The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-15

would bring every locomotive in use
ana when some of them would he
Kept III almost continuous service for
weeks at a time tho old man would
dcscant upon the wicikcdncss of such "a
thing. II was not right. 1t was not
Just. to ovcrwOrk a. machine any more
than 1t was Il man, he would declare.
aral he would not he altogether happy
until the rush ended and he had an
! opportunity TO get tho ailing among
his pets back In the shop.
queer man was old Palmer. He had
hecn with the road nearly nifty wears
when he worked out his invention.
me road was not tho big trunk line
! Is to-day when he first knew it.
instead of It's thousands OF miles of
tracks, its many thousand cars. its
hundreds of millions OF dollars in
stocks and bonds and it's army of en-
proves, II was "a Jerkwater Bit of n
road less than s~cvcnty-nvc miles long
mat Wandered over the hills and VAL
ieNS of Illinois. It's roadbcd was a
JOKE, it's iron rails grotcsuucly light,
ana its total equipment consisted of
three locomotives. six soucaky pas-
senger cars and eighteen freight cars.
me locomotives burned wood. Once
a DAY Il combination freight and pas
scnSer train went owe the road.
TO the mind of old man Palme the
wonderful locomotives with which the
road is equipped to-day Is magnificent
but occasionally. when he talked i'm
me roundhouse or the shop OF old
times, he would tell some marvellous
tales OF those woodburncrs of the earlv
SIXTIES. He hal come out OF the war
In 63. wounded. and had taken a ioL
as fireman on the ". II. x y. 1t was
ny" years before he became an engi-
necr. and 1t was ten before. he was mt
in the shops. The road had sprcad
grown and h~ranchcd. hut he had re.
manned on the old main line. There
We're days OF financial tragedy to the
io"d. when a Wall Street wrcckcr. into
whose hands il had fallen. sapped IL oE
IT'S strength. There was {. long period
OF bankruptcy, when the visit of the
PAY ear was none TOO regular. ana there
was a long period of privation and The
most rigid economy. when the employees
and thc patrons of the road had to nav
me penalty for the crimes OF that Wall
',rte' "uccaneet- Then, gradually,
with ii an amazing ~outrcachinc of its
tracks and q no less amazing Increase
in its traffic.
through all It's transitions Palmer
remained faithful. Presidents came
aud presidents went; Old interests sold
out and new ones camc into control.
nut II was all the same 10 him. la
worked away in the shop. his life
bounded by the Illinois Division. and
an mis- energies centred on Ills daily
TASKS. lie knew the soul Of the wood
burner. he knew the soul OF the high
wheeled coal burning nycrs of light
WclEht that succeeded Them, and he
knew the soul vi the monsters tha, are
~ service today Possibly. IL he was
moro selfish and had a kcencr sense OF
ms own worth. he might have attained
Eooh position; but he was content TO
los along. His needs were simple. fIip
wife had died many years ago ana he
had no children 10 look after THAT
'nhT account for the patcrnalistic care
WIN which he regarded the LOCOMOTIVES
.' h"a 10 restore to good condition
Year after year he pioddcd alon-. r,a
sl'ver CAME Into his hair. and his one.
erect form began 10 bend under the
"c'snt "i his wears. Ills tasks were
,n""r hRhtcr Without his Knowledge.
f"nnscr men relieved him OF all heavy
work. and he was left 10 do practically
"iai ne pleased. He was a p~rivilcrcd
character.
u old man Palmer had had as much
heorcticai knowledge Of mechanics ~.
" .'Hd practical he might have become
,-rc"t inventor. He liked 10 ,inke.
~ 'nihSS thai bothered the men
""ou' INC shop, and there arc dozens or
!" ic'', IN use there now tina, ne rugged
"p =" simplify the work. Some of nom
"'' Iuit" ingenious. but none of thcu
81 enough Importance 10 warrant
ape'i"l notice There was a ,imc when
!, '.,"uShi he had unusual ability In
,nlH lhr, and possibly hc bad some am
s,,"us 'reanls. THAT was long ago.
n"WHver and when tho wondorfni
llnsS ana the mul,i,udcs OF o,her na
'H"A's- tHaI eaihe TO the si.oy disclosed