News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1909-10-13
RUNAWAY ON
THE A. AND B,
A Signal the Kindly Conductor
Was Thankful He Needed.
Nv JAMES &. DUNNING.

|
The G. P. A. put his head into the
general superintendent's doorway and
said:
"Old Tympan's out there again. see,
Palmer"
mo use," replied the general super
intendent. His name came in two
hours ago. told him to report here
next time he got drunk. This finishes
him."
Five minutes later old Tympan, aft
err forty years of service for the A. and
B., went tumbling down the stairs be-
cause he was drunk at the Hancock
street switch the day the directors
went up the line. Palmer had given
him q pass home. eighty miles up the
road, and then fired him with ten Of
the words Palmer wasn't accustomed
to using on ordinary jobs.
Train No. 8 pulled in while Tympan
fumbled the pass on the platform. and
he climbed in and found double seat
in the smoker. He knew only that he
was out of job, with full pint in
his coat and Palmer's transportation
to take him up home, where he could
camp down for the winter with. the
boys. He had threatened that many
times. They deserved it for letting
him work for living.
taking vacation, Tympan" asked
Hennessy of No. when he came
through for tickets. Tympan admitted
he was off for bit Of time up the
road.
Guess you amt coming back right
off," tainted Hennessy. 1.-The return
check on your pass doesn't seem to be
in sight. Long lay off, eh, Tympan!"
Tympan sat up, pulling his hat over
his eyes.
'Dick Hennessy," he said. you go
slow on yer kiddin' r I'll roast you one
O. these days FIR bein' so smart.
They've fired me. you en- bet-yes.
they have-fired me good. but I'm next
to Palmer yet. An l heard what
Palmer told the G. p A. this mornin'
about your runnin' over orders twice
last week. / know somethin', an don't
you kid me no more"
Train No. S's conductor ignored the
challenge, partly because he dared do
no more. He knew the whole operat-
ing department had been knocking ev-
erybody in sight because old Tympan,
invariably drunk and disorderly, held
his job while better and younger and
sober men were overhauled in Palm
er's office for nothing more than leav-
ing stations half a minute ahead of
orders or failing to wise the annual of
some of the spying directors who went
up and down. r. II. Palmer got
master tongue flashing those days from
the rank and file, and now that the
dismissal had really come Hennessy
was no more skeptical than any of the
others concerning the general superin-
tendent's honest intention Of keeping
Tympan out of service.
Hennessy tried to conciliate Tympan
on his next trip through. but the old
man lay with his hat over his face,
steaming with rage, too angry even to
curse. No. s was making beautiful
work, and Hennessy felt better than
usual. He had eight cars with a big
load Of women and kids and wanted to
be on time anyway because it was his
lay off that Saturday and there was an
all night game in the CLUB" at home.
At Inchburg Hennessy got his usual
orders, everything all straight, and left
on time. The rear brakeman found
him just afterward and said:
Hear about the wild freight went
up ahead of us? She's big one, and it
wouldn't surprise me if she got stuck
on the Long Misery and held us at
Lyshon."
Hennessy knew his man was right.
Lyshon station is at the foot of thir-
teen mile grade known for good rea-
sons as 1.-The Long Misery" If freight
got hung there ahead of No. s it meant
everything balled up, for the A. and B.
is single line, and the directors won't
stand for a siding between Lyshon
and Oldtown, the station at the crest
of the Long Misery.
HennesSy took the platform at Ly-
shon before No. SIS brakes held her
and sought the dispatcher in the dingy
station. -
wild freight" echoed the telegra-
pher. Yes, went up an hour ago. Big
train? Yes, big train. but she's got a
good rail. and | don't believe she'll
hold you a minute"
Hennessy went out and looked in the
book by the station door. He found
where the wild freight had reported
and saw with satisfaction that she was
In charge of Bitters, one of the ring
and sure to do his best to get that
heavy train out of the way long before
Hennessy came along.
Lyshon was on the card for only
thirty seconds, but Hennessy risked a
trifing delay and went back. to the
operator:
Cant you ask Oldtown, lust for a
chance, If that freight's showed ND |
YETI" he asked.
Wild freight 543 started over the
Long Misery in good order that Satur- |
day and made excellent time for eight
miles or more. Then she was stoned |
by shaky injector in the mogul. Bit
tiers left his caboose and ran nm ahead |