South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-08-20

trivial. He is alive to-day. His name
is 'Hippy' BelSford. / met him a few
years ago and asked him if he was the
boy my engine had struck. He said he
was, and l had the laugh on him. Let me
see, he must have been more than fifty
years old when | met him.
Before l became an engineer 1 learned
the carpenter trade. l worked all along
the Camden and Amboy road repairing
and constructing This stood me in good
stead. 1t was in 1916 started with the
company One time, near Bristol, there
was a washout, and the trestle over a
gully broke down. One train, going from
New York to Philadelphia, and another
from Philadelphia to New York, halted
each side of the washout. had one OF
the trains.
LAS soon as got to the place 1 saw
that a little lumber would fix the thing
up. There was a sawmill half a mile
away. l went there, and soon had load
OF logs and beams to suit my purpose.
My carpenter trade stood me in good
stead l had the logs drawn down to the
gully. 1 placed the logs as posts, and
carried beams across. In a short time
had a bridge ready, and both trains were
able to get across and go on their way.
You know, folk don't want to wait all
day when travelling That bridge had
to be built There was no one else there
to do it, so I did it."
There was ring of pride in the old
mans voice as he related this accomplish
ment of more than half a century before.
His eyes glistened, and he held his head
high. Then his face took on an indignant
expression.
I'D ike to box the ears of some kinds
of men. l mean the kind Of men who
won't keep their attention on the work l
had a fireman one time who was always
pointing out this and that along the line.
He'd say oh, look, there's Aunt Sally
place. or See that boat coming up the
river said to him Look around the
head Of that boiler. If you look sharp you
may see the devil coming down the track.
You and l are responsible for the safety
of all these people behind US. Nobody
else is or can be responsible but US. Keep
your eyes on your work
II always aimed TO stop my train when
ever necessary in half the distance that l
could see. If an engineer on another train
coming opposite TO me had the same rule
about distance seeing and stopping why
you can see we'd only have a very little
bump if we came together at all. Lots
that were far from amusing then. It was
a mans work l can tell you to run trains
when signals and all else were Of
practically no use to you. And all single
track running, too, remember And to
think of the big locomotive snow ploughs
now. Why, 1 have helped gangs Of men
with shovels clear a passage for my train
to get through particularly high drift.
Brakes have been great revolutionists.
Improve the locomotive all you want to the
top notch, but if you do not keep pace
with brakes it is of little value. One time
when l was fireman our engine was
headed down a piece of track where there
was fence closed across a spot that
should have been left open. The engineer
shut off. reversed, and put on hand brakes.
Then he jumped from his side and scram-
bled up a little knoll alongside the track. Il
jumped on my side to a platform. The en-
CINE tore through the fence, stopped, and,