The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-07-15
DAD LETS 'EM ROLL
BY z. e. JENNINGS

BY e. e. JENNINGS :
The usual crowd had gathered In
the C. & st. J. roundhouse at Craig
Vile. I should say the usual 'Jolly-
crowd. for pay day had come rouno
once more, and one and all from
wiper to passenger engineer, were
killing time In various ways while
waiting the arrival Of the band wagon.
Several yarns had been spun, and a
few arguments had taken place. when
Dad Allen, veteran engineer Of the
line, suddenly leaned forward In his
chair and knocked the ashes out OF
his pipe ON the heel Of his boot. This
was always q sure sign that Dad was
about to open up, and invariably
caused the same condition of. silence
and attention that are seen In court
when the Judge raps for order; Tor
Dad was a rare entertainer. No en-
gineer on the system had more close
calls.
The old man reached in his pocket,
produced his knife and tobacco, start
ed to fill up his corncob again. and
then began:
Listening to you boys kick because
all freight cars amt equipped with
air brakes yet, reminds me Of q little
mix.up I ono had on the Kffmorna
hill.
1T was In the fall OF, 1887 t,Aa this
happened. and It was ia the spring OF
1888 that I got my job Dsak, after
various officials bad failed to discover
the real reason why the Chicago Bull
let ran away on the KilmoTna hill.
All the better class OF engines car.
ried Westinghouse those days, but We
had q few little dinkes that did yard
work and local business that the com.
pany did not thiak It worth while 1T
ting up. When I came down to the
roundhouse at Melton that morning,
and found that my engine. the AS.
had been taken to double-head the
snow plow. I expressed my opinion OF
the locomotive foreman and other Of
fcials in no uncertain language.
Some Of the boys say, there are
blue streaks on the window glass yet
down In the Melton roundhouse. where
my breath frosted the pane, bat that
must have occurred when I found out
that I had to take the III out on the
Bullet =
II knew the III, and so did every
man on the division, . little teapot
that was pulled on the main line on
account Of poor steaming qualities,
and I could sec my finish trying to
make tme with Q mill like that on
tho head-ehd Of . beef train.
well. we got tho yard engine to
give. ID . shove out Of the Melton
yard, and managed to get away on
tho dot; and I was beginning to hope
that We would get . clear run over the
division when. % we were nearing
Lyndon. I saw tho ~order-board out
against me. I whistied for: brakes,
pulled up and got. orders TO meet en-
ira a at Sherwood. that little flag.
station at the foot OF Kilmorna hill.
Il had figured. on letting her 80 her
own pace on that grade, but I knew
that I could never let her out with
s7 cara Of dressed beef behind her and
stop ut Sherwood; however, when We
Lit tho top Of the hill. 7 thought that
would let her 80 for half q mile and
then give her tho air, which would be
safe enough, % I had done 1t dozens
Of times with 40; and, right here ID
where force Of habit caused me- to
make the biggest bull I over made on
an engine.
"When I thought It was about time
to slow up I reached for the handle
Of tho sircontroller, only to discover
that I had forgotten that there was
no air on this engine. There we were.
splitting tho wind at about Hfty per.
with nothing but h~and!brakes behind
an and two green brskemen IN the
caboose. -.
II whistled brakes, threw her over
and gave her tho sand, but It didn't do
much good. I looked back oyer the
train, and could Q one man crawling
over the running-board OF tho car
ahead Of tho dog-house on his hands
and knees.
Thinks / to myself we're III .
deuce Of q AZ II Stewart isn't In tho
clear at Sherwood. for by this time
even air wouldn't haze held vs. Vp.
When ~e tounds4 the eurve.near tho
west semaphore, t could see>stewart
pulling in the siding at tho east end
switch. and I knew for certain that
he wouldn't get In the clear in time:
II whistled Is long q I dared stay
with her, and than I yelled to my IRE
man: Como on. soni' and We both
Lit out for the deep snow, which,
thanks be, vas plentiful.
Tho I'll. sideswiped the fifth car
ahead Of Stewards >caboose, but by
good luck they had heard III whistting
and had time TO hike out Of tho ca
boose and over the fence clear Of the
pile-up.
1T took the auxiliary three days to
clear up the mess; but It took the Of
ncials ovee three months trying to
clear up the cause, which they didn't
or I wouldn't be here with you tsl
lows now"
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