The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-28
ENGINEER HAS AN
UNIQUE RECORD
]. M. Alexander Retires After
Fifty Years
NEVER LOST HUMAN LIFE
During Half Century of Service Not
One Reprlmsnd or Mark of Err
ror Was Ever Made
Against Him.
NEVER LOST HUMAN LIFE
From the washington Post.

From the washington POST.
For over fifty years an engineer on the
Boston and Albany railroad, Joseph Mer-
RITZ Alexander has retired from active
duty during the past week, holding what
his friends claim is the worlds record
in several respects.
During the half century of his service
he never received a reprimand nor a
black mark; no error was ever recorded
against him and no human lives were
ever lost while he guided the fast engines
over the miles of tracks
He was never late during all the years
of his connection with the road, and for
the last % years he rose every day at
a. M and was beside his engine shortly
after T. ready for duty at 400
In "A years he never lost day, not
even a Sunday, and very often, on ac-
count of overtime and Sunday work, he
crowded as many as As working days
into the space of a month.
The miles he covered would stretch to
the moon ten times, and at least 50 or 80
times around the globe.
buffalo Joe'' is the sobriquet under
which he is known, and in his honor the
railroad officials named his engine Buff
falo and had picture of the animal
painted on each side of the cab.
Is 80 Years Old.
Eighty years old, with long white
beard, benevolent expression and genial
manner, Mr.. Alexander looks like a
patriarch.
His first engine was the Niagara, run
ming on the old Boston and Worcester
road. when wood WAS burned to make
steam, and the farmers pastures were
set afire all along the route Then he
was in proud command of the Lion,
which was later called the BroolSline,
and finally the Farmingdale. This engine
hold the worlds record among all which
used wood for fuel, having total of
100000 miles to its credit
1.-THE real luck of avoiding accidents
said Mr.. Alexander, "is good eyesight.
keen sense of responsibility, discretion,
good Judgment and a cool head. The
engineer has it all on his shoulders, and
If he does not possess these qualities,
he will keep on getting into scrapes,
smashing things, having continual trou-
BILE, and finally he will be discharged, no
matter how well he understands his ma
chine
''Of course have had mishaps on the
road. It is impossible to avoid them, but
an engineer may avoid every one which
IS due to carelessness, neglect and dis
obedience to rules. Several times | have
been compelled to jump for my life after
doing my best to save the train, its pas
sengers and employees.
"Once we ran around curve and there
was a car of rails ahead on the track
that had no right to be there. I reversed
the engine and the fireman and myself
jumped in the nick of time. No one was
injured, but the rails ran through the
engine and through the tender into the
first car.
obeyed His Impulse.
another time switchman at his post
failed to turn the switch, although he
had plenty of opportunity to do it, and
/ saw that wreck was impending. For
tunately an unexplainable impulse had
made slow down and it saved the
train, for the engine and tender only
ran up an embankment and through
fence. The cars remained intact We
Jumped TO soft earth and nobody was
hurt. If the switchman had not been at
his post at all the accident would not
have occurred, for I always made it a
rule of duty to watch the switches my
self, independently of Others and in
this way I have avoided a number of
accidents.
"A third time we had to jump to safety
on account of a train that came head-on
toward u.s. running at high speed to make
up time, without authority and very late.
We sought to make a side track accord
ing to orders, but the train came on too
fast, II was foggy, and we could not
reach the switch in time. I whstled for
brakes reversed, and jumped. The on
coming train was slowed down as much
as possible, after seeing us, but there
was a crash Just as we leaped and
grinding and splintering that long rang
in my ears, yet nobody was injured. Soon
they began to call me the lucky engineer
and lucky Buffalo Joe,' but 1t wasn't
luck 1t was keeping my eyes open and
never losing my head or my nerve"
rs Proved Lucky Engine.
'sTei1 us about engine 49," suggested
Mrs. Alexander; 'it will illustrate just
how much luck there is In the life of an
engineer"
"Oh. I don't care to speak about that
little matter" was the answer.
"Well II you don't, I will" declared
the wife, 'for It is the best lesson I know
against superstition, and you remember
Joe, that you were a very superstitous
man before engine 10 cured you"
well. we got word that names were
being dropped from engines and num-
bers substituted" began Mr. Alexander
laughingly admitting the charge 1.-THE
report also came that three new engines
were coming to the B. & A., and that
one Of them labeled with the dread
ed number 13. We all shivered in our
shoes, and I offered to bet that would
get the machine. Sure enough It came to
me, and I never feared anything so much
IN my life.
Some locomotives are eternally get
ting into scrapes, like some human be-
ings, and some sober, straight, steady
and dependable at all times. There are
accidents that are unavoidable, for an
engine will break down in time, rail will
spread and impediments may fall upon
or be placed on the track. Somehow or
other a sensitive engineer often foresees
these dangers. Something like a pre-
monition comes to him. have not only
experienced the feeling myself, but 9TH
ers have told me of warnings of similar
character. Every engineer who serves a
long time has narrow escapes, but he
learns to scent danger as the deer scents
II in the wind. But engine 10 always
behaved beautifully and proved a really
lucky engine"
Mr. Alexander was born in Brimfield,
Hampden county, where he attended the
little red schoolhouse on the hill.
Early in life he married Miss Lucinda