear it. Johnny's eye
lids grew heavy as he sat there listen
ing to the tick of the instruments. His
eyes would close, and then with start
he would open them and look wonder
ingly around. He gave a yawn and
was about to arise and go out on the
platform for turn in the fresh air
when the dispatcher called him for
train orders. He responded instantly,
but YEARLY. He was feeling the eff
fects of a long run in the woods that
day, and he was sleepy and tired al
| most to Righteousness He took the
order which read as follows: mo. 16
engine 927 Cobb and extra west 6S4
Smith will meet at Balm instead OF
Roth. Extra 6S4 Smith gets this at
Balm;
With the order written and repeated
there was nothing to do but await the
arrisal of Smith, get his signature and
the o. K. H isorder board was already
displayed; it was out for a standing
slow order for all trains east. He
tossed the order holder back as he
finished repeating, folding his arms on
the top of the table and laid his head
YEARLY upon them The board was
out; no one could get by. Smith would