Nebraska Newspapers

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RED OLOUD, NEBRASKA, CHIEF
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THE HpKB
Hard-Headed Scotchman Who
Became Famous in the Rail
road World.
AUTHORITY ON ACCIDENTS
Many Years of Keen Observation
Gave Him Practical Knowledge on
Subject and Then He Wrote
Books About It.
By OSBORN MARSHALL.
(Copyright, 191.-. bv (ln McCluro NVwapn
Per Syndicate.)
It was n warm evening In June; still
thcro was n brcczo blowing In tho slg
nnl tower nt tho rnllroad station nt
West Cambridge, Mass,, and Pagan,
tbo lean-faced, eagle-eyed signalman
Btatloned there, was about tho only
man In West Cambridge who wasn't
Kicking about tho heat. Maybo this
was because Fagan was so thin ho
didn't mind a high temporaturo or per
haps It was because ho was so Inter
ested In his little $2.50-a-day Job that
ho didn't have tlmo to think of his
own comfort.
As Fagan looked up tho rails his
trained eyo caught Bight of tho cast
bound freight train running toward
tho slgnnl tower. At tho samo tlmo
Fagan was awnre that from the op
posite direction there was coming an
express passenger train. Tho freight
train was running along at 30 miles
and hour und tho passenger train was
coming at full speed, noth trains
woro on tlmo and both had a clear
right of way. Still Fagan kept his
keen eyes open. Then half a mtlo
west of tho tower Fagan spied nnother
eastbound freight train running par
allel with tho first freighter, and Fa
Kan's pulso beat faster as ho noticed
that this train was enveloped In a
mist of smoke.
"Hot box," thought Fagan, his eyes
Intent on tho train. "Wonder If tho
crew knows?"
There was no longer need of asking
this question, for, as Fagan watched
ho could see that a brakeman was on
top of tho car watching tho trouble.
Tho brakeman knew and tho conduc
tor knew, and of course tho engineer
knew.
Hut why didn't tho engineer stop'
Why didn't ho throw on tho throttlo
that would bring his train to a stand
still? Fagan was an experienced sig
nalman and knew tho answer to tho
question. Tho freight traln'wni nenr
Ing Its terminal. On the parallel east
bound trnck was tho other freight
train and, with tho lovo for a race
that Is deep rooted In every man
of his trado, that locomotive engineer
was Intent on "Jumplns" tho other
freight train.
Horror Narrowly Averted.
It was a terrific risk to run with a
hot box, but apparently nil hands
were eager to take tho risk, eager to
run tho frightful raco against nppall
Ing odds for tho sake of the sport tlint
wns In It, so tho engineer had thrown
Ills engine wldo open, held his breath
and let her go.
Fagan also held his breath and his
usually steady gray eyes wero fired
with rage, for from his tower ho could
seo tho westbound train bearing stead
ily down upon tho eastbound freight
trains, and ho knew that tho passen
ger train was crowded with men and
women and children who weren't so
eager to run a raco with a hot box
as that crew of tho freight train was.
Fagan saw It all, but his hands woro
tied. There was nothing under heaven
for him to do but wait. In a few sec
onds he would know the outcome.
As ho watched eagerly, angrily even,
he could seo the chips flying from the
ties, showing that tho melted journal
of tho hot axle box had snapped in
two. Fagan shuddered as ho know
that It was only a question of seconds
before tho burning freight car would
bo derailed and tho smash would
come. Still the passenger train was
bearing toward tho racing freight
trains.
Then camo tho smashup. There was
a terrific crash, followed by a blinding
smoke, and both eastbound nnd west
bound tracks wero blocked with twist
ed rails, broken ties and doralled cars.
Fagan clenched IiIb hands nnd looked
through tho smoko.
"Thank God!" ho murmured. Tho
passenger train crowded with passen
ger coaches and sleepers was Just its
own length from tho gruesome wreck.
It had covered tho distance and passed
tho frolght trains before tho general
smashup camo, only through a mir
acle of narrow escape.
