The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-05-31
HE'LL ROARING TOM
REFORMS RAILROAD
Quits Swearing and All EN-
pIoyes of w. and A.
Do the Same.
THEY LAUGHED AT FIRST.
FELLOW EMPLOYEES OF MOST
PROFANE MAN IN ATLANTA
cry WAS HOLLOW.

Atlanta, Ga, May 3o.-The statement
is seriously made that there is not a
locomotive engineer. a fireman, a
switchman, a conductor. a brakeman
a train dispatcher, a station agent,
telegraph operator, an engine wiper or
a trackman on the Western Il Allan
tic railroad who swears. The state
ment is made. too, that none Of them
uses intoxicating liquors. Maybe you
think the Western 4 Atlantic is a jerk
water road. Not much. Its main line
extends from here to Chattanooga.
Until two years ago, nearly everybody
on the road swore when the occasion
warranted strong language, but that
was before Hell Roaring Tom Har-
rison reformed, and, in reforming. re-
formed the whole railroad There
never was a man employed by the w.
& A. who was match for Tom Har
rison when it came to profanity. He
was pointed out to visitors as the
most profane man in Atlanta. 1t was
a boast that he could drive locomo-
tive at top speed and turn loose a diff
ferent cuss word for every three feet
of the road between here and Chatta-
nooga And no one was prouder of
his accomplishment than was Hell
Roaring Tom
One day there came into the yards
of the Western &, Atlantic a stranger
who stood by while Harrison and a
group of fellow railroaders had dis
cussion. In the course of the discus
sion Hell Roaring Tom" turned loose
one of the strings of profanity for
which he was famous. The stranger
made no sign, but that night he knock
ed at the door of Harrison's home and
asked the privilege of a few minutes
conversation with him.
Il wish | knew his name" says Har-
rison now in telling the story of the
visit. but | did not ask it. 1t was
shortly after supper that he came in.
He did not leave until after breakfast
then next morning. He talked to me
all the night. Then he went away
and l never have seen or heard of him
since, but he changed the whole
course of my life. He told me that he
was in prison when his soul was awak-
ened by a casual reading of the bible.
No clergyman had anything to do
with it.
He did not preach to me. He just
talked to me as man TO man, as broth
er TO brother. And there we sat the
whole night long, with no thought of
hut nf lyin N "
soul. After breakfast we shook
hands, and he passed out of my life:
but from the minute he came into my
house up to the present moment ! have
not used a profane word | have
changed in thought in action and in
character.
And If the stranger wrought a great
change in Tom Harrison. so Tom"
Harrison has wrought a great change
in the employees of the Western & At
lantic. OF course, there was mighty
swell of merriment when the word
went forth that Hell Roaring Tom"
had stopped swearing. But somehow
the mirth seemed hollow and forced in
the presence of Harrison, for instead
OF being reckless. deyil-may care and
loud. he changed in a day to an earn
est, serious, patient and kindly man.
who in voice and manner was as diff
ferent from the Harrison of old as il
seemed possible to be. Then. when he
was asked what had caused the re-
markable change, he told his story.
told 1t In the plain, simple language Of