Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-01-14
Pathetic Finish of a Glorious
Evening Caused by Ener-
getic Dispatcher.
HOW MAIN LINE WAS TIED UP.
Engine Ordered Into Round House;
More Orders; Other Orders and
Still More Orders.

There is grief, deep, abiding grief in
the passenger offices of the Rio Grande
this morning. 1t all came about
through the miscarriage of last nights
prizeflght train arrangements. All
went merry as summers outing un-
til the fight was over. Going up to
Ogden 1t was announced the train
would leave the Junction city 80 min
utes after the fight. At the ringside the
limit was placed at 40 minutes. So
right after Clifford topped an insen-
sible man TO the mat a grand rush
for the depot was on. After everybody
had scrambled for seats and made
themselves comfortable for a run, eX-
pected to be race with the oregon
Short Line special standing on the next
track, a certain fat little gentleman
came through the cars shouting This
train will not leave until 1901. At
first there was murnlur of disap-
prevail at the start homeward being
delayed an hour but the crowd went
back uptown good natured,
START WAS FINE.
During the hour it is estimated moth
ing short of $1,000 was dropped in the
Junction city by the crowd from Salt
Lake and a lurid time was had by all
present. Why the delay had lien
called was a mystery and some per-
sons insinuated all sorts OF things. But
the truth OF the matter was this; Asst.
Supt. Apperson. Travelling Passenger
Agents, Frank Groesbeck. Harry Cush-
ingand VIII Howe were on the train to
see that things moved as per advertised
schedule. And on the first few laps
they moved even better than schedule,
the trip being made in record time,
The competing trains headlight didn't
come into sight. Ten minutes later the
other train rolled into the depot. This
was lovely and there was general
Qualification. The engineer and fire.
man were serenaded in their cabs and
then given rousing ovation with a
whole flock of tigers
TOO MANY COOKS.
Mr.. Apperson was supposedly charge
d'affaires; Daredevil" George Wide
man sitting in the cab pulled back
his throttle wide open when Mr. Apper-
son gave the signal in this city for the
start north and that throttle was open
to stay there until Mr.. Apperson gave
n signal TO do something else. But
while the fight was on the chief dis
patcher in the Salt Lake offices be-
came imbued with the idea he was In
full charge so figuring upon the time
consumed by past fights in Ogden
sent out the word up and down the line
that the special would leave Ogden for
Salt Lake at one minute past midnight.
Then he opened the main line to every
freight train between this city and
Ogden
Oh, It was immense. this thing of run
ming a railroad system! But covering
the line with freight trains wasn't all
Mr. Chief Dispatcher did. Oh, no. not
he-he was busy boss. He wired the
foreman of the round house at Ogden
to put old 100 Wideman's engine in the
round house and ease her up" her
place and crews place to be taken by
another engine and different crew. And
720 had been set aside for the run both
ways! SO at leaving time the special
was minus an engine and crew. More
reason for delay. BY this time, Mr..
Apperson, assistant superintendent and
apparently assistant to his chief dis
patcher, saw something going wrong
and ordered No. 720 out of the round
house. Her fires had been all
pulled, so new steam had to be built
up. /. A. Benton of the passenger off,
ces in this city was in Salt Lake, but
something told him all was not o X 81
miles to the north He came down
town, and upon learning the awful
explaining his predlcament asked the
company to have a half dozen or
more cars at the depot about o'clock
This the company did very kindly and
the day was saved; had 1t not been
for the car company, nearly 1000 fight
fans would have trudged homeward at /
O'Clock or would have had 10 let loose
some of their Nelson money for a.
cab ride.