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About The Wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-???? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 1907)
NEAR TO DISASTER RAILROAD MAN TELLS OF NAR ROW E8CAPES. Forward Truck Lost from Under Box Car While Train Waa Moving Rapidly Train Flagged in Nick of Time. "There are actual happenings in railroading every year which are far more sensational than the wildest dreams of any writer of fiction," said a railroad man, and lie proceeded to tell stories to demonstrate his theory. The first story related to a freight train on the New Haven railroad. Wil liam Dellert, now traveling engineer on the New York division of the road, was the engineer. When the train reached Stamford the car inspectors examined the cars and in the middle of the train saw a sight that caused them to start back in amazement. The forward truck of one of the box cars was missing and the only thing hold ing that end of the car up was the coupling. A hurry call waa sent out for every available man to start in search of the missing truck, for an object of that kind loose on a four-track road was likely to cause a lot of trou ble. The truck was located down a bank on an out curve at Cos Cob, six miles west of Stamford. It seems that as the car started around the curve the pin connecting the car and the truck broke and the truck shot out from under the car and then ran down the bank, leaving the . forward end of the car suspended only by the coupling. When it is consid ered that the train was running at a speed of 35 miles an hour when it rounded the curve, and that this gait was kept up into Stamford, the escape from a bad wreck was surprising. Engineer Charles M. Clark, former ly on the Connellsville division of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, had an ex perience somewhat similar. He was firing an engine with three large driv ing wheels on each side, the middle wheel being without a flange. They had passed Glencoe and were mount . Ing the grade to the long Sand Patch tunnel when they were flagged and topped. The engineer utilized the delay to get down and oil up a little. A moment later Clark heard him gasp: "Clark, for the love of heaven, come down here and. see this engine!" The mi&lle driver on the engineer's Bide had twisted off its axle flush with the outside of the journal box, but the massive wheel was still in an upright position leaning at a slight angle on the side rod, which was the only' support holding it on the rail. It was evident that in this condition the loose driver had been running along the rail for at least two miles of straight track at the end of which . they were. ., It was thought that the wheel was twisted from its axle as the engine rounded a sharp curve about two mllea below, and it was pretty certain that It would have jumped the track and fallen In the way of the hind driv - ing wheel as soon as the engine start ed to go around the very next curve. That this did not happen was due to the accident or the train being flagged. The engine ran along all right until the train was flagged, but once stop ped, the engine was completely dead and had to be hauled to the end of the division. OWN RAILROADS IN BRAZIL. American and Canadian Capitalists Securing Control. American and Canadian capitalists have secured a more or less perfect control over the Rystem of rail and water transportation forming a "belt line" around the most productive por tion of Brazil, says the New York Sun. In a report to the bureau of manufac tures Consul-General C. K. Anderson at Rio Janeiro says that this "belt line," with the help of the government railroads and subsidized steamship line, practically reaches every import ant commercial center in the whole republic. The "belt line" system of railroads Is distributed over the republic in three main lines, as follows: The Sao Paulo-Rio Grande railroad lines, which cover the southeastern part of Brazil, reaching into the coffee districts; the Amazon-Bolivian line, which connects the republic of Bolivia and the great rivers of the northwestern part of Brazil, which is principally grazing country. American Interests are now organ izing a syndicate for the further de velopment of the Paraguayan and Bo livian connections. The amount of money at present invented and which will soon be Invested in several en terprises now being begun, including the Bolivian development, will prob ably exceed $150,000,000. The move ment of American railway and other material to Brazil, he says, represents the most active and the principal ele ment In the export trade of the United States to Brazil and Bolivia. Cars Run by Man Power. Street railways with cars operated by manual power are in use at Mam basa, in East Africa. The light, nar row gauge tracks are laid through the street, and the cars are for hire, like cabs, or are the private property of officials and wealthy residents. They are little four-wheeled cars, with one or two cross seats, and each Is propelled by two natives. Spur tracks are run into private grounds, so that persons can take the cars to their doors. Philadelphia Record. Newest in steel cars. Union Pacific Man's Invention May Have Solved Railway Problem. Representing the highest form of passenger coach construction, the new Union Pacific steel car, which was on exhibition in front of the headquar ters recently, attracted a large crowd of spectators and many scientific men who were interested in the possibili ties it holds out for the future. It is built on the very latest model, with round windows which offer far greater resistance In case of accident, and side entrances, which also lessen . the danger of