The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-03-28

is all that an engineer should be; Ne
has fine disposition and the dis
patchers say he Is one of the best
fellows to work with that ever lived.
He goes on about his work, as
though he enjoyed it, and you never
hear him kick about working condi-
tions, wages, or about the way the
dispatcher handed it to him" on his
last trip.
lis Good Citizen
I'm introducing Dave to you, and
I am sure that he would meet with
your approval and / might say be-
sides being an engineer, Dave is also
good citizen, and has a nice home
and family.
On this particular day, however, I
noticed that Dave was bit ruffled
about something.
This was so unusual that thought
| would ask him what the trouble
was.
He said: TITS those reckless auto
mobile drivers
"You know, I've been running an
engine for pretty close to 35 years
and I've never been afraid to wheel
'em over the road as fast as any of
'em, but lately guess I'm kinda los
ing my nerve.
Now on this trip down, we were
running a little late-maybe 20
minutes or so, and I figured on MAX
mile clip.
q ~ r,,n ,ryaro oxo4t;x~ o11eo ~
a crossing I whistled, and the fire
man said: There's an auto coming
from this side.'
''It is level as board near the
crossing, and figured sure that he
would stop; of course, I couldn't see
him, as he was on the fireman's side,
but Just about the time we reached |
the crossing, Zip! he shot across
ahead of us. I'll bet that we scraped |
the paint off the rear end of his car.
He had an open car and besides him
self there were three other people,
maybe his wife and youngsters.
He Thought 1t Smart
What do you suppose he did after
he crossed? He turned and waved
his hand at me, thinking he had done
smart, / guess.
"It's getting so that / hardly make
! trip but that some smart aIeck
driver don't pull a stunt like that
and you can bet it's getting on my
nerves.
''I'd like to have some of them up
n the cab with me for a few trips to ;
lee what sort of a scare they throw
nto the engineer by pulling such
tunts as that.
"You know whenever / see an auto
oming, / reach over for the brake
ever, and watch him. He races right +
Ip to the track at rs miles an hour, T
lever giving me any sign that he
5 going to stop, and when he does
top, he is within three or four, or !
ometimes two feet of the track.
Il wish they would think of the
IAN in the cab once In a while, be-
ause ne don't know just what
long like that.
Can't Tell What to Do
''It's serious proposition to the
ian on the engine because he don't
now just what to do. OF course,
ave to take it for granted that the
river is going to stop but it keeps
lie guessing, and I am almost tempt
l to throw the brakes into emer-
sncy, but just imagine what that
cans to the equipment and the pas
,ngers on my train!
81 have talked with some of the
st of the boys, and they all feel the
me way about it.
Gosh, I wish they would give US
chance, because we are human, and
s a mighty tough sight to see
rocked car with the passengers
angled and sometimes killed.
with these big autos nowadays it
lite often happens that they ditch
q engine, and I know of a couple
cases where the engineer, fireman
Id even passengers were killed.
Some of the drivers are a good
al like the farmer of the olden
VS. He used to whip his team to
at train to crossing, then, after
got across, would stop and watch
g train go by.
This particular type of driver has
AIKEN the nerves of a good many
gineers, and it's getting worse.
You'd think it was a matter of
e and death with some of them the
W they drive over railroad track.
well, see the conductor giving
2 signal to pull out, so l guess We'll
going"
Old Dave swung up into his cab
d as I saw his grizzled head,
lldn't help but think of what he
d, and I felt that if the average
to driver would just give him a
lie warning by stopping a short
tance away from the track, he
uld breathe a little easier, and
ybe could sleep better nights,
.hout thinking of some of the mar
V escapes that he had seen on his
trip.