The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-10-01

THE
LIMIT
An Engineers Ride For Life
and Lives
BY JARED l. FULLER
ConyrIght by Frank A. Munsey Co
BY JARED L. FULLER

thought he owned the entire system
gave out his opinion OF Lannigan a
the end OF the latter's first week OF
the NJ. and S. T. And this was It:
THAT Grandfather Longlegs never i
get TO hold down a passenger lever OF
this road. whatever he's done bach
east. IL amt In him"
Then the old man chalked up tn,
limit on the side of his little smoke dis
colored office, spat with emphasis ant
well. that closed the subject as faI
as Pug was concerned
reckon IL Lannigan hadn't begun
by blowing about his eastern record
he'd made more Of hit with us.
He was a tall, awkwardly built man
with shock OF sandy hair and q
smooth. humorous face. His legs and
arms were remarkably long and thin
and old Donaldsons sobriQuet stuck
to to q aln. - Daddy A'es'ss'' seemed
Lannigan got freight. and the worst
bunch Of scrap iron on the road, which
IN moments Of enthusiasm, Pug called
an engine. II there was any man hand
icapped In the race to break the limit
1t was the new man from the land OF
tenderfeet.
The system Of advancement follow.
ed by the NJ. and s. p. did not include
length Of service or pull" Just one
thing counted-the ability of driver
to get speed out of his machine over
the worst track the law ever allowed
man to lay.
The country was new when the NJ
and S. p. was surveyed and laid down
1t had been race between the M. and
s. p. and another corporation to see
which should reach the terminating
town where connection could be made
with the Pacific road first.
We won. but at cost which Grip
pied the road financially for years. and
the renewing Of the first roadbed was
slow and laborious job.
We ran one fast passenger-the Lin
tied. The through mail cars were at
tached to that train too.
1t was continual fight all through
the year to keep that one train alone
up to the schedule called for by the
contract with the government.
Ii any man on any other train show.
ed the ability to get speed out of his
engine be was watched. and II he
broke the limit he stood good
chance of displacing the driver then
the mail train.
The NJ and S. p. in those days was
a farmers railroad" Most of the
way stations were merely huts and wa.
ter tanks in forest clearings, tapping
certain section Of farming country
westward Of the line.
Lannlgan had been with US since the
winter before He was good driver.
out not brilliant Anybody but pref
ldiced old fool like Donaldson would
nave recognized his good points. but
you never could stir the roundhouse |
brennan when he'd once made up his
mind.
Lannigan had learned the road and
lis engine. If he followed another
rain he was on its heels all the time
nd got himself well cursed for It.
Some Of us began to see that there
eally was more to the eastern man
han we had believed
That fall was dry, the sun and wind
II day and every day drying the sap
ut Of the trees and brush and burning
he leaves brown before the frost could
lake them pretty.
BY and by the inevitable happened
Tres began to light up the heavens
lightly. and by day streaks Of blue
moke hid the tops Of the higher hills.
Reports reached us from all direc-
ons OF families burned out and set.
ements threatened. but for a week
lie confagrations kept away from the
ne Of the road.
Then suddenly one Sunday morning
food Of fire swooped down the noun
lin side and crossed the tracks some
lies south Of Yardsley.
The Limited came through somewhat
'orched, and the next day traffic on
lie road between Lattell and the juno.
on was cut off altogether.
This shut Off several settlements as
ell as Yardsley, except by telegraph
be wires were still working. and our
,erators stuck to their posts like the
ave fellows they were
Pretty near every living soul In a
inbred square miles of territory liz
II for less dangerous ground But
irdsley was caught mapping. and its ,
o people were practically hemmed In ,
; the fiercest forest fire the state had
er experienced.
The entire system OF the NJ. and s. r
as pretty well tied up We had pull
freight as near the FIRE line as we
red. and the sidetracks were about
II Of waiting cars !,
The fire was still burning 1ercely be !,
ie the roadbed IN more than one !.
ace, and we weren't asked 10 try to !,
u train through TO the junction.
Naturally there were plenty OF loco
olives and plenty Of drivers al Lat. !,
] that day when the news came from
2 Ygrdsley operator II was his last !,
'patch. for be had remained untf il
~ too late 10 escape by any track !
rough the forest. and there wasn't :,