telescoping. It has ven tilators on the roofing which carry an air stream around underneath the car and distribute it evenly over the entire surface. There Is scarcely a stick of wood in the whole car and conflagration in case of a wreck will be practically impossible. The car is the work of Superintend ent of Motive Power McKeen of the Union Pacific and is greatly admired by those who make a specialty of railroad construction. It has a large seating capacity. The car will soon be placed in active service and others will be immediately turned out of the shops in case it proves successful. Growth of Canadian Town. As an example of the increasing railroad facilities for the west, comes the report of the marvelous growth of Nokomis, Canada, as a center, caused by the increase of the wheat industry of that section of the coun try. Two lines have already been es tablished in the town and the rich country lying between the Quill Plains and the famous Regina district is to be tapped with a line running direct from Regina, crossing the main line at this point, and running in a north easterly direction to the fertile Swan river valley. Government support has been given to the part of the new transcontinen tal lines that connect Winnipeg with the great lakes, and the Grand Trunk Pacific company, which builds the sec tion to run from Winnipeg, is doing Its utmost to get the rails down as far west as Edmonton before the ground freezes. Already the line has been completed and is opened for freight as far as Minnesota, 186 miles west of Winni peg. The increased railroad facilities have made Nokomis the junction point with the Canadian Pacific and have also made it the most promising and the liveliest town in that part of the dominion. Despite the fact the town is but six months old, it has 30 buildings, two banks and three hotels. Two great trans-continental lines run through the town, the Grand Trunk I Pacific and the Canadian Pacific. I Eating on the Train In Spain. As even express trains seldom attain a higher rate of speed than twenty-five miles per hour, travel is slow and tedious though fairly comfortable, and j' to enjoy Spain one must assume the ' leisurely indifference of the Spaniard to whom manana is always the chosen time. He is wise who carries his own luncheons and never are dainty tea baskets more indispensable than on these long journeys. Spanish eti quette demands that the traveler be fore partaking of his food must po litely offer it to those who share the compartment with him. It may either be graciously accepted or declined. In no country is it so difficult to 1 travel and to secure information, as I but little English is spoken even by j important officials. Travel Maga j zlne. The World'. Railroads. A year and a half ago, according to a German statistician, the railroad mileage of the world was 563,771 i miles, or 13,036 miles more than In the i preceding year. Of the world's mile-1 age the United States had 215,713 j miles and Europe 192,247 miles. The world's capital in railways is estimated at over $43,000,000,000, and the aver age cost per mile, with equipment, etc., is $76,850. In the United States the average cost per mile was $68,038; in England. $305,000 per mile. If the reflective person considers what fa cilities for transportation the various countries have in their rivers and canals, the cost of their railways will appear to mark the extent of the de ficiency of water transportation. tlO; Ms if H , 7$ Sd? ' 5 :' ' u9 2-, 'S- ViiV- .:.-7tW5P II VTiK ,V 1 V THE ASSOCIATED SANTA CLAUS By CHARLES FREDERIC GILLIAM v- ELLO, George, what's the matter lei witn you?" asked -Will James, as George Johnson stepped into his office in one of the sky-scrapers, and sank wearily into a chair. "I'm clear fagged out," was the reply, "po you know, this Christmas business is something awful?" "James laughed. "Are you finding that out for the first time?" "No, but it seems worse than usual this time. It appears that my folks have nearly every little thing they need, and, when I find some particular thing that strikes my fancy, it costs so much, by the time I even up all around, I can't afford it." "Well, if misery loves company, you've got plenty of it. We're all in the same box. I confess it strains me Joy Over a Cherished Toy. so that It takes all the pleasure away from the giving, because the ex pense is really greater than I can af ford." "That's it exactly. It wouldn't be so bad if the gifts were restricted to one's own family, but some relative or friend makes some of the family a present and it has to be met in kind, or with something a little bet ter, in order to relieve one's self of tlte sense of obligation. If these presents were all dictated by affec tiua, a fellow wouldn't object to mak ing considerable sacrifices, but when large proportion are merely for the purpose of keeping even, it's a horse of another color." "Yes, and our most expensive pres ents go to those who are better fixed financially than ourselves, and who have the least need for them. Why, 'just last week one of my nieces, who is in very moderate circumstances, and of whom I think a good deal, was married, and we sent her a piece of plated silverware that cost four dol lars. At the same time we sent Miss DeForrest for her wedding present a cut glass dish that cost $15, and she'd hardly recognize us if we met her on the street." "I'm glad you told me that, Will. I had a sort of a sneaking idea that I was about the biggest fool in town in that direction, but I guess you and your family and I and my family and everybody else and his family are all in the' same boat. But what's to be done? Can't we make a declar ation of independence? My