Daily Arizona silver belt. (Globe, Gila County, Ariz.) 1906-1929, 1908-04-09
A SUPERINTENDENT'S
STORY.

fireman on locomotive. passed ten
years as engineer and rose TO be gen
eral superintendent of the road.
Now. there is a vast difference be
tween u fireman or engineer and u gen
cral superintendent. But ! didn't gel
the big head. never considered my
self or any of my family any better for
my sitting In revolving chair tapping
bell for some one to wait on me than
when | had my hand on the throttle,
and when Tom Millikin, n locomotive
engineer. came counting my daughter
Susie didn't turn him down because
he drove an engine. But what want
ed for Susie was a man OF nerve,
strength and character,
"Toni." said. you Say have Susie
on one condition. We want man to
take a new passenger limited through
in the night. The distance is eco miles,
and it must be done in five hours. The
average must be sixty miles an hour,
which means as low as fifty and as
high as seventy. Do the job and you
shall have SUSIE"
Tom thought long while. then said:
81 have always supposed, Mp Nc
Mullen. that you'd never ask man to
do what you would not do yourself"
II wouldn't"
swell, suppose we put 1t this way:
You take the train through first. If
you succeed | take II through and get
Susie. II you don't succeed. | get Susie
without making the attempt myself"
The fellow knew how to handle the.
| was very proud of my knowledge OF
railroad technique and had carried
trains often since my promotion. al
once accedcd to his terms.
shall never forget the experience Of
that run. Twenty minutes before train
time | appeared in overals at the en-
CINE. which was standing ready on the
track. to make my own inspection OF
her and do my own olling. When we
pulled ont felt like II bird let out OF
cage. | was still. though fifteen years
older than when ! left the cab. in full
vigor of nerve and muscle ! had tig,
ured carefully just what time must
make on different parts OF the road and
was in every way prepared for the
trial. had never driven an engine for
any length of time over fifty miles al
hour and up to that point there is TO
great strain on an engineer | did not
realize that an average man can't
stand many spurts ut siSty-tive miles
an hour and in some places l. must do
seventy
got on pretty well for the first
three hours. though had made num-
Der OF my fast PAGES. but after that
began TO suffer. Looking straight
ahead continuously. seeing at the same
time things out Of the corners OF my
eyes whizZing by me. made me
feel as If something was pulling my
sight nerve out through the sockets.
Some of my fastest spurts came In
about this time. and every few minutes
I was frightened half out Of my senses.
The first thing to rattle me was seeing
something black on the track dead
ahead of me- thought it was the rear
end of train with 10 lights out. II It
had been there would have been no
time TO slow up. but II was gone before
I could have done so anyway. and then
| realized that it was the shadow of
bird flying across the headlight. This
had the effect on my nerves OF an es-
cape from n sudden plunge into death.
had always been quick to adopt I'm.
provements on the road and had put
on electric headlights. This made all
the shadows look like big black things
solid as masonry. The shadow Of a
telegraph pole cast on the track as II
sometimes would be at q curve ahead
looked for all the world like the trunk
OF tree The worst scare | had was
from something that wouldn't get out
of the way. 1t was big round black
bowder that appeared few hundred
feet ahead This was the only scare
put on the brakes for AS slowed
down | noticed that | got 10 nearer to
II. Finally stopped short went ahead
to the pilot. and. turning. there on the
glass before the headlight was n little
moth.
An hour before I was due to arrive
had made up my mind that. though ]
could make an engine to do the trip
on schedule time. | couldn't make
man to run her. But had lot of
pride and continued the struggle.
though my failing nerves rendered
failure almost certainty. When
had the last forty miles to go and only
thirty minutes to do it in gave up and
turned the throttle over to my fireman.
with directions to take his time As
left the engineers post | staggered TO
the seat on the other side Of the cab
ard 1t was all could do to hold on
when ! got on TO Il.
felt as II dozen men with ham.
mers had been pounding on every
nerve in my body. When we reached
the station ! called carriage and
went TO hotel. aud II hadn't been
too proud. or. rather. If hadn't feared
II would get out. I'd have called q
trained nurse to take care Of me.
The next day went back III the pres
idents private car and the morning
after appeared In my Office and sent for
Tom Millikin. He came in. looking
curious. said to him:
"Tom. you needn't perform your part
of the contract 1t would be no use.
for I've made up my mind not to put
the train on. You've won"
"I'd like the privilege OF doing the |