The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-16

The Engineer Who Lost His Nerve
was a big fellow. He stood over six
feet and was broad shouldered and fair
of face. He was something of a runner,
as runners go. The word runner on
the road doesn't mean the same as it
does about a race track, and still it's
similar. 1t means an engineer who
puts his train through right up to the
limit and doesn't slow up. because he
sees a farmer and a load of hay about
to cross the track a quarter of a mile
away.
The Runner who holds the medal has
been in the service of the Santa Fe out
OF topeka for more than a quarter of
a century. He has pulled the trains
bearing presidents of the United States
and the president and directors of the
road. One day he was called on to pull
a special, a couple of private cars of
the directors and a baggage coach, to
EmpOria a little over 60 miles.
Going to put her through, Bill %
was asked of The Runner as he was
looking over his engine.
He looked up and nodded. When he
backed his engine down to couple on
he didn't even shake the water in a
glass on the dining table of the first
private car. The Runner tied his red
bandanna a little closer about his
throat and adjusted his cap. His or
10
clear track. Everything else had to
look out for The Runner.
When the directors, in the rear car
looked at the speed gauge they saw that
The Runner was reeling off more than
a mile a minute at times. It was all
right-if they staid on the irons and
didn't go straight off across a pasture.
If they did happen to go into the
ditch or the rear end of somthing elese
it wouldn't be all right. They landed
in Emporia, little over so miles, in
about 70 minutes. That was the record
of The Runner who hadn't lost his
nerve. He was a bully good fellow. He
was complimented by the ''brass col
lars" who rode in the private cars. Bill
was a mighty good fellow-because he
didn't have an accident.
But to get back to The Engineer Who
Lost His Nerve. He was on regular
passenger run. He wasn't a dare devil.
He wouldn't have been called a bully
good fellow by the directors if he pulled
their train. He was coming east early
one morning and instead of meeting the
weStbound fast mail at the usual place
he had orders to go on. He Who Lost
His Nerve had been paying too much
attention to trance mediums That was
the trouble.
He went along in the dark with no
word about the fast mail. He passed
Lang and Reading and still heard moth
ing of the train he was to meet He
had long, heavily loaded train of day
coaches. tourists and Pullmans He
kept wondering where that fast mail
was.
The last place to meet it, before
reaching Topeka, would be Pauline. AS
far as the orders he had were con-
cerned. he was to run right on to To-
peka. But he didn't know where that
fast mail was. and he didn't want to
meet it.
At Pauline he pulled onto the siding
and sent his fireman over to wake up
the station agent and have him come
to the station and telegraph to Topeka
and ask where the fast mail was The
fast mail was waiting in Topeka all
that time for the Engineer Who Lost
His Nerve to reach Topeka.
That was the last run he made on a
passenger He went to work a few
weeks after, when the railroad officials
had gotten over being mad, on a switch
engine.