The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-12
N|CKNAMES GIVEN
 TRAINS IN SOUTH. Many Not Known by Their
 Official Titles GEORGIA EXAMPLES Veteran Railroader Tells of Some of the Pet Names That Have Been Applied in yari-
 ous Sections
By CLYDE W. ENNIS

ny w. AA.'Nts
 The recent announcement by a well known railroad that fast trair was to be inaugurated between Chicago and French Lick Springs to be called the Red Devil has attracted more than pass ing attention
 The usual form of "dubbing' a train or supplying it with a nom de plume has heretofore rested with trainmen and the rural folk who are employed or re- side in the section through which the train is operated. The announcement caused we'll known old time employe to grow reminiscent yesterday. He was seated in the infrequent rays of sunshine which stole from the sky and which were of sufficient warmth to secure a good attendance upon the only seat in the office located within the range of the rays.
 Those nicknames remind me" said the veteran, of the old days when every train was officially nieknamed. They did not pour champagne on the train but the ceremonies were nevertheless as lasting as present day battleship christening.
 ''The most famous nickname was Nancy Hanks, given a train on the Central of Georgia many years ago. It was during the days of the race horse of that name. The train was so far famed that Euro pean writers gave many descriptions of it. It operated from Atlanta to Savan- nah, 292 miles, in six hours and forty-five minutes, which was record operation in those days. Frank l.. Stanton, the wide ly known Georgia, poet, penned many verses to Nancy Hanks, one of them be- ing copied all over the country.
 "Another nicknamed train in South Georgia was called the Shoo Fly. It ran from Cordele to Macon and was in It's time and maybe is now, noted local proposition. The Air Line Bell operated from Atlanta to Cornela, was also a not ed train and was known from it's name to everyone.
 q have actually heard train employees come in and inquire How is Punch?' or How is Judy?' meaning trains on the Alabama Great Southern operating be- tween Birmingham and Meridian. No native thinks of saying anything but, How about Punch or how about Judy?' in referring to the south and northbound accommodations.
 "The Dude, operated on the Frisco, is known to every resident between Bir- mingham and Amory. It leaves here in the morning and returns at night. Why 1t is called the Dude no one knows. In Mississippi the Yaller Dog on the Yazoo and Mississippi Valley railroad is as well known as Senator Vardaman, if not bet ter. It has been there for many years. The lamented J. T. Harahan, president of that line, once referred to the train in official correspondence as the Yaller Dog.
 q once heard a good one about train called the Flamingo, operated in South Georgia. It is called in honor of the birds of that section. One passenger man asked the passenger man of the Flam- ingo line where the Flamingo went. An other passenger man standing by replied: It is like the Flamingo 1t circles and circles but does not go anywhere
 "The Blue Goose, operated by the South ern railway west was nicknamed that on express car some geese which some semi inebriate thought were blue.
 However. that name has clung to the
  be shaken.
 "The Baltimore and Ohio operates a newspaper train out of Cincinnati which runs to Detroit with the morning pa- pers. It is called the Kicker. That is for this reason. There Is on the train an express messenger of immense pro- portions, his leg ability being uncommon. As the train gets out of the suburbs that man starts to kicking off papers Tho traip n aq nd messenger must kick several train lengths from each station. The stations for pa- pers are very close together. As a re- suit he starts to kicking at Cincinnati and kicks to Detroit, averaging one kick every five minutes. Since the train has been running not one kick has been in vain or III measured.
 "The Sunset Limit is the name of a. train operated on the Rome and North ern railroad from Rome, Ga, to a npint near Lyerly. It runs up in the morn- ing at sunrise and returns at sunset The natives dubbed the train the Sunset Limit from that fact. No one ever refers to it in any other manner. ~
 "rhe Seminole Limited out of Birming- ham is called the Simmon Pole by train- men, because 1t is so long and grace full. carrying every day about six Pull mans and other high class equipment.
 '"The Hustler and the Owl, as well as the Meteor are trains operated at night by various lines deriving their names from the time of day The Cannon Ball Is the Frisco southeastern limited out of this city that goes so fast that the well trained natives come down every Sunday to see it go by"
 How about the Merry Widow I hear talked about?' said the office boy
 'I failed to include the dashing Merry Widow. which is operated on a southern line. The name came from a filtration on the train one day wherein a husky guy beat everyone to heavily yelled passenger, only to find that she was the homeliest widow in that section and well known as coquette dn vain). Tho