wife and I make resolves every year, but we keep stretching the limit a little, un til by the time we get through the list we find we have sent more than the preceding year." "I'm with you on two ' things, George; that is, that we economize some on our expenditures, and that what we do spend shall be in a way to bring most enjoyment to ourselves, by giving the most enjoyment to oth ers. Let's give, what we give out side our own families, to those who need it." , "I don't think I follow you exactly." "Well, take myself, for instance. I am very fortunate if I get off with a hundred dollars. How much does it cost you?" "I can't say definitely, but fully that niuch.I should judge." "Suppose, then, we take our families into the scheme with us and agree to spend only $50 for ourselves. Then we can spend $25 each for a num ber of worthy poor families who are unable to provide for themselve. out of the ordinary, yet too proui have too much self-respect to themselves of the public charii. that day. In that way we vJ $25 ahead, and at the same. able to furnish 10 or 15 fa, a turkey and the other for a good Christmas some candies and toyd dren." . , , "Good for you. Wi down to the groum wife will be righj "I'm glad it fj ably, George. Copyright bf Undnrood & Underwood, 99 thing for us two, why not push it along a little?, What's the matter with getting four or five or a; half dozen of the! other boys Interested?" "Nothing at all. There's Scott and Corwin and Wilson and Thompson and Smith, all of 'em good, whole souled fellows, and all here in the building. , Suppose I 'phoned 'em to come up, and we'll talk the matter over. They're all pretty well fixed, too, and I believe will be glad to take a hand." , ' . ., "Just the thing, George. The soon er we take hold and get it under way, the better." Accordingly an urgent message was telephoned in a half jovial, half mys terious way, to each one mentioned, to come to James' Office at once on im portant , business. All responded promptly, undecided as to whether it meant a practical joke or business of pressing importance. , V ' 'Will called the meeting to order in a very, formal manner and request ed George to state its purpose. , Every one seemed to enter into the spirit of the object of the meeting, as well as into the half jovial, half ':fiW i h tm ? ft formal, parliamentary manner la which, it was eonductetd, and they- were soon discussing the various sug gestions, offered with the enthusiasm and abandon of a lot of school boys. While there was no posing as phil anthropists, there waa a whole-souled spirit of consideration shown for the worthy unfortunate, that gave them a much deeper insight Into each oth ers' characters and drew them into closer bonds of sympathy than would a year of ordinary intercourse. '. It was found that after they had all pledged themselves to the fund in accordance with the rule laid down, as to ability and percentage of or dinary expenditure, there would' be something over a hundred and fifty dollars available. It being essential to the carrying out, of their plan that their families should be interested, a meeting was called for a subsequent evening at the residence of Mr. Corwin, at which all were represented. The "ladies and other ' members of the families entered into the move ment with even more enthusiasm than the originators. Before the labor was completed of making out the list of those to be aided and the various things to be contributed to each one, several meetings were required. More enjoyment came from these meetings, twice over, than if the money ex pended had been for gifts for them selves. ( " . . ' . The organization was kept secret from the public, -but at the laughing suggestion of Mr. Scott, adopted the name:. "The Associated Santa Claus." With each basket, delivered late on Christmas eve, at the1 door of various homes, was an envelope addressed to the recipient, containing a postal di rected to "The , Assocated Santa Claus," Box 619, City; requesting that the receipt of the basket be acknowl edged, so that it might be known that it had not gone astray. .' ' H It is not the province of this story to tell of the joy ;of the little children in these 30 or 40 homes, over the re ceipt of some cherished toy and the ever welcome candy and nuts, or of the heart-felt gratitude of the parents, that, for that one day of all others, their families had been permitted to partake ot the comfort and luxury 'of a well filled table. i ,;' At the 'final, meeting of the year,, held the night after Christmas, at which the 5 acknowledgments ' were read to the association, more than one woman's eyes were brimming . with tears, and more than one man 'had a lump in his throat that was difficult to swallow, as he listened to ; the burning words of gratitude, for the joy that , had been brought to their homes. Some were expressed in un couth, and some in the most refined language, but all bore the impress of sincerity. ' ' ' .. : ' t - ' . There was not a dissenting voice, when Mr... Wilson presented the fol lowing resolution:, "''..-'',-..:;'.' Resolved, That the Christmas just passed has been the happiest one of our lives, and that we continue, as a permanent organization, "The Asso ciated Santa , Claus." Ohio Magazine. .Christmas Superstitions. . There are many Christmas supersti- uuus "JOT held as articles of faith that are be recalled, says Country Life kthat oxen kneel In their stalls at sight on Christmas eve. in adora ithe Nativity, and for- one hour power of speech for thatJj the lost spirits have rev to clanl .Herod ceases laughter Herodia,' """nee. which a ever, ai wanderiri believed bells e church il mained. night, oil see his 1 1