RAILROAD CHURCHES.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1047, 15 June 1883, Page 4

RAILROAD CHURCHES.

LITERATURE.

———♦> —— The Brakesman’s Graphic Description op Protestant Denominations. '< (Burlington Hawlceye.') i On the road once more, with Lebanon fading away in the distance, the fat passenger drumming idly on the windotv pane, the cross passenger sound asleep; and the tall, thin passenger reading] To me comes the brakesmen, and, seat-; ing himself on the arm of the seat, says—-? 4 I went to church-yesterday.’ } 4 Yes,’ I said, with that interested inflection that asks for more. ‘ And what church did you attend ? ' Sbincf Union Mission qhurch.’ i 4 Now, I don’t like to run on suchbranch roads very ranch. I don’t often go to church, and when I do, I want to’ run bn the main line, where your run is regular, and yon go on schedule time.’ { 4 Episcopal ?’ I guessed. j 4 Limited, express,’ he said, ? all palace car. and 2 dols. extrpifor a. seal ;. fast; time, and only stop at the big stations.' All -train:men in uniform, conductor’s punch and lantern silver-mounted, no train boys tallowed. Then Ihe passengers are allowed to talk back at the? conductor, and it makes them too free and easy. No, I couldn’t stand the; palace cars.’ 4 Universalist ?’ I suggested. _ 4 Broad gauge,’ said the brakesman, 4 does too much complimentary .'business.; Everybody travels bn a pass. Conductor: doesn’t get a fare once in fifty miles. Stops at all flag stations, and won’t run into anything bnt a union depot. No; smoking car on the train. Train orders are vague enough, and the train men don’t get along well with the passengers. No, I don’t go to the Universalist, though I know some awfully good men, who run on that road*’ 4 Presbyterian ?’ I asked. 4 Narrow gnage,eh ?’ said the brakes-; man; ‘ pretty track, straight as a rule; tunnel right through a mountain rather than go round 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 a seat, and no room in the aisle to dunce. Then there’s no step-over tickets allowed ;; got to go straight through for -the station you’re ticketed for, or you can’t get on at all. When the . car’s full, no extra coaches ; cars built at the shops to hold just so many, and nobody else allowed on. But yon don’t often hear of an accident on that road. It’s run; up to the rules.’ 4 Maybe you’ve joined the Free-i thinkers?’ I said.

*'Scrhb road,’ said the brakesman, * dirty road bed and no ballast; no time card and no train despatches All trains ran wild, and every engineer makes his own time, just ns he pleases, gmeke if you want to ; kind of go-as-you-please road. Too many side tracks, and every switch wide open all the time, with the switch-man sound asleep and the target lamp dead out. Get on as you please and get off when you want to. Don’t have to show your tickets, and the conductor isn’t expected to do anything but amusethe passengers. No, sir, I was offered: a pass, but I don’t like the line. I don’t like to travel,on a road that has no terminus. Do you know, sir, I asked a division superintendent where the read run to, and he said - he Tipped to die if he knew. I asked him if the general superintendent cOuld tell me, and he did’nt believe they had a general superintendent, and if they had’ he did’nt know any more about the road than the passengers. T asked him who;he reported to, and be said nobody. I asked a conductor whom he got his orders from, and he said he didn’t take orders from living man or dead ghost. And when I asked thd engineer whom he got his orders from he said he’d like to see anybody give him orders; he’d run that train to suit himself or he’d ran it into the ditch. Now, yon see, sir,, I’m a railroad man, and I don’t care to run on a road that has no superintendent. It may be all right, but I’ve railroaded too long to understand it.’ * Did you try the Methodist ’ I said. • ; * Now you’re shouting,’ he said, with some enthusiasm. * Nice road, eh ? Fast time and plenty of passengers. Engines carry a power of steam, and gange shows a hundred and enough all the time; Lively road ; when the conductor shouts * all abroad,’ you can bear him to the next, station., Every train lamp shines like a head light. Stopover checks given on all through tickets; ..passengers can drop off the train as often as they like, do the station two or three da/s afnd'hop on the;next revival train that comes thundering along. Good, wholesonled, companionable conductors; ain’t a Toad in the country where the passengers feel more at home. No passes; every passenger pays fall traffic rates for his ticket. Wesleyanhonse air-brake on all trains, too; pretty safe road, but I didn’t ride over it yesterday.’ ..* * May be yon went to the Congregagational Church,’ I said. * Popular road,’ said the brakesman, * and old road, loo; one of the very oldest jin this country. Good roadbed and comfortable cars. Well managed road, directors don’t interfere with division superintendents and train orders. Road’s mighty popular, but it’s pretty independent; too. See, didn’t one of the ; superintendents down East continue one of the oldest stations on this line two or three years ago? Bnt it is a mighty pleasant road to travel on. Always has such a splendid class of passengers/ * Perhaps you tried the Baptist?’ I guessed once more. ‘ Ah, ha !’ said the brakesman, ‘ she’s a daisy, isn’t she ? River road, beautiful carves, sweep round anything to keep close to the river, but its’s all steel rail and rock ballast, single track all the way, and not a single side-track from the roundhouse to the terminus. . Takes a heap of water to run it, though; double tanks at every station, and there

isn’t an engine in the shops that cari pull a. pound or run a mile in less thaii two gauges. But it runs through a lovely country ; these river roads always do; river on one side and hill on the other, and it’s a steady climb up the grade all the way till the run ends; where the fountainhead of the river begins. Yes, sir, Til take the river road every time for a lovely trip, surd connections and good time, and nd prairie dust blowing in at the windows; And yesterday when the conductor camd around for tickets with a little basket punch, I didn’t nsk him to pass me, but I paid my fare like a little man —\ twenty-five cents for an hour’s run and a! little concert by the passengers throwed; in. I tell you, Pilgrim, yon take the; river road when you want-—’ \ Blit just here the long whistle fromi the engine announced a station, and the brakesman hurried to the door, shouting *• . . * Zionsville. This train makes no stop between here and Indianapolis.’