The San Francisco call., 1905-04-15


Tim Mulligan, but for all that
he was out of a job half the
time. Tim had begun his career in
Chicago as messenger boy, and had
worked up from one place to another
been many intervals. The trouble with
him was that he was no hero worship
er. He refused to believe that master
mechanics, superintendent, general
managers and railroad presidents were
better than other men, and the en-
ploye who holds to that belief cannot
hold his job at the same time.
Not that Tim went out of his way to
be impudent or lacking in respect, but
that he was no cringer or timeserver.
He respected man as man, and not
because he held position. Three times
in five years he was called upon to con-
tribute to a fund to buy an official a
silver dinner set, and three times he
refused and was discharged. He did
not refuse because he disliked the man
who was to benefit by the gift, but
because he believed that the official
should be satisfied with his salary, the
same as he was.
In the course of ten years Tim was
discharged seven times and seven times
he was taken back after he had loafed
around for couple of months The
term for it in railroad parlance Is sus-
pension without pay. In no instance
was there cause enough to warrant
putting his name on the black list and
Tim had an affection for the w. and
w. Road and did not look for a posi-
ton on any other The seventh time
he was taken back he was sent down
the line to q wretched little station on
half salary He had to be freight and
passenger agent and telegraph operator
at the same time. Tim did not object
to mis- new place. He knew that with
in a few weeks he would be invited to
come up higher. There was much
chatting on the part of other operators
along the line. but Tim took it good
naturedly and went on with his work
He had been holding this position
almost two months when crisis hap
pened. There was an accident four
miles up the road from his station and
an employe was sent back to do teIe-
graphing. He found the Office closed.
The hour for closing was 8 o'clock
and 1t was now midnight Perhaps
this part of 1t would have been ex-
cused, but that night Tim happened to
be off to a dance with q crowd of
young people. There was no orders
forbidding him to go to a dance when
off duty, and he was not supposed
to know when accidents were going to
ildppSll, Out ne WAS nelQ 10 De crlmln-
ally guilty and told to prepare for de-
capitation.
Two days later the superintendent
arrived on a special train. He was
showing committee of the Legisla-
ture over the road. On the same train
was telegraph operator who had
come down to take Tins place. The
special had twenty minutes to wait
that the run east might be clear and
the superintendent personally saw to
the transfer of the station. Then he
told Tim that he should never click
an instrument on that line again. Tim
replied that 1t would be no loss to
him and a few hot words passed.
AS it happened Tim had received
his pay the day before and was free
to go where he would. What he did
was to cross the tracks and take
seat on a pile of ties and wonder
whether he should turn navvy or
farmer. The superintendent's train
was to make run of fifteen miles,
sidetrack for seven or eight minutes
and then have clear run of sixty
miles. Tim could hear the new man
clicking away after the train had
pulled out and he heard the word
come back that it had reached r.
and taken the sidetrack Three min
utes later he was on his feet and all
attention.
Darkness had fallen, and far UP t.