The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-26
When Man Loses His Nerve
ACCIDENTS THAT GET THE GOAT" OF MEN OF DARING AM
MAKE THEM SHUN FURTHER RISKS.

moving freight engines its company of
men VINO once were the crack engi.
neer Of its limiteds, but who hav.
lost their goats" Usually it is ,
wreck that puts them voluntarily on
the retired list. but a good many times
II IS some occult warning that whis.
pers In their a alone that their time
Is near unless they step down forever
from the right side of the cab. Loco
motive engineers are among the most
superstitious of the worlds highly
skilled workmen. though they will sci.
dom acknowledge it.
Inere ls a town in Pennsylvania-a
railroad junction and division point
"nere great machine shops are located
-tnat mas an unusually large colony
Of these men who have lost their
goats. The dean OF the lot is a man
VINO Y was in a wreck or an ac.
cident. but who listened in time to the
Whisper OF FEAR and stepped out of the
cab safe and sound. Years ago this
man was climbing the mountains with
the econd section Of a heavy pas-
senger train. That morning when he
a started out he had told the boys in
the roundhouse of a dream he had the
night before-a fantasy Of rushing wa
1srs' Missing steam and cries Of agony.
me dream was continually on his
mind. and after the summit Of the
pass had been left behind and the
heavy train was slipping down the
mountain side, around curves and
through tunnels the engineer proceed
ed 80 cautiously that the train stead
lily lost time. At one point on the line
a long bridge on a curve crossed n
chasm. The jutting rocks hid the
plidge from view until the engine was
almost upon 1t. Instead Of approach.
Ing this bridge slowly, as was the ruie.
engineer stopped the train entirely
and sent his fireman forward to look
at h bridge. The conductor. amazed
at the stop. came forward and argued
heatedly about the unnecessary DELAY.
He cofe at dreams and threatened
to 40 all sorts of things to the engineer
at end OF he run The engineer
did not reply to his taunts. Student
the fireman came running staReeringly
pack. His face was white and his eyes
We're bullying with fear and horror,
The first section. 10 minutes ahead.
had jumped the rails and was at the
bottom Of the chasm. OF course, the
humorous engineer OF the second Sec
ton was thanked and praised by the
onlciais and the passengers. He was
given a medal and was assured that
he could have his pick Of the runs IA
long as he lived. But he ran his train
back to the nearest telegraph station.
and never has put his hand to the
throttle since. He is content with his
] place in the repair shops. He knows
he has dropped his goat" and that
never again will he be the same quick
thinking. i~ron-nervcd man he was be.
fore. He has taken his place in this
strange company Of men who have
lent an attentive car to the warning
voice that has filled their hearts with
fear.
Even race horses lose their goats"
Take Henry, for instance, one Of the
fastest animals eve known. on the
American turf. He metz Salvador
twice. In the first race Tenny should
have won. Mclaughlin was on SALIVA
tor and Garrison was on Tenny. Ten
ny was shut off at first and could not
get into the clear until well down the
stretch. Tenny was the Rreatest
stretch runner we have over had. but
he just missed beating Salvador, They
passed under the wire noses together.
The match race between them later to
decide the supremacy was n OF tho
greatest in the annals OF the turf.
They finished neck and neck. Saliva
dor o Later on. when both had
retired from the turf, they were on