Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1910-03-25
A RAILROAD
EXPERIENCE
BY cY w A R M A N


friend; be good to him, and God will
be good to you"
Farley turned a kindly, sunny face
upon me, and made me welcome to
the town. Haynes had main line
passenger run. Farley was running
freight over the hill where road had
just been opened Farley was fairly
drunk. In those days the company
had to do the best it could to get
freight over the road. Presently the
caller came into the hotel and Jack
signed the call-book, where he was
put down for second 81, which was to
leave at $40. 1t was then $50.
'rWill he be sober in SO minutes?"
asked, when Jack had steamed into
the dining room to have supper.
NO" said Dick; she won't be plum
sober in so years, but he'll go out and
come in on time"
Can he run train with load like
that?"
well, he can take the train orders
to the engineer. SCOTS ahead of him
an Scoville's behind him-they'u
check, and register him at the juno
ton points, and the engineers will get
over the DIVISION
After supper my friend and l stood
watching the men make up the trains
The first section had pulled out, and
the second section stood waiting Or
ders at the station. Presently Farley
came from the telegraph Office with
the orders, handed two copies to the
head brakeman to take over to the
two engineers in front, passed copy
to the driver of the pusher, to which
the caboose was coupled, and said
cheerily, "All right; let 'er go." Turn
ing, he saw me, and asked impulsively
if would like to take a ride over the
mountain. l thought the man was Jok-
ing, but as the train moved off Haynes
pushed me towards the caboose, say
ing, Sure, get on and before could
realize what it all meant l was stand
ing on the rear platform of the way
car.
When Farley had fooled with his
way-bills for a few moments Git was
all through freight he called me into
the cupola. When the big engine be-
gan to climb the hill began to realize
that this was to be an interesting trip,
and as we climbed, and darkness set
tied over the world, l could see the
electric lights of the little mountain
town sinking slowly in the narrow
valley as we mounted to the clouds.
There were three sections of 21
that night, with three engines each. 1t
was a glorious summer night, star-lit
and still, and now the engineers began
playing tunes with their whistles, a
thing that the driver of a passenger
engine would not think of doing. AS
we rounded the countless curves the
headlight of the following section
shone full upon the flushed, forid face
OF Farley as he lounged, bare-headed,
in the open window, as happy and ap-
parently guileless as a town boy on a
load of hay.
Presently Farley began to talk, and
as we climbed the hill he told me the
widest strangest stories of runaways,
wrecks and ghost trains that 1 had
ever heard. Subsequently I learned
from Haynes that these were only TO-
mances of the rail, for Jack Farley, in
addition to being a great drunkard,
was one of the most resourceful, cheer
full and entertaining liars that it has
been my good fortune to fall in with.
At the top of the hill, while the con-
ductors were getting orders, the fire
men putting out their signal lights,
and the engineers oiling round, l came
from the little caboose to have a look
about Now the flare of the torches
of the enginemen and air inspectors,
the green and white lights, and the
glare of the headlights, the smoke in
the snow-shed, the burr of running
injectors, the blowers and "pops," and
the changing of bells as the pushers
were switched round to the front so
bewildered me that l lost my place. l
asked an engineer where Farleys ca
boose was, and he pointed into the
darkness and yelled something.
Presently l saw Jack standing in the
blaze of a headlight wearing a little
chip of straw hat, no coat and per-
spring like a prize-fghter, while l
stood shivering in fall overcoat.
A few moments later we had tipped
over the crest of the continent and
were falling down the hill. We were
nine sections now-six light engines
and three with trains-and to see
these black, wild horses of the hills
II wit chrio i,,4o ,l,o I
only to burst out at the other end as.
projectile leaps from the mouth of a
cannon, was an event in the life of
novice.
There were six engines running
light, the driver of each being his own
conductor now, looking out for him
self; then came the three engines with
trains, each man holding Is loads
down the mountain with a little lever
about as big and not much longer than
mans finger. At intervals along the
tops of the three trains sat IL brake
men punched like owls, ready to grab
the brake-wheels if the air should give
out, and in each of the cupolas sat the
captain Of the crew overlooking all.
Only in my caboose sat alone.
AS we tipped over the hill Farley
threw himself upon locker and fell
asleep. Presently he sat up, took off
his boots, and lay down again. The
engines, going down the hill, made
very little noise. I heard a creaking,
squealiDg sound occasionally, as the
wheels of the loaded cars ground on
the curves, the loud breathing of the
air-pump on the engine over ahead