This tlmo the passenger train did
escapo, but in other cases cases
which Fagan had watched from his
tower tho passenger train hadn't es
caped and men and women and chil
dren had been sacrificed. Somo of tho
railroad men considered such nccl
dontB simply inevitable. Others ad
mitted that thoy woro duo to stupid
ity, others to negligence, others to tho
imperfection of rails, locomotives and
car structure. Thcso wero tho highly
paid railroad men who wero supposed
to know all about such things.
Fagan Knew the Cause,
But Fagan, who drow his two dol
lars and a half a day and who watched
tho trains from Uls watch tower and
studied tho human nature of railroad
engineers and conductors Fagan
know that theso accldonts woro avoid
able, that thoy woro" duo to lack of
FAGAH. I
dlsclpllno of the rnllroad employees, a
luck of cooperation between the men
who worked with their hands and the
men who didn't. So Fagan went on
studying In his little tower nnd ho de
termined to contribute, In somo small
degree nt least, to the solution of tho
problem of rnllroad accidents
One- day a conductor of a freight
train sauntered into the slgnnl tower
and In an ofTlinnd way nsked Fngan
for a train order While Fagan worked
tho telegraph keys with his bony,
weatherbeaton hands and waited for
tho return clicks that would be an or
der from the train dispatcher, tho con
ductor signed the blank.
Fagan picked up tho blank and
looked nt It
"Where Is your englnemnn's signa
ture?' ho asked, handing bnck the slip.
"You know there is a rule that these
orders must be signed by the conduc
tor and tho englnemati of tho train "
v .he conductor explained thnt the
ruling that called for tho two signa
tures was a dead letter.
"Head letter or not," said Fagan,
nerved by tho knowledge thnt he was
doing his llttlo shnro In preventing
useless accidents, "I will not give tho
order till I have your englnemnn's sig
nature. Not so long ago that trick
killed three trainmen, wrecked two
engines and cost the company some
thing liko fifty thousnnd dollars." Ho
recalled tho particular accident to
which ho alluded. "You must go back
for your englnemnn's signature."
"Yo'u mean to say thnt I will have to
walk half a mile nnd lose half an hour
in order to get that signature?"
snapped tho conductor. "You are tho
first signalman who ever picked tno
up In this way."
"Hut I do demand It," said Fagan
firmly, "and I'll fight to got It." In
ss-ss-;- uafyyi QiSstatSwS'' " y, .
Fagan Saw It Ml But
this way and others Fagan established
his reputation as an unusual sort of
signalman and with the railroad em
ployees ho gained llttlo popularity by
his new reputation. Soon they began
to ask about him. "Who is this man
Fagan?" thoy would say. And before
long they learned a few facts of bis
hardworking life.
Fagan's Varied Career.
Fagan James O. Fagan wub born
nnd humbly bred in Scotland, where
ho went to school, and, through a nat
ural craving, studied all he could learn
about electricity. Ills first Job was as
an apprentice on bonrd a cable-laying
hulk that sailed first to Portugal and
then to tho Canary islands and South
America. Then ho turned up In South
Africa, where ho did some fight
ing, and in 1881 ho drifted to Now
England, where ho got a Job aB a teleg
rapher for tho Boston & Lowell rail
road. Flvo years later he became
signalman nt tho station at West
Cambridge, and thcro ho had been
over since, earning two dollars and
a half a day, in return for which
ho managed tho switches, took nnd re
ceived telegraphic orders and commu
nications and watched tho rails.
About six years ago, several years
after ho had mado up his mind to
study tho question of preventable ac
cidents and after he had done a great
deal of thlnkiiiK, ho climbed down
from hts tower for a day off. Ho went
to Boston and made straight tracks
for tho editorial offlco of ono of tho
biggest, most conservative of motithly'
magazines.
Fagan hadn't dressed up for tho oc
casion, and ho looked gaunt and a
trifle unkempt when ho nsked to seo
tho editor. But ho managed to get an
Interview. A half hour later ho left
tho offlco of tho magazlno with tho
order for nn article dealing with tho
problem of accidents on tho rnilronds
of America and suggestions for their
prevention.
Fagan went back to his tower and
continued to watch trains and oporato
telegraph keys 'und throw tho switches
ns conscientiously as over, but ut
night when his duties wero over ho
wroto his article. Tt was bettor than
tho magazlno had expected, nnd an
other followed and filially Fagan wroto
a book on tho railroad situation.
