Evening journal., 1911-09-21


One mid-forenoon in October, 1888,
a friend and entered the forward car
of a Sixth avenue elevated train at
Forty-second street, in New York
city AS we took seats we observed q
man of stout build sitting in the first
forward seat on the right-hand side
of the car apparently intently occu-
pied i'm watching the engineer of the
little locomotive that was noisily
hauling the train to its destination.
mot until the present century was
born were the New York elevated lines
electrifed) This passenger did not
move except to bend his head forward,
seemingly that he might the more
readily watch the motions Of the en-
gineer. Indeed, so glued we're his eyes
| on the man in. the diminutive cab that
he attracted the attention of practical
| " every other passenger in the car,
and I caught several smiling slyly at
each other at the stout mans child
| like enjoyment in watching ''the man
who made the engine go
Just before we reached Twenty
] third street, then the pre-eminent
shopping center of the metropolis, The
man at the forward window turned
slightly and glanced up that thorough
fare-and then my friend and saw
that he was none other than General
Ulysses s. Grant
AS the train left the Twenty-third
street station. the General once more
fastened his gaze ON the engineer.
Soon thereafter my friend, William
Copeland who, as an officer in the
Civil War, had come TO know General
Grant fairly well at that time, stepped
up and greeted his old commander,
who welcomed him cordially and mo-
toned him to an adjacent vacant seat
MIR. Copeland ventured 20 remark
that he could not help noticing the in
terest General Grant took in watching
the manner in which the engineer OF
the train did his work. The General
smiled.
1T is a hobby OF mine that when
ride upon the elevated try to get the
first seat in the car next 10 the en-
CINE" he explained. Il have always
been interested i'm locomotives and th'
men who run them, and these littl.
engines that pull the elevated trainl
have completely captivated me. Sc
too, have the men who run them.
do believe that they become so fami
liar with the tracks and their engine
that blindfolded they could run then
from station TO station without mis-
, hap. Itsis a great treat to me TO Oh
. serve their eXpertness. and / feel dis
appointed whenever | am not able (
obtain this seat in a train where l ca
have a full view Of engine and drive
p II like, too" continued the Genera
/, Ito ride on the elevated for the view
II affords from the car windows, / al
I thus able 10 keep up from day to da
3 with the march of Improvement alon
T the route of the road and in the sid
streets as far as the eve can carr.
o And these vistas of city life are a col
tinual source of delight In themselve
Whenever I aravel on railroad trai
y like TO get the last seat in the res
IS car so that l can turn around an
d look at the vista of the track oy,
4, which the thain has sped, and wht
x / am not doing that / want TO be loo
Il ing out of the window continually. b
l. after all, the greatest pleasure / ha
" ever received while travelling h
come through watching these little G
d gines puff up and down above d
r streets of New York City"
l. And while the great general Of t
20 Civil War. the man who had twi
E. been president of the United Stat
x was confessing 10 an interest in e
waited railway travel similar to Il