Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-21
OUR ENGINEERS
ARE UNDER FIRE
American Officer Relates His
Experience on Railroad at
the Front.
ENGLISH ARE A BIT SLOW
But Their Methods Win Out;
How Yankee Ingenuity Shat
tered Tradition.
ENGLISH ARE A BIT SLOW
nv *. WALTER)

CRy *. WALTER)
LONDON. Sept. 2S. (by maiD D-The
first news of American troops under
fire in France was brought to this or
flee today by an officer Of the Rail-
way engineers who, before enlistins.
had worked on every railroad In ute
middle west He was enthusiastic
about the promptness with which the
engineers were put to work at the
front and the Importance OF the job
assigned to them.
AS soon as we got over there" he
said. 1--WE were put with the British
forces and our regiment scattered all
over the area in which we wer5
placed. We are the only American
troops in that part OF the country ana
we have not seen any others since we
reached France. I was given nun
dred men and put in charge of the
operation and maintenance of eish.
teen miles Of narrow gauge railway
which runs from the standard gauge
raj head to the batteries. We SOON
got used to the shells which fly about
frequently, and have come to regard
them as pestiferous but quite neces-
sary nuisance. The engines and track
are all American made, but the cars
are British make.
ish?" 30" 40 you S'' ." VIII" '''' '''
On To Their Terms.
81 have had Il tough time leai Ming
tC call a car a truck, a conductor
guard, Gasoline petrol. and so on, but
| am entirely surrounded by English
Sc | have had to surrender
What do you make OF them as
fishters?"
"The English are an earnest peo
pie, and determination Is their mid
die name but. oh Eord, how they pIo-
crastinatc, They treat us with every
r,ark of respect but they hasten TO
assure us that we must not be in too
'devilish hurry as the war will
probably be carrying on tomorrow.
There is no denying, however, that
they are good war makers and are
persistent in their ways TO the las,
degree Their soldiers are well dis
coplined and very courageous and
their officers very brave and cheerful
men. We get along finely. but true
Yank will always be distinguished
among them for his kick and ginger.
God knows they have reason to lack
It after three years Of what see nero
daily"
I'VE haul ammunition, food, engi
neering supplies and troops to the
front. on our main limos we use Bald
wins steam locomotives. The stuff
for The batteries is put off In yards
in the daytime and our night crews
haul il to the front by means of big
petrol electric tractors These are very
good Pittsburgh machines and our gas
engine men are delighted with them"
Rivalry With Canadians.
Whenever the American raiway
men come in touch with the Canad
ians on the same job, there is particu-
larlv keen and friendly rivalry.
"rnera a Canadian in charge of
fNHt Htp,.as ntAI hA al
! wage a fearful warfare to outdo one
arother in ton-miles This is where
! find Am criCan business methods pay.
| have a sergeant who In private IRE
was n publicity agent: he goes out
scouting for business and when he
lands a new job, which is good for
three cars daily a week, ] give him a
o. day off in the nearest town to cele
brate. lie does"
One incident told by this man, who
knows all the tricks of operation on
every road between Minnesota and
Texas. he was particularly proud Of.
and it deserves to be put down nc
told 1t.
"On one section of my division
there is steep grade in the track and
an engine can only haul five loaded
cars over Tie grade. Now this grade
is on the main line and much of our
traffic passes over 1t. The company, |
which operated here previous to our
selves. was wont to send out from the
terminus fiVe-car trains as a regular /
thing on the main line. Well, we built
q siding and a hut at the foot of the
Grade and stationed two engine crews, !
one to relieve the other and one en- |
Pire there and sent out ten car trains |
ever the main line Upon arriving al
the foot OF The grade the engine sta
toned there pulled out of n siding we |
h,I Intn n nj ShnI hA trat In,
over the hill. whereupon the engine |
uncoupled aid went back to its sta
zion This enabled US to release foul |
engines. ] Immediately went looking |,
for more cars and more business. 7
got the business all right but when I
applied for more cars I stirred up an |
awful 'strafe very important man |
himself paid me a visit and demanded |
to know how could have four 'lccos' |
10 spare, and when told him he said |
that | wa, running more traffic over |
the line than my motive power COM |
Element was figured to haul. I told |
him to give me more cars and I would |
Tut "A hole in the records of the British |
amy and he finally, with a depreca-
tory smile, agreed to try the expert
raent Since that time I have run an
additional ten trains daily over the /
main line hut am in bad with every |
light railway man in the area. because !
I have smashed a treasured British |
hallway precedent by top loading my |
motive power according to the good |
old American railroad system y.
scrappinc locomotives as soon as they !
are worn"
As to the end Of the war, he was
making no guesses, but he said 81 |
don't care how soon it is as IT is very |
unsatisfactory to have to wait twenty |
days for news from ones wife"
lie was married two weeks before !
sailing from America. |