Became Suddenly Famous.
Then when tho book came out and
everyono who knew anything about
railroading had read it, tho rallrond
authorities under whom Fngnn had
tolled for twenty-odd years suddenly
discovered him Tho president of his
own rnllroad concern sent for him.
Then nnother railroad president
looked him up nnd received hagnn .is
nn authority and nn advisor. Fagan
had suddenly become tho most famous
signalman In Amerlcn, nnd Theodore
Uoosovolt, then president of tho
United States, sent for him to confer
with him also, nnd listened to him
ns eagerly as had tho railroad presi
dents as ho told, simply and pictur
esquely, his Ideas for Improved rall
rond operation.
Other men hnd studied tho ame
problems before, but they hnd ben
financiers or college professors who
contemplated railroad economics from
n quiet study. Or at best they had
been practical railroad men who hud
had but n short apprenticeship on tho
rails. Hut Fngan Fagan the ouglo
oyed and tho gaunt-fncod had spent
22 years m his watch towet and had
watched tho tracks and switches for
almost a generation Ho knew tho
Innguago of the telegraph keys and
tho spirit of tho rails and the hearts
of tho locomotlvo engineers, nnd ho
was able to speak with authority.
Hut what then? Of courso Mr. Fa
gan wns at once promoted? Ho must
have been trutllc manager, general
manager, superintendent or in officer
of the company, with a salary ten or a
hundred tlmcB what ho wns earning
before, nut thnt is tho romantlo
His Hands Were Tied.
thing about the story af this man's
life. Fagan is still tho signalman, and
ho still spends his days in tho watch
tower at West Cambridge, and ho still
earns, aside from what ho gets from
his books and articles, at most f2.S0
a day.
AMOUNTED J0SAME THING
Reading This Anecdote, One Feels
That Mr. Choate Could on Occa- '
slons Be Mildly Sarcastic.
You know how, sometimes, a word,
a very common word, and ono that you
have used innumerable times In 3no
way or nnother, will, of a sudden, en
tirely escapo your mind. Thus It wna
with air. Choate on ono occasion dur
ing his ambassadorship to tho Court
of St. .lames'. Ho told about It at a
dinner, ho attended in London.
Ho said that ho went Into n book
shop in tho Strand a few days before
to purchase a copy of Dante's "In
ferno " It was his Intention to present
tho book to a young friend who par
ticularly wanted to read it. Much to
Mr. Choato's chagrin, tho instant ho
stopped in tho store tho word "Infer
no" entirely escnped his mind
Ho told tho salesman thnt ho would
bo back in a minute, and ho walked
away down to Whitehall trying to
think of tho Inst half of the book ho
wanted. Of courso It wub Dante's
"something.' but Dante's "what?"
that was tho question.
Flnully ho gave up trying to recall
tho full tltlo and went back to tho
shop. Tho clerk asked him what ho
sought. Ho mado a bold stab "I
want n copy of Dante's 'Hell.'" ho re
plied Tho clerk darted back to tho reur of
tho store Ily and by ho returnee) with
empty hands "I am very sorry," ho
said "but wo haven't got 'Hell' by Mr.
Dante, but wo'vo got 'Twenty Yours
in South Africa,' by Cecil Rhodes, if
that would do "
"And feeling," concludes Mr Choato,
"that that was practically tho samo
thing, I took the book."
YOUR APPETITE
Your digestion, your gen
eral health will all be
greatly benefited by the
timely use of Ilostcttor's
.Stomach Bitters. It is
compounded from abso
lutely purcingrcdientsand
those best known as real
aids to the Stomach, Liver
and Bowels. It exerts a
general tonic effect and
helps Nature promote
health and strength in
the entire digestive sys
tem. Try a bottle today
but be sure you get
HOSTETTER'S
Stomach Bitters
TAKE COMFORT IN TOBACCO
Soldiers at the Front Find Solace In
Their Supply of the "Sooth
ing Weed."
