The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-25
A SUPERINTENDENT'S
foriginal.l

toriginall
I'm a self made man. started as
fireman on locomotive, passed ten
years as engineer and rose to be gen
eral superintendent of the road.
Now, there is vast difference be-
tween a fireman or engineer and gen
eral superintendent. But I didn't get
the big head. l never considered my
self or any Of my family any better for
my sitting in revolving chair tapping
a bell for some one to wait on me than
when had my hand on the throttle,
and when Tom Millikin, locomotive
engineer, came courtlng my daughter
Susie didn't turn him down because
he drove an engine. But what want
ed for Susie was q man of nerve.
strength and character.
"Tom." snd, you may have Susie
on one condition. We want man to
take new passenger limited through
in the night. The distance Is 800 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:
II have always supposed, Mr.. Nc
Mullen. that you'd never ask a man to
do what you would not do yourself"
"I wouldn't"
"Well. suppose we put 1t this way:
You take the train through first. If
you succeed. take 1t through and get
Susie. If you don't succeed. I get Susie
without making the attempt myself"
The fellow knew how to handle me.
was verv proud Of my knowledge Of
railroad technique and had carried
trains often since my promotion. at
once acceded to his terms.
I shall never forget the experience Of
that run. Twenty minutes before train
time appeared in overals at the en-
glne, which was standing ready on the
track. to make my own inspection Of
her and do my own oiling. When we
pulled out felt like bird let out of a
cage. l was still. though fifteen years
older than when left the cab, In full
vigor of nerve and muscle. had fig
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 an
hour, and up to that point there is no
great strain on an engineer. did not
realize that an average man can't
stand many spurts at slxty-five miles
an hour and in some places must do
seventy.
i got on pretty well for the first
three hours, though had made num-
Der Of my fast PAGES, but aftee that
began to suffer. Looking straight
ahead continuously. seeing at the same
time things out OF the corners Of my
eyes whizzing 10y me. made me
feel as II something was pulling my
sight nerve out through the sockets.
Some of my fastest spurts came In
about this time. and every few minutes
l 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 no lights out. II II
had been there would have been no
time to slow up, but 1t was gone before
Lcould have done so anyway, and then
realized that 1t was the shadow of a
bird flying across the headlight. This
lad the effect on my nerves OF an es-
cape from a sudden plunge into death.
had always been quick to adopt i'm
provements on the road and had put
on electric headlights. This made al
the shadows look like big black things
solid as masonry. The shadow of n
Telegraph pole cast on the track as II
sometimes would be Mt q curve ahead
looked for all the world like the trunk
OF tree. The worst scare l had was
from something that wouldn't get Out
of the way. 1t was a big round black
bowlder that appeared few hundred
feet ahead. This was the only scare
put on the brakes for AS slowed
down noticed that got no nearer tc
II. Finally stopped short. went ahead
to the pilot. and. turning. there on the
glass before the headlight was a little
moth.
An hour before was due to arrive
had made up my mind that. though
could make an engine to do the trlI
on schedule time. couldn't make q
man to run her. But ! had lot OF
pride and continued the struggle
( though my failing nerves rendered
failure almost a certainty. When
had the last forty miles to go and only
thirty minutes to do II In gave up and
turned the throttle over to my fireman
with directions to take his time. As
left the engineers post staggered tC
the seat on the other side of the cab
and 1t was all could do to hold OF
when l got on to It.
! felt as II dozen men with ham
mers had been pounding on every
| nerve In my body. When we reached
the station l called a carriage and
went to hotel, and IL l hadn't beer
too proud. or. rather, II hadn't feared
| n would net ont. IA have chilled =