New-York tribune., 1911-04-23
American Rail
roads Made a
Briton Gasp
MAKING UP TIME
I. c,,ed in Awe at the Gar
y 4. Throttle Whom Every
oue Knew by Name.

ser a" r,rise that is just shaoe 700
6iuai % ,,e placid Britisher. on an
nctins - as on an ocean liner, the
fns a. treated. mercifully enough as
fsns whatever happens or Whatever
! eni'" IN happen. the officials wear
sens - mask OF easy indifference. Per-
90 rrsfer 10 have il that way. one
ora. -. in their hands; one can do
, en- whatever to avert catastrophe; |
'o'"' 0or-b should one enter into their |
~ technical troubles?
American railway every soul
- is in the confidence Of the crew
,.0u, the engine driver by name: he |
- Of the famous personalities OF the |
80 You will hear a passenger say 20
=. .rau son as YOU pass an engine stand |
an a siding That's the celebrated !
~ Williams They've had his portrait |
~ the papers He's been off the rails !
s,,v.eye times and never killed a passen- !
~ Great man. Dick. How are you, Dick ?
.,,s strong That's good
= here is any little hitch. the conductors |
a., eager 20 tell YOU the fullest details
what are We going back for?" YOU ask |
Wreck ahead Coupe o. coaches run off
40 rails. We shall have 70 run over the !
snsthins- -or-Other loop. Delay Us three
| a four hours unless we can make it up"
ANY chance of making il up?"
We'll" with whimsical smile. old
Sn Johnson can put 'eT alonc when he
rrss his mind 10 IT,"
nat is another strange difference between
re English engine driver and the Amerj
na engineer The English driver IS
-ors or less Of an sutomaton. ! DO not
r.sn to disparagc him in the slightest. We
n understand his tremendous responsible
sss and appreciate very highly his un-
easing vigilance and care. But his road
CIT up into little blocks: his time is reg
dated 70 the minute, he travels always un-
i,r The official eye. In America tie en-
.rssr has almost the freedom of a chauf-
tu- Once out on the prairies. and he is
| Inost an Independent person. He can hit
., up some whenever ne takes il into
4. head to d0 So. True. lie is not a great
ago-'te AZ headquarters If ne arrives at
depot. after negotiating a dangerous piece
o Lire. a couple Of hours before he IS ex-
gtcis!. engineers have been sacked for
that But In between stations he is the
is 10 that the experienced traveller can
tel you who IS driving by the feel Of the
bard on the brakes. ! heard a man COM
risin 70 a conductor one morning that he
va awakened three times in the night by
scs q artistry on the part Of the engineer
y ,aking certain curves. on. they become
'sry knowing about railway travelling in
America,
IN England. again. VIC never stop 10 think
WAT the driver thinks Of us. II IS said
nsi on certain English line the big ex-
Fssses slow down while the first class
ssssngers arc eating their soup. but that
not true. In point Of fact. started tie
sory myself. In America. however. YOU
81 10 learn that the engineer thinks Of
k passengers as real 1esh-and- blood peo-
- who have been placed under his care.
E ne give YOU an instance Of this.
RlnnnS down from the Grand Canyon.
" had % pull up on a siding for about an
bur II suppose there was the usual de-
zlrent ahead. one comes to think Moth
NJ % that sort Of thingD I was in the
Sosinc car talking 10 a man who was
roenily an official Of the line. Presently
Hsre entered tai. rather elderly. Ian
srn jswed man. with Wild eye and a ner-
rols manner. knew az once that he was
70 engineer OF our train. lie could have
zen nothing else than a railroad en-
rneer. His face was tanned: the skin
hung loose about his throat. lie pulled
'sveTshly az The stump Of a cigarette.
Dropping irto a seat, he began TO talk
lgite easily and naturally to tho official
though Oue vas in oily overals and the
nher in correct Chicago tweeds there was
noi the slightest difference in their manner
hHar1 each other, except. perhaps. that
he offioisi was slightly deferential He
nsv better than TO take liberties with the
raH Who held our lives i'm his hand.
"smethus on Tho road Jim" he asked
"isrp Some asterisked fool has piled |
" his adiect.ved engine"
Shall 80 make up?'
"You bet we shah make up If they give |
y snytn'ns like a chance. They
were asking for Won along the main road |
here the other day."
J believe it. That was a bad business "
ral business? / should say IL ad- !
'rtailv vas SIR
Wit vas rho cause OF IT,
sheer al iectived carelessness sir, That !
W the cause OF it, He became very ex-
''sd. his eyes cleaned. the veins in his !
n'cs sVeied. And there I saw that swine |
~ Davis going about on crutch and /
1a1lng OUT 20 be q something hero"
Was he hurt. them"
FAD q was. but ! don't stand for that /
"o' much BE had no crutch the first day /
r'fr bur he was making fine play with It (
~' second. II thing ike that happened |
me dye think I'd show my face 10 the |
''s ageI, 40 sir Think OF that train /
s"hg along through the night. and all the /
''aen ana little children I'm their beds. I
Fl'in' ter YOU TO take en- along in safe /
Ana then smash,-one o. them solid /
Af'i coaches crushed 10 ribbons and
zoe family wiped out, A whole family, .
I-iatAe-. mother and little children, IL 4
~ ever knocked up agen me- ] give YOU I
solemn word they'd never take me I
%, No. sir, I'd run the train al across I
'otry and into the Red Sea before they /
"Illd take me. Yes. SIR
'-'i then The whistle sounded. and he ,
or We were soon doing forty miles 4
hour. then hfty then sixty. This is /
= gong on a prairie track in America. /
mats old jim" said the official, smil /
~ proudly He's "A devil 10 drive. but /
: Knows his job all right, all right"
'he Other little incident. on the way up /
"e had again 10 change our route |
'sls~ an engine had skipped the rails |
VIC Tie cars had followed her. II was a !
-y dark night. and we travelled at an /
age speed II TWO miles an hour. We |
O4o accomplish a splendid burst Of six |
fsht miles. and then stop dead for half /
~nr Whenever We stopped brake I
-, walked ahead with a lamp, and an
guarded the rear of the train in 4