Connecticut western news., 1908-10-08
THE SPECIALIST
 AND HIS SCHEME
RUNNING TRAINS WITHOUT CREWS

Would Have Been a Success but for
 the Office Boy-The Specialist Real
 izes his Mistake but not Until fl is
 too Late.
 [Republished from The Railroad Mans Magazine. by courtesy of The Frank A. Munsey Col
 [Contnued from last week.
 "Such possibilities of dishonesty have been anticipated. replied the specialist. "In these cars a certain number of seats are set apart for each station and are duly lat eled. The station agent sees to it that the passengers occupy seats labeled to correspond with their tickets, then he takes the tickets, locks the doors, and the train starts.
 "An automatic arrangement, another invention of mine. sets in motion & photograph when the train is within half-mile of a station, and until that station is reached the phonograph an nounces it's name many times, so there is no possibility of passengers not real izing when they have reached their des- tinntiou.
 But, to make doubly sure that none ride by, another of my simple but ef fective inventions sets Tn motion 8 small pneumatic jack-screw under the inner end of each set and at the same time opens the doors in the side of the car. The screw slowly lifts the seat and gen. tly slides the passenger out of the car onto the station platform.
 "They then go to the baggage com. partment and get their baggage. This they will positively do, as they know that if they don't it will be carried on by the train" ..
 "I am convinced" said the president, who forthwith called a meeting of the directors of the road. and, as a result of their deliberations, the expense reduc- tion- specialist was instructed to equip the road with his inventions he to have half the saving In expense the first year.
 J. Greathead ThinlSest immediately began work and in due time the line was equipped, all train-crews were discharged and the office-boy given few brief dir eotions for the operation of the appara- tus.
 The first train that started from Pitts field W as stopped at Lsnox by the office boy. precisely as tho specialist said it would be, started again in accordance with expectations. and proceeded down the line aud back on perfect schedule.
 Great was the pleasure and satisfac- ton of the president and directors when they saw the new scheme put in suc- cessful operation. They refused the office boys request for a twenty-five cent increase in salary. and turned their attention to the obtaining of Legislation more favorable to their interests, and hoped for large increase in the selling. price of the stock.
 Other roads, which continued the old fashioned and waxteful methods of op- erating their trains, were green with envy.
 Then the unexpected happened. When the office.boy started car from Pitts field one morning he surreptitiously re- moved from his jacket copy of Old Cop Callers latest work, entitled: "Cross- Eyed Sam, the Terror of the West. or the Hero of Dead Mans Gulch."
 This was the authors masterpiece. and the boy soon became so thoroughly engrossed in the portrayal of the hero's escapades andNthrilling experiences that he forgot his duties and the car sped on and on, the photograph wildly pro- the names of the stations past which the car whizzed at full speed.
 Suddenly the boy realized the situa. tion, sprang wildly for the switch, and brought the car to a stop as it was cross ing the bridge over the Housatonic river between Sheffield and Ashley Falls.
 He also touched the button operating the Lenox seat-jaoks and one by one the passengers who should have nlighted at that station slid from the car and fell into the water. Providence so willed It that pleasure boat was in that vicinity at the time and no lives were lost.
 The car was started again, only to come in contact with work train at Ashley Falls, demolishing the car and njuring several of the passengers.
 After discharging the boy and set ling the damage suits, the road return ,d to the old and expensive regime of rain crews, locomotives, etc., and J. 5reathead Thinkest ended his days in in insane asylum, having lost his reason oy breeding over his failure to insist on | stipend when his invention was adopt. d, instead of agreeing to accept DOT ion ot the saving in operating expenses.