The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-11-07

it would be impossible, else the railroad
traffic of the country might come TO a
comparative standstill some Friday.
There are thousands of stories rife IN
ran road circles that prove to railroad men
that there is good reason for their rear OF
this or that hoodOo. Here is true story
on the number -:
Several years ago one of the seVerest
snowstorms in the history OF railroading
swept to the west. Between Chicago ana
Aurora drifts ten feet high INSTRUCTED
traffic, and a snowpiow and engines were
sent out to clear the road. At a point
on the road was a yaTdmaster who is now
railroad superintendent in st. Louis,
and it is he who tells the tale.
THE snow bucking train was composed
Of thirteen engines behind the plow," says
ne.
"In the front engine was my older
brother. who was the engineer of II. The
superintendent of the division was there
supervising the work
when the train was made up and ready
to start, the superintendent told me to go
with the head engine. l climbed aboard
and my brother asked me what | was
doing there, I replied that l was to go
along with him DO you know that
there are thirteen engines in this train?
he asked, solemnly. / told him 1 know all
about it. Well there's going to be an
accident, he said. don't want you on
this engine When the accident comes
one of us will be killed. perhaps both.
Who is going to look after our old father
Il was young, and | wasn't very strong
on the thirteen superstition anyway, and
told him he was talking like senti-
mental kid. The superintendent ap-
preached US and must have heard the
last part of our conversation, for he told
me to stay in the yard and see that the
road was kept clear.
THE snow buckers pulled out without
me They had not been out an hour
when the journal burned off the front
engine and dropped the axle. 1t caused
rail to curl up and the end of IT shot
through the floor and knocked the hat off
the fireman. Had gone on the engine
my body would have been pierced by the
rail- which went through the seat where
would have been sitting"
Railroad men are strong on dreams One
morning an engineer came down to the
trainmasters office and declared that he
would not so out on his run that morn
ing, and asked for a lay-off. His superior
asked him what the trouble was, and
when he said that he had had a dream
in the night that troubled him, he was
laughed at and an effort was made to
induce him to take his run out But he
refused and was urged to tell his dream.
Il dreamed last night that my brother
was killed IN head-on collision near To-
peka," he said, ''and later j dreamed that
old COS blew IN" As COS was his engine,
he resisted the laughter of his friends
and would not take her out, and another
man was sent for to take the job.
That afternoon the boiler of COS ex-
ploded on the road. killing the substitute
engineer and the fireman. A week later
the engineers brother was killed in col
lision, as ne had dreamed
Engineers have. superstition that thei.
engine should not be turned to the left
when it is backed out of the roundhouse
and is run onto the turntabIe There is
very good reason why il should not be
turned to the left. The engineer sits on
the right side of the cab and runs the
engine out on the table. as it turns to
f--l4N l.
and when the table is stopped at the
track he is run on he is facing in the
right direction, with his hand on the
throttle. ready to start.
The horror that engineers have for run
ming over a human being is not directed
to smaller creatures and it is considered
very unlucky to have a small animal run
in front of an engine while it is going
unless the engineer succeeds in running it
down and killing it. when the hoodoo de-
parts.
One night an engineer of a western road
left division point with a special train
running on time to a station up the line.
there to meet and wait for through pas
senger train.
AS he pulled out of the yard and struck
the open track in the country he observed
small animal running and leaping along
the track ahead of the engine. 1t ran
and Ieaped like a squirrel, and it stuck
to the track with such persistency that q
cold chill coursec down the engineers
DdSh. IL meant IL he COuiu hut
chase it from the track. and he let out
spasmodic blasts of the whistle in the
hope that it would be frightened and
leap off
But it stuck to the track. leaping from
tie to tie, keeping the same distance from
the engine, never letting up in its stride.
The engineer. now thoroughly exasper-
ated and somewhat frightened, let out
a notch or two in the throttle, and the
engine increased its speed. But so did the
squirrel"
Soon the engine was making fifty miles
an hour, and In front of It. In the path Of
light made by the headlight. the ''squir-
inch.
Faster and faster went the engine In
its endeavoT to catch w with and run
down the bothersome little animal, which