The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1908-05-19
FLAY WILD FRANKS
LOCOMOTIVES THAT SEEM FOND
OF Jokes
Truthful Engineer Tells Of Vic Ex-
periences That Disguised Him
with That Especial Kind of
Humor in Engines.

western part OF the state the other
day that did a queer thing.
They were standing all quiet
enough at a station. The engineer
was out on the board and the fireman
was down on the ground doing m
thing. All at once, just how or why
| don't know, and Bill couldn't figure
it out himself, the engine broke away
from the tender and started of all
alone down the road.
THE first thing she did was to
knock the engineer down and cut
both legs of She kept on down the
line eight or ten miles, running wild.
At a crossroad she smashed into a
train and that laid her out.
Il call that a pretty sad kind Of a
joke; but it shows what engines will
do sometimes. Some engines are
just about like folks in that respect.
They are always looking out for a
chance to fool somebody and play
some kind Of prank on EN-.
The funniest engine l ever saw
was one that had myself out on the
Western coast. 1t was the first one I
ever took after I got my commission
as engineer.
That engine fairly laid awake
nights Matching up ways to make it
interesting for US boys. If we were
stopping to get a drink and / was
down oiling up she seemed to know
that then was her chance. Shed just
start right out and buckle in like mad
to get away from US.
You couldn't trust her to stand a
minute. She was just like some
horses; she wouldn't stand a minute
without hitching when she took a no
ton not to.
One time we came dreadfully near
having an awful time with that en-
CINE. The K. & NJ. run right along BY
the side Of track for seven or
eight miles in one place. We used to
ike TO come out on that stretch to
sether.
Once in awhile we would let our
selves out a little there, though it
wasn't strictly according to orders.
aid try the temper of our engines. The
folks back in the coaches seemed to
like it.
1t was n dark night with a storm
over the prairie. The rails were slip
perry and we hadn't been making our
time very well. We left Waupack 40
minutes late.
We'll, just as we got fairly outside
Waupack, where the K. & NJ. bends
in toward our line, I felt the old thing
give a mighty leap ahead. But as
500 as 1 saw the headlight of the
night express on the K. & NJ. 1 knew
we were in for a rae Our engine
was settling down for business.
Il shut of the steam. 1 tried TO
keep the air on so that she wouldn't
get away from me-, but she buekied
in all the harder. 1 began to get a
little scared myself.
For the first mile or two it was
about an even thing with US. We
kept right along side by side. 1 could
see that the men over on the K. & NJ.
were doing their level best to keen
up with US. The fire fairly flew out
of their smokestack. And all the
time were were not using a pound of
steam. Still our drivers were lust
purring round and round.
Il could see the heads leaning out
of the windows of their train and ]
had nc doubt it was the same way
with u folks; they all wanted to
win. We just rocked from side to
side. The old engine was going to
show US what she could do. She had
the bit in her teeth.
And we began to gain. She had
it in her to win if you only let her out:
I'll say that for her. She was the
fastest engine I eve had anything to
do with. You always had to hold
her back.
u as we were pulling into San
Tone the thing that made my hair
white happened. We were then two
or three train lengths ahead of the
K. & NJ. For quite awhile l had been
so busy trying to keep the upper hand
of the engine that l hadn't had time
to watch the blocks.
AN at once l looked up ard there
right opposite US was a signal set
against US. mat meant that we'd
got to stop and wait for orders. 1
showed the air down harder than ever.
but the old thing never cared. On
she bounced like a mad animal.
Il let sand on the rails and that
made no difference. 1t looked as if
we were bound for destruction.
1T went on that way for five min
utes and expected every minute
something would happen. Then all at
once she began to sag back. We could
see the lights of San Tone a little way
ahead and l knew we were Just at the
crossing of the X. & NJ. 1t would have
cost me my job if we had run over
that without stopping.
But she pulled up just at the cross
ing, as calm as if she never had been
a tear inNall her life. 1 could hard
y stand up when | got down from my
engine that night, l was so weak. 1t
.ook every particle of the sand out of
ne. =
Il told 'em down at the office that ii Z
how didptf pfvo mo apofbar ao~s..