The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-05-04

some folks laugh when YOU talk OF
a trainman'S superstition about No. 13,
hut faint 10 iaughin' matter. You
can call him fool ii you want to- and
he'll not fight back when you do. lie
knows what Is means. Why, look
down in the depot now; there's the
is>ouri Kansas and Texas fast mail.
the Katy flyer. See that number on
that engine? 'Tain't Is, is it: Well.
No. l3 pulled that runnin train in ana
out OF Kansas City for months. Now
she's suddenly disappeared. Where j.
she? I'll bet somethinS happened 10
her-bet she's in the shop for repairs,
or else they can't get no one 10 pull
her throttle. Now over on the Belt
line there's 13 engine but she's harm
less. There's 4 horseshoe hung from
her numbegplace by a rISty nail.
Pack in the winter of 1929" said
Campbell Bateman. train dispatcher at
the Union Depot. Il gave an order to a
Missouri Pacific train bound for Oma-
ha. 1t was the thirteenth order issued
that evening. Someway or other. |
didn't feel right when the conductor
came in and signed up. But | gave
him order No. L. and went TO work.
About half an hour later there came
over the wire. Pullman car on No. .
robbed by bandit. Notify detectives
The train was between Kansas City.
Kan, and Ncarman when the robber
with a pistol had forced the conductor
10 20 through the Pullman ear and
rouse the passengers. The first thing
| thought of was that order 13."
The roOber that night secured $50
in cash and five watches. He shot
once at passenger who refused To
be robbed, but the bullet did no harm.
T.. X. CarneS, Superintendent of Mis-
souri, Pacific terminals in Kansas City.
worked on the Ohio and Mississippi
Railroad in 1876. He was conductor
OH train to which engine No. Is was
assigned for service Henry Fowler
was the engineer. very religious man.
Elijah Morris was the fireman, and
about rs profane railroadcr aS ever
Shoyelled coal into a firehoX.
Morris hated that 13' rs bad as he
hated short pay" Mr.. CarncS said.
why, she's nothing but an old
thraSher. and some day she'll pile Us
all in the ditch Morris used 60 CON-
plain. ON the other hand. Fowler.
the engineer, was proud Of her, and
gave his IL rs much care rs he gave
his wife. Day 10y day Morris hatred
of No. L. grew. We used to accuse
him Of bciu" afraid but he denied it,
On" day after an unusually tough lot
of work, we pulled into. NincenncS,
Ind. and ran the engine to the road
house. Fowler cot of ana looked his
t. over with care. He rubbed a little
grease off here. little dirt there. He
felt of the boxes ana wedges. Morris
stood at one side ana watched. He got
hold Of bottle of whisky too, and
took several drinks Then ho went
back to the engine. slipped into the
cab. ana yelled TO Fowler:
Look out, Henry. Here goes the
last Of IL"
He pulled the throttle wide open
and lcapcd from the engine. The
machine gave backward bound. and
landed upside down in the pit at the
rear of the turntable Her smokeStacl;
was crushed. her cab torn loose, one
side rod was broken. ana she was truly
wrecked. Norris hatred had got the
better Of him. The little machine was
given a different number when it was
ready 10 leave the repair shops. And
Morris? We'll. Morris hunted another
job. The superintendent suggested it,"
There's a hoOdoo engine and a hoo
doc cahoose on every road says T. !. !
Sanford. President Of the Union Depot /
Company. You may think it fool
belief Of trainmen. but its not. There |
are engines which seem perfectly /
made. which work as smoothly as am
engine on the Government mail. but ,
which are as treacherOuS as an Idaho /
brouchO. And you'N hear the trdinman |
cu~s I'm long. deep. sincere CuS> words !
when they get this hoodoo engine on I
their run Shell run along a, smooth /
rs a top for miles, and then she'll climb I
the rails ana sail into the ditch. Sh. /.
doesn't hurt anything seriously. bot /
there she iS-thc road tied up on her I
account. Put her back on the trd..; /
and shell dig into the ditch again per-
haps inside Of a mile And caboosc. /
act the same way. You can hardly /
drag "a tra.umau into q Cl1y,,e that's
i3"
\ little incident showing some OF the
humor IN q switchman's foolish ways
happened in the office of W. VI. Cor.
bott. superintendent of tho Western
Division Of the Alton Railway. 4 faw
weeks ago some sw.tchmen employed
iu tie Missouri Pacific yards iu the
East bottoms struck. The matter was
discussed one afternoon. and it was
"iaid on the shelf" 70 be fully decided
the next evening one Of the other
switchmau. who wished % avoid
strike. went TO Mr. Corbett and asked
for n position.
If they 20 out" he said Il want
to work for the Alton. Tomorrow