(end stories about smoking and
smokers continue to fill tho space in
tlie British papers not occupied by
news of "major" engagements
The following tribute hns been paid
to On Sir Philip (iiotwodo by Sergt.
A. Bowler of the Fifth Signal corps,
It. 10., who Is at tho front: "1 huvo
watched him calmly smoking a ciga
rette when shells linvo been dropping
all over tho placo. 1, think that If all
tho Cerman army wero firing nt him
he would curry on as usual, smoking
his cigarette and giving Ills orders as
if he were at his club ordering a
drink."
In mid-February Orniun soldlorson
the western frontier received dally two
cigars and two cigarettes, or an equal
amount of chewing tobacco, snuff or
plpo tobacco.
Couldn't See Any Face.
An old friend, whoso iiuiiio I won't
mention, told mo this ouo: "1 was
born and brought up on u farm, and 1
had tho habit of going around with my
mouth wide open, especially if thcro
wns anything unusual going on. Ono
day an uncle whom 1 had not seen for
years paid us a visit.
"'Hullo, uncle!' said I, looking up
nt him with my mouth opened Ilka a
barn door.
"He looked at mo for a moment
without uuswering, nnd then said:
" 'Closo your mouth, sonny, so 1
enn seo who you are.' "
A Roland for an Oliver.
Manager 1 say, can wo got any
thing like a real doctor in this Jay
town to attend a sick actor?
Village Inhabitant Sine. Jiiht go
to that corner grocery. You'll find
n man there who's all right at curing
hams.
What a picnic tho Insurance com
pany must have had collecting tho
premiums from tho lato Mr. Methuselah!
"Buy the Goods
Not the Package"
Advises Hon. Geo. W. Perkins, Chairman of New
York's Food Committee.
And it's good advice! Select the food that con
tains the greatest nutrition for the least money, whether
in ornately colored package or in a plain carton.
The Grape-Nuts package isn't pretty no money is
wasted upon ornament but it's air-tight and germ-proof,
to protect the food and keep it in perfect condition.
Grape-Nuts
made of selected wheat and malted barley, is delicious,
concentrated, easily digested, and contains, pound for
pound, more nutrition than beef and costs less.
Grape-Nuts food has a delicious, nut-like flavour
that is relished by old and young. It contains no sugar
added, but its delicate sweetness is due to natural con
version of the starch of the grain into grape sugar by
long, skilful baking.
It comes all ready to eat with cream or good milk
and it's mighty good!
There's a Reason" for Grape-Nuts ,
) sold by Grocers everywhere.
c
JOKE WAS ON INVESTIGATOR'
He Had An Idea It Was on Restau
rant Proprietor, but It Turned
Out Otherwise.
The late Npmiiiti II. Iteum, tho or
ganizer of tho steel trust and many
other Importunt corporations, once
wild to a Now York reporter about n
trust Investigation:
"Mnj bo theso Investigations will
have the sumo luck us tho gauio
warden.
"A gumo warden heard that u res
ttui runt was serving a gumo out of sea
son. Ho disguised himself with u false
beard, visited tho place and ordered a
pheasant.
"Tho pheasant, delicately high like
roqtiefort cheese, as well ns all good
pheasant should be, was served to
tho gumo wurdeu, and ho devoured It
to tho hist morsel, at the tmmc time In
flicting severe punishment on u bottle
of inro old Burgundy for tho stole,
of course, puid for all.
"At thu end of his repast tho gnmo
warden summoned tho proprietor and
said
"i in test you, sli, In thu uiiuiu of
tho law!'
"Tho proprietor's mouth opened In
astonishment. Ho swallowed two or
three times, then ho gasped:
"'Wh what for?
" 'For serving me a pheasant out of
season ,' said the game warden.
"A look of rullef appearel on tho
pioprletor's face.
"'Oh, ho suld, 'that wasn't pheas
ant. It was crow.' "
Taking Precautions.
"Mr Mulligan," said Dennis, "you
must have hlnifllted by tho death of
your iiiotlier-ln-Iaw, for whom you hud
stimuli affection while bIio lived."
"1 did."
"What did she leuvo you?"
"Sho left mo alone Isn't that
enough?"
