Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1904-09-07
A RIDE ON THE FAST MAIL.
In the Cab Between Chicago, ST. Paul
and Minneapolis.

n minneapolis.
Ii is significant that the one train
which makes the Chicago-St. Paul run
in ten hours, carries no passengers.
To ride on IL is a privilege acquired
by few. Yet a journey on this train,
which carries none but government
mail clerks and its crew. is an eXper.
fence, especially If the journey be
made on the 'ireman's side OF the
huge locomotive which pulls it. 1t Is
a revelation of what fast passenger
service means and a liberal education
in appreciation of the cool nerve and
absolute competency of the mel who
run fast trains.
The Fast Mail over the Chicago,
Milwaukee & st. Paul railway leaves
Chicago every night of the year with
from twenty 10 fifty tons of mail
aboard and reaches 81. Paul every
morning with its burden of letters
and packages in time for transfer 10
other trains to the Pacific coast 10
connect with the mail boats, north in
TO the Dominion. east and west into
adjoining states and radiating over
a upENn lAllhS vi ldllNdN INV WY
nook and Granny of the northwest.
II one asks why the fast mail car,
ries no passengers he is answered
that there are other trains which do
that work. Another reason is appaI-
ent after a journey on the head end
with the two Ciudcr-markcd and
grease.smudged gods Of the machine
that pulls II.
TCn-hour service mean speed. on
Il glorious night not loug ago the fast
mail pulled out OF Milwaukee on time
swinging along At an easy gait
through the maze ui green. white ana
red switChlights until the last tall
scmaphorc arm >ignaled ALI clear,
shCn Engineer Sulliyau'S long right
arm shot forward through tn dark
suddenly. the hnarsc s]yncopation OF
the exhaust changed Suddenly to a
long waiting roar. and the tremendous
locomotive seemed Ia timber up in
every joint as sh, swung forward into
ihc night.
He truH her in compound the
fireman. Woodland, explained. His
father in his early lie had apprentice
cd him 10 a jew,Ier. lie had a back
like an uN and an arm like al oak
tree.
Mile posts began to fade in regular
succession and telegraph poles flew
by so fast it was hardly possible To
count. The track ahead took on an
uncanny grayish haze. but the speed
constantly increased. The big loco.
motive slowed down for nothing. She
took sharp curves like a race horse
and lunged into the long ~tansenis
like a singed cat. Engineer Sullivan
didn't talk much. lie was pretty
busy watching the track. When he
did talk il was TO the point.
"Furty-tiye miles ont of Milwaukee,
including the trip through the yards
and suburbs. where We had to slow
down, in forty-siX minutes" he said.
He dropped to the ground and oil
ed up almost on the run Two min.
utes elapsed, the big machine was
ready 10 90 again, but the conductor
appeared ont of the gloom and re.
marked that a journal on the mail car
had run hot,
Hot journals ar" not serious in
themselves. but six minutes clipped
from the schedule of a train which
must run while in motion at a rate
IF slightly more than - miles an
hour for ioS miles. Is a very import.
ant matter. Engineer Sullivan sworc
softly and drowned his wrath in cop
iOus applications of more oil to the
big engines s|tuffing boxes. Then h,
mounted the towering cab again and
the race was on for the second time,
Woodland grinncd.
We'll run like 4 pup with a lin
a tied To his tail now he Confided.
We did. Mile posts and telegraph
poles became one long procession.
with scarcely pcrceptiblc distances
between them. The air rushed through
the open 80 windows like a cyclone.
and the mail cars, trailing along be.
hind, rocked and swung on their
springs like so many drunken men
The pace was tremendous.
Ones sensations were much lik,
those when the horses enter the last
eighth on a fast track and 10000 pCO
pie In the grand stand begin to cheer
The speed gradually increased from
81 to IS. then 10 90. G5, Il, "a and u
miles an hour; then. on the crest OF
a hill" the summit of an up and
down grade. il suddenly jumped to 81
and then To % miles an hour a mil,
and a half a minute. and one felt an
insane desire TO yank the throttle
away og' and see If il were not pos
siblc 10 make three miles a minute
1t was a pace that made the GOV
eminent mail officials grin, but il Wa,
no pace for scdatc burghers and bust
mes men.
At Rio the pace suddenly fell OH
Engineer Sullivan looked at his watch
"On time" he said briefly. The F'as.
Mail covered the remaining few mile.
at a handy clip, stopped tor a min
ute at a crossing and swung into
WATERFOWL, 93l miles from Milwau
kee, OF time 10 a second.
Ninety-thTec miles Ia a triho NOR,
than 100 minutes actual running time
Keeling off the miles at a speed o
practically a mile a minute. Engineei
Sullivan passed the yard limits a
Sparta on time, only TO find the sig
mails out against him, and train No. .
which had the right Of way. boCaus,
it was a southbound train. losing tim,
and late. The heavy mail train pullc,
into clear on a siding and twelve min
utes lapscd before the bright. whit,
headlight OF the southbound passpn
ger showed around a curve.
Twelve minutes lost was a landl
cap, but It did not mean much ate
the other things that had happened
The big AZ locomotive, with driylnl
wheels seven feet in diameter. swunp
out on the main line again. and al
ter a few strokes of her pistons, sen
the speed rate climbing.
Eighty miles an hour was interest