Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1909-09-04
RUNAWAY ON
THE A. AND B.
A Signal the Kindly Conductor
Was Thankful He Needed.
By JAMES e. CUMMING.


The q r. a, pur his head into the
general suporintcndents doorway and
said:
odd lympan out there again. ! see,
Palmer
mo u-c, replied J0N general super.
intendenl. Ills name came in two
hours ago ltold him to report here
next time he got drunk. This finishes
him"
Five minutes later old Tympan. Mt
er forty years of service for the a. and
B., went tumbling down the stairs he
cause he was drunk at the Hancock
street switch the day the directors
went up the line. Palmer had given
him n 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, pulled in while Tympan
fumblcd the pass on the platform. aud
he climbed in and found double seat
in the smoker He knew only that he
was out of job, with n fun pint in
his coat and Palmcr'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 1t for letting
him work for living.
Taking vacation, gympanY' asked
HennesSy of No y 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," taunted Hcnncssy. "The return
check on your pass doesn't seem to be
in sight. Long lay off, eh, Tympnn"'
Tympan sat up pulling his hat over
his eyes.
"Dick Henncssy." he said. you go
slow on yer kiddin' r I'll roast you one
O. these days fr bcin so smart
They've fired me. you en- bct-yes,
they have-tired me good. but I'm next
to Palmer yet. An | heard what
Palmer told the G. +, A. this mornin'
about your runnin' over orders twice
last week. know somethn', an don't
you kid me no more
Train No. SIS 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 oyerhauled in Pain
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 a
master tongue lashing those days from
IL RI I,1t I,n
dismissal had really come TIsnuessy
was no more skeptical than any of the
others concerning the general superin-
tenuent's honest intention Of keeping
Tympan out of service.
HennesSy tried to conCiIiatc 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 n 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 lnchburG Hcuncssy got his usual
orders, everything all straight, and ,"tt
on time. The rear brakeman found
him just aftprward and said:
Hear about the wild freight went
up ahead of us? She's big one. and 1t
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 the Long Misery" If a freight
got hung there ahead of No. 8 1t meant
everything balled up, for the A. and 3.
Is single line, and the directors won't
stand for Il siding between Lyshon
and Odtown, 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 I'm 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 minute"
Hennessy went out and looked In the
book by the station door. He found
where the wild freight had report ed
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 ont of the way long before
Hennessy came along.
Lyshon WAS on the card for only
thirty seconds, but Hennessy risked a
tritiins delay aud went back to the
operator:
Cant you ask Oldtown. just for a
chance, If that freights showed up
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 stopped