The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-04-09

~gHEREl has been Just little too much
hero.with-his- on tho throttle
stuff written about the railway loco.
d motive engineer. He has been called
the !" aristocrat OF labor" which he
comes nenr to being, but he should not be
cnliedi. Il, and the glamour ofronlance has been
thrown over his work until he comes near TO
being constant hero in the eyes of the read
Ing public. The writing men who have ridden
with engineers on fast trains have done their
work well, so now the people who read news.
papers and magazines know how the trusty
engineer sits ever With his hand onthe throt-
tie. his eyes glued on the track, alert, watch
Tul, rendy for instant and serious danger,
ready to tell his fireman TO jump; ready to
shut off the team;throw on the air, and stay
by his engine through the era sh and death Of
a wreck.
1t Is a pretty picture that the special writer
builds out OF words about the heroic engineer.
It's too bad that 1t is not true. Butthc fact
Is the engineer" jumps" he jumps Just as
quick, fast, and far as circumstances will
permit, and II he does not do It his comrades
reckon him a fool. When you speak to old
engine runners about staying with the
engine when a wreck occurs You are greet
ed with boots. AS one grlzzled fellow, who
has had three nr four engines under his
charge reduced 10 twisted iron and steel
puts It: The man who doesn't jump when
he's got show is q 49, fool, and there aren't
many - fools in this business. =
Men OF Sense and Family Jump.
Considering the matter calmly, there is
little reason md little basis for the many
stories that have been clwula ted concerning
engineers who had died In their cabs, or who
5staid on their engines through wrecks and
escaped with their lives, and the romance
that is in the engineers life. Tho engineer
is generally a man Of sense. Usually he is n
man of family, and the family is always de-
pendent upon his work for support. q
He looks at the matter in a sensible light
'lf he can stay in the cab long enought to shut
off the steam and put on the air (and In JUS
lice to him 1t must be said that he generally
does this) before he jumps he does SO. But
he jumps every time unless the accident
comes too suddenly for him and leaves. him
no chance. He Is no hero glorying in the
prospect OF sticking to the post OF duty and
dying when he nigh escape. He is a. first
class, high type workingmnn, and working
men do not throw their lives away in useless
heroics.
When the engineer is called aworkingman
IL describes him In short. lie is not an aris-
tocrat OF any class, he is a worker, and there
lis little enough romance in his career. He Is
paid for running an engine over a 81 ven
number OF miles Of steel rails. This Is the
prime consideration with him.. The wrecks
the accidents, the change OF scenes and places
that he experiences and sees are only incl-
dents, part Of the days work, and there Is
nothing romantic about them TO the work
!n- engineer. According to the men who run
enEines-and they surely should know--thcre
! Is no particular JOY in the feel OF q monster
locomotive throbbing under ones hands after
4 man has been making his living experience
ing the throb for a few years. THERE'S Moth
ing SO cntrancing in the vista Of country
town, and city, flying past one In the daily
work; and. last of all illusions to be shat
tered, there is nothing particularly romantic
or exhilarating in the constant prospect OF
iserious danger. THERE'S even nothing exclt-
ing in knowing that you may be killed around
the next curve, after you have ridden with
tho sensation on your shoulders for while.
You get into the cab and pull to the