El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-03-25

] we had left Lebanon.
Yesg" ] said with that interested
infection that asked for more. And
what church did you attend7"
Which do you guessE' he asked
some union mission church," 1 haz-
Nav" he said, 'T don't like to run
! on these branch roads very much 1
I don't often 90 to church, and when /
I do, I want to run on the main line.
/ where you run is regular and you go
{ on schedule time and don't have to
I wait on connections. I don't like to
run on a branch. Good enough, but I
Limited Express.
"Episcopal?" I guessed.
Limited express" he said, 1all pal
J ace cars and 50 extra for a seat. fast
tine and only stop at the big stations
/ Nice line, but too exhaustive for
] conductors punch and lantern silver
plated, and no train boys allowed Then
the passengers are allowed to talk
d back at the conductor. and 1t makes
: them too free and easy. No, I couldn't
/ stand the palace cars. Rich road.
/ though Don't often hear Of receiver
! being appointed for that line. Some
mighty nice people travel on it. too"
Where Passes Rule.
/ "Universalist2' 1 suggested.
Broad gage" said the brakeman;
does too much complimentary business.
= Everybody travels on a pass. Conduc-
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 60 10 the
Universalist. though I know some aW-
fully good men who run on that road"
marrow Cage Church.
Presbyterian" I asked
Narrow gage, eh2" said the brake
man. Pretty track, straight as rule;
tunnel right through a mountain rather
than go around it. spirit level grade;
passengers have TO show their tickets
before they get on the train Mighty
strict road. but the cars are a little
narrow; have to sit one in seat and
no room in the aisle 20 dance. Then
there is no stOpOver tickets allowed;
got to 20 straight through to the sta
ton you're ticketed for. or you can't
get on at all When the cars full, no
extra coaches; cars built at the shops
to hold just so many, and nobody else
allowed on; But you don't often hear
OF an accident on the roads It's run
right up TO the rules.
sDIrt ROadbed.s
Maybe you Joined the Free Think
scrub road" said the brakeman.
dirt 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 as you
please road. Too many side tracks and
every switch wide open all the time,
with switchman sound asleep and the
the target lamp dead cut Get on as
you please and get off when you want
to. Don't have to show your ticket, and
the conductor isn't expected to do any
thing but amuse the passengers. No,
sir, I was offered a pass, but / don't
like the line. don't like TO travel on
a road that has no terminus. Do you
know, sir, I asked division superin-
tendent where that road run to. and he
said he hoped to die IL he knew.
No General superintendent.
Il asked him II the general superin- |
tendent could tell me, and he said he I
didn't believe they had general su- /
perintendent, and, il they had, he didn't =
know anything more about the road /
than the passengers ] asked him who /
he reported to. and he said nobody 1
asked a conductor who he got his or !
derS from, and he said he didn't take J
orders from any living man or dead /
ghost And when 1 asked the engineer !
who he got his orders from, he said /
he'd like TO see anybody give him or /
derss he'd run that train TO suit him ]
self. OF he'd run il into the ditch. Now. ,
you see, sir. I'm a railroad man; and ]
I don't care to run on a road that has I
no time, makes no connections. runs I
nowhere, and has no superintendent. It I
may be all right, but I've railroaded /
too long TO understand IT,
Popular Old Road.
Maybe you went TO the COngrega- |
tionaI church, I said
Popular road" said the brakeman: ]
''an old road. TOO; one OF The very Oldest /
in the country. Good rOadbed and COM /
Portable cars. Well managed road. too /
directors don't intrain orders. Roads .
mighty popular, but it's independent,
too. Yes, didn't one Of the division su- I
perintendents down east discontinue
one Of the Oldest stations on his line i
two or three years ago2 But it's a i
N1W q "a n Il IN L
ways such a splendid class Of passen- :
gers
The Methodist Road.
Did you try the Methodist I said 1
Now, you're shouting he said. with
some enthusiasm Nice road, eh2 Fast 4
time and plenty Of passengers Engines
carry power Of steam, and don't you
forget it; steam gage shows 100, and |
the conductor shouts All aboard you 4
can hear him to the next station. Ev-
cry train light shines like a headlight
StDpOTer checks are given on all
through tickets; passenger can drop off
the train as often as he likes, do the
station two or three days. and hop on
the next revival train that comes thun-
derlng along. Good, whole SOuled, com
paniOnable conductors; amt a road in
the country where the passengers feel
more at home No passes; every pas !
senger pays full traffic rates for his .
ticket Wesleyanhouse alrbrake on all
trains, too; pretty safe road, but
didn't ride over IL yesterday"
Close to the River.
Perhaps you tried the Baptist2" ] !
guessed once more
Ah, hal' said the brakeman. she's |
q daisy, isn't she2 River road: beauti- I
ful curves sweep around anything 10 |
keep close to the river, but it's all steel (
rail and rock ballast. single track all |
the way, and not a side track from the
round house TO the terminus. Takes !
heap Of water TO run it thought, double I
tanks at every station, and there isn't /
an engine in the shops that can pull !
a pound or run mile with less than I
two cages But Ii runs through a love !
" country; these river roads always (
90; river on one side and hills on the !
other and it's a steady climb up the I
grade all the way till the run ends !
where the fountainhead OF the river (
begins Yes, sir, III take the river road !
every time for lovely trip, sure con- l
necuons and good time, and no prairie /
dust blowing in at the windows. And |
yesterday, when the conductor came |
around for the tickets with a little bas-
ket punch didn't ask him TO pass me,
but paid my fare like a little man
p cents for an hours run and a little (
concert by the passengers thrOwed in. /
tell you, Pilgrim, you take the river Z
road when you want