Arizona sentinel and Yuma weekly examiner., 1914-03-26
THE BRAKEMAN
 AT THE CHURCH

On the road once more, with Leba
 non fading away in the distance, tn | fat passenger drumming on the win
 dow pane, the cross passenger soun(
 asleep and the tall, thin passenge reading Gen. Grants Tour Around tht
 World'' and wondering why Greens
 August Flower" should be printed
 above the doors of "A Buddhist temple
 at Benares." To me comes the brake man, and seating himself on the arn of the seat says:
 'I went to church yesterday"
 "Yes?" I said, with that interested
 infection that asks for more. "An(
 what church did you attend?"
 Which do you guess?" he asked
 Some union mission church?'
 hazzarded.
 "Now," he said, 'I don't like to run on these branch roads very much. don't often go to church, and when do, I want to run on the main line where your run is regular and you gC on schedule time and don't have to wait on connections. 1 don't like to run on a branch. Good enough, but don't like it"
 "Episcopal?" 1 guessed.
 Limited" he said, "all palace cars and two dollars extra for seat, fast time and only stop at the big stations. Nice line, but too exhaustive for a brakeman. All train men in unifrom conductors punch and lantern silver plated, and no train boys allowed. Then the passengers are allowed to talk back to the conductor, and it makes them too free and easy. No, l couldn't stand the palace cars. Rich road, though. Don't often hear of 2 receiver being appointed for that line Some mighty nice people travel on 1t, too"
 "Universalist? ?" I suggested.
 ''Rroad guage," said the brakeman; "does too ruch complimentary busi ness. Everybody travels on pass. Conductor doesn't get a fare once in fifty miles. Stops at all flag stations and won't run into anything but a union depot No smoking car on the train. Train orders are rather vague though, and the train men don't get along well with the passengers. No I don't go to the Universalist, though know some awfully good men run on the road
 "Presbyterian I asked.
 Marrow gauge, eh?" said the brake man; pretty track, straight as a rule; tunnel right through a mountain rather than go around it; spirit level grade: have to show their ticket before they get on the train. Mighty strict road, but the cars are a little narrow; have to sit one in a seat anc no room in the aisle to dance. Then there is no stop-over tickets allowed: got to go straight through to the sta ton you're ticketed for, or you can't get on It all. When the cars full no extra coaches; cars built at the shop to hc'd just so many and nobody else 7!lowed on. But you don't often hear of an accident on that road. It's run right up to the rules"
 May be you joined the Free Think ers?" I said.
 Scrub road" said the brakeman 'dlrt roadbed and no ballast; no time card and no train dispatcher. All trains run wild and every engineer makes his own time, just as he pleases. smoke if you want to; kind of a go-os- 7ou-please road. Too many side tracks and every switch wide open all the me, with the switchman sound asleep md the target lamp dead out. Get )n as you please and get off when you want to. Don't have to show your ticket, and the conductor isn't expect- ed to do anything but amuse the pas 'enger. No, sir. I was offered a pass, )ut 1 don't like the line. I don't like o travel on road that has no termi- lus. Do you know, sir, I asked a di- 'ision superintendent where that road 'un to and he said he hoped to die if le knew. I asked him if the genera could tell me, and he aid he didn't believe they had a gen. ,ral superintendent, and that if they lad, he didn't know anything more bout the road than the passengers. l -sked him who he reported to, and he aid nobody I asked a conductor who he got his orders from, and he 'aid he didn't take orders from al,. wing man or dead ghost And when
 asked the engineer who he got his )rders from, he said he'd like to see give him orders; he'd run hat train to suit himself or he'd run into the ditch. Now you see, sir, | m a railroad man, and I don't care o run on a road that has no time | makes no connections, runs nowhere | nd has no superintendent. It may be II right but I've railroaded too long o understand it"
 Maybe you went to the COngrega- | ional church?" I said.
 "Popular road" said the brakeman l an old road, too; one of the very old 1 st in this country. Good roadbed and ! omfortable cars. Well managed roau | %; directors don't interfere with div ion superintendents and train orders loads mighty popular, but it's pretty | too. Yes, didn't one of | he division superintendents down east iscontinue one of the oldest stations | n this line two or three years ago? | But it's a mighty pleasant road tc ravel on. Always has such a splendid | lass ofspassengers."
 "Did you try the Methodist?" l aid.
 Now you're shouting," he said with ome enthusiasm. "Nice road, eh? 'aet time and plenty of passengers. ,ngines carry a power of steam. and ont you forget it, steam gauge shows
 hundred and enough all the time. ,OoJ u,bo1, tho Cbn