The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-10-11
Selett Stnrp.
THE PIRATE ENGINEER.
BY JOSEPH VI. ROGERS.

alono with some of the chief officials OF thu
road were seated in the rear section OF INT
special car smoking and telling stories
These had wide range and were so IN
terestinc that, though the hour became
late. no one proposed to go to bed. Tht
rhythmic rumble of the train gave sor
of diapason accompaniment to the stores
of strange accidents, of lucky opportunl
ties seized, of moving crises and the like.
All were interested.
In the course of lull the youngest OF
the party, being the Division Superlnten
dent, and in sense the territorial host In
charge of the party, remarked to tie Eand-
some gray haired President that while all
| these strange tales were new to HIM, and
dealt mostly with a period before he had
been born, yet he knew enough OF the
President history to understand that there
was no accident Of fortune which had
brought him to the front.
The President stopped smoking very
large cigar and looked into the young man
face until it was full of bushes and the
heart was full of tremor Then the Presi
dent laughed and remarked:
II might as well tell it now. | never
vet have told it, but | guess it won hurt
i am the great accident i'll American
railways.
There was Il murmur of protest in which
the superintendent had the most volume
"Not." pursued the President, ''but
that | might otherwise have got along after
fashion, but | am sure | wou!d not have
been here except for combination OF cir
cumstamces which none Of you will believe
unless | assure YOU it is true and can prove
il in Il court of law if necessary.
That settled It, The President was a
taciturn man. AMI those who knew him
best understood that when he had story
to tell the best way was to let him give 1t
ont in his awn way.
The President laughed, looked at his
cigar and threw it away. Then he bent
forward as if talking to syndicate OF
bankers concerning very large deal.
Before was thirty had run locomo-
tive for some years in the East, and do
say that considered myself equal to the
best. Then came one Of the strikes so
frequent in those days, and was stranded
With lot of others | hoofed it for the
West on some friendly cabs, and landed In
Central Ohio, where there was a strike and
engineers needed | was always Il Union
man. but the engineers on this road had
sent men tn throw us out in the East, so |
had no oualms Of conscience in taking i
run.
That last expression seems easy now,
but in those days it was not run for your
money, but your life. I was husky
fellow, could handle revolver or Il brick.
bat and made things so lively that | was
soon ace high with the whole push of Off
cias on the Quaker road as will call 1t.
Thus it came about that once after | had
been out for thirty -ei ght hours on the east
and west run I was told by the master me
chanic that | must 90 up on run towards
Toledo to make connection at Mason
City.
L s"'lC
that would not do it. | was dead for
sleep and the idea of taking out 4 special
of express, mails and private car full of
directors, presidents and Wall Street mag
mates was not to my notion. | had girl
back East, and she had never even heard
from me since got my job. had thought
to write her
But I was told that this was an exceed
ingly important run, that the big wigs
must get up to the Wandervelt line by day
light to meet a lot of Chicago fellows who
were going to put our own line, known as
the Quaker Road. on the blink.
had never been on this line at all, and
told the master mechanic some things
which are not fit for publication, but in the
end agreed to start a little after midnight
and try to get to Mason City to shut off
the Chicago people in time for deal that
would settle lot of things
would not have done it at all if I had
not been given fireman who was said to
know every fence corner on the road.
wish | could tell you a lot of things,
but that is not my forte; | simply got ready,
and away we flew on queer looking loco
motive.
1t was in the days when the best would
be considered archaic now, but at that time
we took what we could get. This old thing
was better than she looked, because she
had been battered by the strikers until she
looked like fossil dug up out of the Ju-
rassic strata.
was young and dared anything, though
was nearly dead for sleep, and so we
started with nothing but mail and express,
and the President car on behind so as to
fool the strikers. They were even then
afraid of the mails. My mothers ances-
tors came from Vermont, and in late years
I have been up in the old hills and followed
cowpaths which now seem to me straight
compared with that combination of two
streaks of rust and the right of way. My
heart was in my throat for about an hour,
but the fireman kept me posted, and l
made fairly good for over three hours, when
he mentioned that we were now on a long
down grade tangent and the way was GER
tain to be clear. Now, had no more idea
of going to sleep than I have now, but
Nature got in her work. I thought |
would close my eyes for few seconds and
let the fireman look out and give me a
chance. do not know how long they
were closed--I never have found out-but
the first thing l knew the old engine was
chug- chugg chugging as if she were going
up an Allegheny grade, and almost stopped.
I confess had been dreaming, and
when I awoke it took few seconds to get
my latitude. Then looked across at the
fireman and he was sound asleep on his
seat. I looked at the steam gauge, and
we were at about the lowest moving notch
In minute | reused him up and he began
to pile in coal, and soon we were able to
move little better, and finally got under
fast motion again.