The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-13
RAILROAD Tvs.
Railroaders Are Most Super
stitious Of All Men.
Every Mysterious Sign Is
Watched Closely.
ALL FEAR SEPTEMBER.
Railway Men Long for This
Month to Pass.
ALL FEAR SEPTEMBER.
Other Items of General Interest
in Railroad Circles.

Railroad workers are generdllV re-
garded as daring. hard-headed. >prac-i
teal minded men. and especially en-
CINE drivers and brakemen have been
lauded as the modern relic OF the
knight Grant of ancient days. There
fore few people dare to accuse such
daring fellows of superstition, belief
in lucky numbers and the careful and
anxious watching for signs OF disas-
ter Yet such is the case. The hand
some young brakeman whom all the
girls along the line regarded as a real
soldier of fortune, and who can be
seen seen sitting unconcernedly on the
extreme edge of the end of a box car
roof while the train runs at a speed
of forty miles an hour, certainly has
no fear of falling down under the
wheels. Yet he is superstitious and
he carefully watches all mysterious
signs, listens attentively to legendary
railroad tales, and anxiously keeps on
so it is with the engineer and fire.
man who always possess a physiog-
nomy that bespeaks ridicule of per-,
Sonal danger.
Some engine drivers suffer from an
inveterate propensity to believe-that
one disaster will invariably be fol-
lowed by two others, and no man can
convince this kind of engineer or fire.
man that accidents will not occur in
cycles of three The consequence is
that when a mishap happens to his
engine, the superstitious driver feels
uneasy until two other disasters have
followed. This superstition is so prev
alent among certain drivers that the
phrase, Were bound to have an
other, Bill" is frequently heard. AS
a strange contrast to this fear of a
cycle of accidents is the belief prev
alent among railroad men in regard to
stations and places on the line where
disasters have occurred.
The month of September is regarded
by many engineers as the most I'M
lucky month of the year. Although
statistics prove that more disasters
have not taken place during Septem-
Der than in any other months of the
year, superstitious engineers will re-
main confirmed that it is an unlucky
period of time for railway men. The
following quotation of old engineer
is often told among railway men: 81
always feel more comfortable when
September is over Perhaps because
it marks the end ofathe holiday sea-
son and the rush Of summer railway
traffic. Personally, L should not like
to have a holiday IN that month,
neither would careEfor any member
of my family to go away during Sep
TENDER. 1t may be silly fancy on my
part, but I always dread something
happening in the ninth month of the
year.
This man also said that in his ex-
perience he knew Of many engineers
who would never step onto the cab
with the left foot first. There are
railroad men who, if they stumble
over rail, would go back Immediate
ly and step over 1t carefully and cor
rectly. Many other superstitions exist
among railroad men, each class of the
men who run the trains throughout
the country believes in different signs
and different omens, and it has been
maintained that very few railway
workers are not superstitious.
Yet the railroad man is brave fell
low. He seldom fears for his own life,
and the confidence. with which he
works about the dangerous machin-
cry can but pronounce him as a
man devoid of fear. 1t is for his train
and passengers, however, that the
| man worries. To figure in a wreck is
no wish of any railroad man, and
whenever an accident does happen it
| is usually the crew of the train that
gives the greatest exhibition OF brav-
cry. For man to lose his head and
become excited during-~a collision is
considered the worst disgrace among
railroad workers. and the instances
where a trainman complained of his
injuries are few.