The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1906-06-06

A MILE
A
MINUTE.
ss*ss*ssssxs.s..s


There was not a better railroad
telegraph operator on the line of the
w. and w. road than Tim Mulligan,
but for all that he was out of a job
half of the time. Tim had begun his
career as a messenger boy and had
worked up from one place to another
until he had reached the top, but there
had been many intervals.
The trouble with him was that he
was no hero worshipper. He refused
to believe that master mechanics, su-
perintendents, general managers and
Iailroad presidents were better than
other men, and the employe who holds
to that belief cannot hold his job at
the same time
Three times in five years he was
called upon to contribute to a fund to
buy an official a silver dinner set, and
three times he refused and was dis
charged. He did not refuse because he
disliked the man who was to be bene-
flied by the gift. but because he be-
lieved that the official should be salts
fed 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
suspension without pay. In no in
stance was there cause enough to war
rant putting his name on the black list
and Tim had an affection for the w.
and W. road and did not look for a
position on any other.
The seventh time he was taken back
he was sent down the line to wretch
ed 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 his new
place. He knew that within 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 nat
uredly 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
telegraphing. He found the Office
closed. The hour for closing was nine
o'clock and it was now midnight Per-
haps this part would have been ex-
cused, but that night Tim happened to
be off to a dance with a crowd Of
young people. There was an order
forbidding him to go to a dance when
off duty, and he was not supposed to
know when accidents were going to
happen, but he was held to be Grim
inally guilty and told to prepare for
decapitation.
Two days later the superintendent
arrived on a special train. He was
showing committee of the Legislature
over the road. On the same train was
a telegraph operator who had come
down to take Tins place The spe.
cial had twenty minutes to wait that
the run east might be clear, and the
superintendent personally saw the
transfer of the station. Then he told
Tim that he should never click an
instrument on the line again Tim
replied that it would be no loss to
him and 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 a seat on
pile of ties and. wonder whether he
should turn navy or farmer The SUI
perintendent's train was TO make a
run of fifteen miles, sidetrack for
seven or eight minutes and then have
a 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 reach
ed R and had taken the side track
Three minutes later he was on his
feet and all attention.
Darkness had fallen, and far up the
track he could see locomotive head
light. According to arrangements
there should have been no following
train for half an hour. The headlight