The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-12-25
ENGINEER TALKS
OF LOCOMOTIVES
likenS Them to Women in
Their Many Whims-Some
Are Contrary.
SKATERS A PET BELIEF
Says Reversing Bar Is Engines Heart
and Tells When Anything
Is Wrong.

Chicago. Dec. 24.--Seeing the sights
here the other day was a veteran en-
gineer. who. at the age OF hfty-slx. has
been serving on express trains for
twenty years. To the question. How
does Il feel to run n miIe-a-minute
train he answered.
"Feel2 Man. that's the only time I
live. When I climb up on the high
seat. Jam my cap over. my eyes and
reach for the reverse bar I'm not the
man YOU see now. I've fed on the ex-
element so long that I'm a hend for
1t nova regular speed dope Many
a night I've driven my train-and
made time. too-when il was showing
80 hard I'd have 20 run ahead while
we were taking water TO see IL the
headlight was still burning. AIy
smoke and I couldn't tell It from the
Cab-nothing ahead but a wall Of
black Sometimes we wouldn't know
We were moving. except for the tossing
or the engine on the track
Did YOU know that an engine has a
heart?'. he rambled on. You've seen
doctor feel n patients pulse when he
wants 10 find out what's the matter
with his works? Well, that's the way
we do IT. too. When we rush through
the black night. maybe with death inst
around the next curve. We don't sit
with our hands on the throttle. as the
engineers do in the story books. Re
verse bar. that's IT,
The reverse bars the engines
heart- We never let our fingers Off il
II beats with the engines life and
when anything's wrong IL beats fast or
slow or II Jumps beat. like an old
guy heart Then We know. we shut
OF steam and climb down to see"
rs It true that engines vary and men
get attached To different ones?"
True, Course IT'S true. Engines
are Just like women-some are CON
trary all the time and some arc agree
able all the time. Some smile and tben
put poison In your coffee. Some YOU
oeat and some you kiss. NV old thirty
nlne-latest type. biggest made. one o.
Mpulun I give her up for half nv nav.
I've had her three years now. When
she goes I'll 60. too"
Don't YOU feel tho reepousibiIif,.
When you're pulling a trainload or pas
seugers -"
That's what the old man asked
me once. ! never stopped to think OF
IL. 7 answered him
matt ne yelled. jumping IN and
banging down his fst. Won didr.t >
And why didn't you?'
Cause n did I'd 20 crazv.' 7 told
nm There's only me and nv smoke
. IN slght. and when we're running
through fog or storm or snow 7 IooI5
/ across al where he's shove1ine coal
CAIN Ike. and say 10 myself. There's
/ only YOU and Danny here. and Dennz.e
going ahead with his Wort. Vow You're
| going 70 do the same. and Won a{n.t
going 70 think about anything else
/ You're going 70 bring yourself and
. Danny through. and IL YOU two como
. through. the rest will follow
Did you ever kin anybody"
J The engineer stopped and counted
slowly on HIS fingers. Seven - be
said. And sometimes 7 dream about
them-one In particular woman
She stepped right IN front Of US from
T behind freight. reversed and drew
the air. but Il didn't do any Soood. and
we cut her down as looked. III never
forget IT,
II could retire tomorrow n wanted
10 and draw n pension until 7 die. In
fourteen wears III have to QUIT. n
last that long. 7 know 7 won't last
long afterward''
The Interstate commerce act will no,
allow tho engineer OF an express trair
20 work more than sixteen DAYS In auy
one month. the engineer explained. He
had worked his allotment OF day,
early In the month and was eniovinc 2
vacation I'm Chicago at the roads ex.
pense.