Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 November 1883 — A Conscientious Conductor. [ARTICLE]

A Conscientious Conductor.

“How did I become Superintendent ?” answered the railroad official. “Why, it was this way: I was conductor of the morning passenger express, and one day, as we were coming down by the junction, we struck a misplaced switch and ran into a freight train that was standing on the siding. As we were running about thirty-five miles an hour, of course it piled things up a good deal. Our engine was smashed all to pieces, the ‘ smoker * telescoped the baggage car and the forward passenger coach ran up the heap and rolled over. I was standing on the platform at the time the thing happened, and luckily was slung off about thirty feet beside the track. When I picked myself up everything was confusion, the air was filled with clouds of escaping steam, and about fifty passengers were somewhere in the wreck. Of course, it was what you might call an ‘ emergency,’ but there’s no such word as that in the company’s dictionary. I had my orders and knew what to do. The roof of the smoking-car lay near me,'and I heard a man crying out from underneath # it. After about ten minutes’ work, I got the stuff all cleared away and reached him. He was very weak and groaning. * Oh, heavens !* he said, ‘ this timber presses on me so, I can’t move. Both my legs are broken below the knee.’ ‘Think you’ll be here till the next train ?’ I asked. ‘ Oh, yes;’ he moaned. * Then you’ll need a stop-over check, sir,’ I said, and I made out a pasteboard and gave it to him. ‘ Young man,’ he said, ‘ I observe that you have neglected to fill in the day of the month; but, under the circumstances, your omission is excusable. lam a Director of the company, and if I survive your attention to duty shall be rewarded.’ The old gentleman pulled through and is now Vice President. That’s how I became Superintendent, and”—he continued, musingly, as he fingered his lantern watch-charm—“l believe in the old saying, that the company has rights which the public is bound to respect and rules which they must conform to.” — Life.