The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-01-06
R ROAD MEN
ARE 10y ALE TO
EACH OTHER
ALTHOUGH ROUGH AND SPITE
Full AT TIMES. they HAVE
VERY KINDLY FEELING
FOR ONE ANOTHER.

pursuit OF ESilTOauInS are more loyal,
one to ar,-nher, than men in any 9TH
er following Is an established fact.
These men may and invariably do.
quarrel and belabor each other with
the choicest of epithets. for the very
good reason that each man is an integ-
raj part of the train he may be en-
ployed upon and unless every other
member does his al-l.ted work in the
proper manner, everything goes
wrong and necessitates more grief for
the rest; but just let this same man
meet with an accident and see how
quick all petty troubles are forgotten
and what heartfelt solicitations are
expressed by all.
Take for instance a case which hap,
pened on a certain Western railroad
a few years ago. Only two brakemen
are used on .-ue crew on this particu-
lar line and on one of these crews two
were brakinE for young conductor
who was universally popular. The
rear man, although having less expe-
rience. was older on the road than
the man ahead and he always seem
ed - be afraid that his partner would
be given his end for the very good
reason that he was a better railroad
man and more responsibility devolves
upon the man who guards the rear of
a train.
On every occasion this young fellow
would knock his mate. not .-nly to
the captain, but to other trainmen and
the little petty cases cases of mud
singing were manifold. This contfn-
ued for about two months with the
bad feeling continually growing until
affairs reached such pass that the
two rarely spoke.
One bright morning early in the
summer, the rear man. in boarding
| lis cat,-ose. fell beneath the wheels
and both legs were cut off. The head
man was the first to reach his side
and rushing to the engine cut piece
from the bell cord and stopped the
flow of blood by binding the limbs
high up, almost before the other
trainmen were aware OF the accident,
| or at least before they overcame their
stupefact.n. Not a word was ex-
changed between the two, however,
even on the three mile ride to the
hospital during which the mangled
limbs were held by the erstwhile en-.
envy.
The train in their charge was a
most important one and although no
hopes were entertained for the in
jured ones recovery, the crew was
compelled to take it the rest of the
way over the division. Being short of
men on the line. the crews request to
| lay-off and return to the presumably
dying man was refused and they did
not get chance to visit him until
two days had elapsed.
The conductor and remaining
| brakeman managed to get to the hos
pital on the evening of the sec-nd
day and were very much surprised to
learn that was still living
and with very good chances for re-
| covery, too. After few moments
they were admitted to his bedside and
! the wave of emotion that overspread
| the suffering mans features was pit
| liable in the extreme. The two men.
with tear dimmed eyes walked to the
edge of the bed and being aware II
the feeling previously existing be-
tween his two men. the conductor
reached out his hand and caressed
the we, brow of the sufferer.
The poor fellow did not even re-
ward This sympathy with a glance but
kept his eyes fixed on the face of his
| former enemy and that husky young
fellow, with mighty surge of feel
| ing THAI he cJIld not control threw
| himself on the bed beside his unfortu-
| nate mate and such reconciliation
was never seen, at least in that hos
pital. for the physician and nurses
turned away with tears streaming
down their faces.
Another instance of how one mans
mishap. II it is serious, win affect his
fellows is of recent occurrence a
certain engineer was walking along
the streets of terminal when he met
| the master mechanic. Where have
you been?" inquired the latter. ''the
| caller has been hunting all z,yer town
for you. i want you to get the spot
| and go up to -- and bring No.
12 back where's -?" in
quired the eagle eye" naming the
regular engineer Hes three miles