The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-01

ASK I'm II he's got anything for No.
23.p
| put the question to the train dis
patcher over the wire, and he answered
"No." very plainly and distinctly. After
d while the train pulled out, and was
looking for the "soup ticket to report
them, when the train dispatcher began
calling the office.
| answered and he said; 'iGet No. 23."
They're gone"
"Stop EN-"
Il say they've gone
Fetch 'em back"
They're gone, / S."
"Shut that key and go and bring that
train back for orders."
/ closed the key and wandered aimless-
ly out on the platform in the vague hope
of seeing the agent or that something
might happen. To my surprise I saw
that the freight had stopped at the other
end Of the yard about three-quarters of
a mile sway. / could still hear the dis
patcher calling. and knew by the vicious
sound OF the instrument that he was
mad. Thoughts of collision and the pos
sibility Of my being responsible for a
terrible accident flashed across my mind,
and I started for that train on run.
The distance was greater than ! had i'm.
agined, and was completely blown when
/ came up with it. The conductor was
lying on his back under car fixing
something about the air-brake. / man
aged to gasp out that the train dis
patcher wanted him for orders.
"Tell him to 60 plumb to h-l!"
shouted the conductor. and then calmly
continued his labor. As there seemed
nothing else to be done started back
to the station to deliver the message.
and had gone but short distance when
the engine passed me backing up to the
Office. It was going too fast for me to
board it, so the conductor and engineer
had been waiting ten minutes or more
when eventually reached the station.
'If it's all the same to you, partner"
said the conductor, with freezing polite
ness, "we'd just as soon get out of here.
We've got families at the other end of
the run. and 'ud like to get there before
they grow out of our remembrance"
/ walked into the Office and told the
dispatcher I had stopped the train.
why don't you be all day about itt"
he answered. "There's nothing for them
its too late to help 'em any now"
I was afraid of the conductor when !
told him. His jaw fell, and for fully a
minute he gazed at me in round-eyed
horror, then rushed from the office and
yelled to the engineer: Git move on
yerselfl Git out of here before he has
another fit"
After that it was comparatively quiet
for while. | made feeble effort to un
derstand something of the classifications
but soon gave up the attempt as hope
less. One or two lots of freight and ex-
press cmae, and couple of trains passed
without accident. l was beginning to
think / was getting on to the business
when the agent returned. He looked
more careworn than ever as he sank
wearily into the one chair the Office af-
forded.
''Well, how you maxim it!" he asked,
and stated so far the progress seemed
satisfactory.
Next he looked at the way-bills, and
wanted to know if | had unloaded that
COW yet.
'No," I answered; mot yet"
Not yet!' he shrieked. "Great Scott,
man, what does Section 1886 81 and SS
of the Revised Statutes of the United
States and Section ?, Chapter 3, of the
Act of April 8, 1888, say!"
I was about to confess my ignorance,
but he stopped me.
'Don't waste any more precious time;
get that critter unloaded before anyone
sees her. She's been in the car over 36
hours, and we're liable to $500 fne."
The COW was unloaded Immediately.
When l returned to the office he called
my attention to bill of 9S cents had
collected on washing machine.
You corrected that bill before you
collected it, | hopes"
Corrected iti No. What's wrongp
"0h, mere trihe; that comes under
the Interstate Commerce Law and by
overcharging lS cents you've laid US LA
bic to a fine of $1,000, or two years in
the penitentiary, or both-that's all. See
what circular 2.2Ol says: Agents who
violate any of the provisions of the
Interstate Commerce Law win them
selves be personally liable to the penal