The Washington times., 1905-05-07
voHN GRAY thought as he looked
{ upon the swift flow of the strag-
J Cling landscape of the change that

{ upon the. swift flow of the stras-
\ ] Cling landscape of the change that |
had come into his life.
We'll" said Howe, 1--WE are really |
started. Now, when we get to Balti- |
more it will be no use to try to geteout |
of there in a coach. III nave to try a |
new racket. It's one I've thought out |
and 1 know it viii work"
.<Ail right said Gray. 'sYou are the |
captain
It seemed only a few minutes to John
when. after a confused mixture of
Druidic groves, quick angling country
homes, they ran into maze of side
tracks, through a long. sulphurous tun-
mel. TO emerge under a smoky train
shed. resonant with changing bells and
rushing feet.
.tCome on said Howe. passing into
the station. He crossed to the ticket
window, and from a tin case extracted
g. long slip of cardboard.
.-Our compass, he remarked with a
laugh. Lets go 10 some quiet place
and map out our campaign.
In a corner they found pile OF
boards.
Howe took out his compass. -
Now this is what is called a passen-
ger time card ne remarked. The true
time card is called the working card. It
contains the arriving and leaving time
Of all regular trains-both freight and
passenger-at all stations: this is q nom
official imitation used by the passenger
department for the benfit of the travel
ing public. OF course. it's correct as
far as passenger trains - but some
smart Alecks think it is the real thing.
There is a great difference in the big
sheet carrying ca its face all of the
regular trains passing over a division.
Strings of black snaky figures that,
cobra-like. bite swift and deep when
you ignore or disregard them. But you
will absorb that soon enough. Now what
I want of this card is this. You see
here placing his finger at the bottom,
us q train No. 3, leaving here at SOL
p. m. Now follow up-where time is
shown lopposites station names the train
makes a ,sJop-yeu see this row Is filled
TO Harrisburg-that means the train is
q local accommodation, stopping at all
stations. Now see. she stops here at
Self the engine is az inside oiler we
are o. K''
What DO you mean by an inside
oiier?" asked Gray.
ssWhy. this. The valves that admit
steam to the cylinders are moving across
their seats continually when the engine
is in motion. and OF course. the pistons
in the cylinders. too. There is lots Of
friction, and they must get Oil Until
very lately the only way 10 do this
was TO take a pot of melted talloW and
pour il into cups placed upon the steam
chests-a dangerous piece of business
thai has put many a poor fireman under
the daisies. You pitch over. grade.
wind blowing q gale air full of sleet,
running board sheet of ice, your eyes
full of fire-the dazed blind of the white
hot furnace that you have been punch
ing and slashing for an hour-and start
with a gallon of hot tallow and your
lantern In one hand clInging to the
hand-rail with the other Then step
down on the hot steam chest. balance
yourself-kick the cup open-pour in the
precious grease-then clutchiEg the
headlight braeket-step over the black
gulf to the pilot beam. work your way
over the pitching. plunging front To re-
peat the process on the other side. know
ing that at any moment you may form
cushion against the smoke box foT
the accommodation of a prowling COW
lit forms q bad combination.
."To avoid this some bright fellow has
put the cups in the cab piping them tC
the steam chests l heard some of the
somebody had invented a thing thai
would feed tallow automatically droI
by drop against steam pressure. guess
it's on a par with that automatic ali
brake What I meant was this. 1 ex
pect we Will go into Harrisburg on The
pilot of No. 8 tonight If she is a cal
oiler. That will avoid a grimy smoke
artist falling over US the first hill We
start down.
ssYou surely don't intend to ride tbs
cow-ca tcherl" gasped John.
'.Yes' answered Howe, ''and see here
John The railroad man calls that piece
of furniture a pilot. Don't forget it, il
might get the firm into trouble. Nov
the plan is this: We win stroll up Il
that station, get there a few minute:
before the train is due. II the platform
is on the engineers side, and she is oul
kind Of oiIer We are o. K. We stant
close 10 the track on the left side. Wher
she stops the fireman will do one o
two things. Either be working on hi!
fire to get it in coed shape TO stant
the heavy mauling or starting and re
gaining speed or viii cross TO the Ell
gineer's side to inspect the feminine pop
ulatfon. II is immaterial 10 which hi.
temperament leads him. it viii leave
clear coast for US TO climb on. Onc'
there under the headlight. it's the dark
est, slickest place to beat on th'
rain.
t"But CATTLE" said John.
ssNever mind about nights or mays,
interrupted Howe quickly. "If you le
them paddle around in your gray mat
ter you will prove a disgrace TO YOU
devoted teacher.
John brought heavy hand down OF
his shoulder and arising the laughing
couple set cut for their kind" of a sta
ton