The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-16
GENESIS OF THE BELL ROPE
Result OF Combat That Settled Conductors
Supremacy over Engineer.

Result Of Combat That Settled COnductor't
Supremacy over Engineer.
Although there does not seem to b,
anything in common between pugilisn
and railroad rules, yet the adoption Of the
familiar bell rope that stretches through
every car of the modern train was the
I result of a fistic encounter. At the same
time, and by the issue OF the same combat
says the Philadelphia Public Ledger, the
supremacy of the conductor in railroad
travel was ordained. 1t was Philadelphia
which gave both to he world.
One Of the oldest railroads in the country
is the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Balti-
more, now known as the Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Washington, which was
opened in 1897. The first schedule con-
tanned one passenger train, which went to
Baltimore one day and came back the next,
which was considered a remarkable feat
in rapid travel. When a train a day each
way was placed in service the people OF
the two cities served concluded that the
acme of convenience in transportation had
been reached.
Next to the president Of the railroad
the most important functionaries were the
engineer and conductior. II was a question
whether or not the head of the line
was considered a subsidiary official in
popular estimation to the men who ran
the train; but Robert Fogg, who pulled the
throttle, and John Wolf, who collected fares,
won the Difference Of the public because OF
their high and responsible duties.
Fogg. an Englishman, had all the tenac-
ity Of opinion of his race; Wolf, an Amer
lean, had the ingenuity of the Yankee,
and seeing the need OF some method by
which he could communicate with the
engineer. devised the scheme of running
a cord through the cars TO the locomotive.
As the engine was a wood burner, Wolf
fastened one end OF the cord to a log,
which was placed on the engineers seat
and was pulled to the floor when the con.
ductor desired TO signal for a stop.
Fogg resented What he considered an in
reference with his rights on the platform
Of the locomotive. and on the first run
out with the new device paid no heed TO
the displacement Of the log from the seat
when the conductor desired TO take on a
passenger from a farm near Gray's Ferry,
but sped on over the bridge and did not
deign 10 bring his engine to a stop until
Blue Bell Station, on the south side Of the
.Schuylkill. had been reached. Then he
demanded to know Of Wolf why he had
been Jerking that log all about the loco
motive.
Wolf holly declared that he had sig
nailed to stop, hut Fogg retorted that he
would stop when and where he pleased,
and that, too, without any reference 10
orders from the conductor, whom he did
not regard az his superior in the manage
ment Of the train. The alteration grew
very heated. and Wolf invited the en-.
gineer from the cah 10 settle the matter
and the challenge was quickly accepted.
Passengers IN a group Of men who
had gathered az the station to see the train
come III formed a ring about the COM !
but the fight did not last long. az
Wolf proved 10y far the superior artist
With his fists. and with a few blows made
IL almost impossible for the engineer 10
Sre sufficiently TO complete his rum; but
togg admitted that he had been fairly
beaten and the supremacy Of the conductor
on a railroad train was settled.
As tho log signal was crude and inef-
Wolf devised the use Of a hell on
he locomotive. and this method was soon
by all Of the American railroads. /
Then y code Of signals was adopted and
hose remain practically To this day. The
inly change in the bell cord is that bv use
u the air from the brake system q whistle
las superseded the bell 10 the locomotive
,ab.