"But I understand you've boon
splmllng a hundred dollars, If you'vo
splnt n cent to get her out of purga
tory." "Whisht now, and isn't it worth It
to get her out before 1 get In?" Ex
change. How "Sam" Registered.
Not fur from Ix-xingUm lives a
young farmer, "Sam" Woolridge, who
found occasion to stop at tho I'hoeuix,
In Lexington. .lust before Mr. Wool
ridge registered, .lames B. Huggln of
Now York, owner of tho beautiful
Hlmcndorf stock farm, walked to the
desk und wrote, ".lames B. Hngln nnd
Valet. New York."
Mr. Woolrldgo wnB tho next to reg
ister, and this Is what ho wroto: "Sam
Woolrldgo and Valise, Versailles."
Initial Cost.
Patience Whut was tho Initial cost
of your hut, dear?
I'utrlcu A. V.
There's no ouo to be pitied more
than tho man who hns loved and lost
unless It Is tho man who has loved
and won.
A young man may bo slow beforo
mnrrluge, but In tying thu knot ho' Is
mado fnst.
It takes nn uniisunlly polite sales
man to overcharge a woman for any
thing and got away with It.
Torturing Twinges
Much so-called rheumatism la
caused by weakened kidneys. Whon
tho kidneys full to elenr tho blood
of uric nulil, tho ncld forms Into
crystals, liko bits of brokon glass in
the muscles. Joints nnd on tho nervo
casings. Doan's Kidney Pills havo
eased thousands of rheumatic cases,
lumbago, sciatica, gravel, neuralgia
and urinary disorders,
A Nebraska Case
J. tf. Motcalf. 81S,. ,
IMclllo HI.. Oinn. "."
tin. Ni. says: "My '"Xjj''
kMticyn with In 5'
nun nlmpo mm tan
KCiTiitloiin wrrn re
1 1! nlcd unit pnlnfill
III pIlflMMCO. I wns
tulil up nix liiinitlii,
umlor tho doctor's
euro and my lioultll
wns ii wrroK. Tlio
rhmiinntlc pnlns In
tnv tuiek worn aw
ful Dunn's Klilitov
I'IIIm miulo my lld
iwyn norinnl, rlenr-
en inv HVMom of
thn urlr nrlil und cave ma a perms.
ncnt euro."
Cat Doan'a at Aor Slot. SOc Box
DOAN'S WAV
FOSTCR-MIUIURN CO., BUFFALO. N. Y.
Then Was the Time.
Dr. Wilmington Ingram, tho bishop
of UhhIoii, Is possessed of u some
what cynical wit. Ho was onco en
gaged In conversation with a very
bumptious man, who wns boring him
terribly.
"What a lino life n bishop's must bo?"
exclaimed tho bore, enthusiastically.
"I would give anything to chango
places wilh your lordship for Just ono
hour to experience what it must bo
like."
"Ah," replied Doctor Ingram, fer
vently, "I wlBh you could this very
moment."
Knew Where He Was Headed.
Tho story Ib told of a very crusty,
gouty old gentleman who lost his pa
ttonco with his doctor, becnuso ho did
not make enough fuss over tho pa'n
ho suffered.
"Doctor," ho cried out, twisting and
turning becnuso of tho agony, "you
don't understand I You don't soom to
grasp thu caso! You talk ob though
there were nothing tho matter with
mo, whorous, I assure you, I am en
during tho torments of tbo lost!"
"What, nlrendy?" replied tho doctor.
The Beady Vine.
Singing was JuBt over In tho klndor
gnrten, and Immediately a small hand
flow up.
"What Is It. Alice?" asked tho teach
er. "I want to know what 1b a beady
vine," asked the llttlo girl timidly. "I
always wonder what kind of a vino it
is whon wo sing that song, 'Llttlo IIvob
may bendy vino' " (bo dlvlno).
The Cause.
"Sho dropped him Instantly."
"Oli, I seo, and that broko their od
gngement." The human nlnrin clock always
makes the racket at tho wrong mo
ment. A lot of sympathy Is wasted on un
der dogs and henpecked husbands.
A fatal flirtation Is ono that onds at
tho marriage altar.
FOOD
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