PART FOUR
AMUSEMENTS
The-0
MA
ik Sunday Bee
PART FOUR
AMUSEMENTS
VOL. XLIX NO.
26.
OMAHA, SUNDAY 'MORNING, . .DECEMBER. 21, 1919.
1-D
SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS
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HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE
A TOUGH HIDE
AND CLEAR EYE
"No Man Sticks to Throttle
v If He Can Jump,v Says
Veteran.
7
"Heroic engineer sticks to hfs
throttle Saves his train and comes
through alive," says a headline.
Your friend, the engineer, with the
dark blue rubber collar, sits up on
his box at the right side of the cab
and chuckles.
"It is to laugh," he comments.1.
(He saw a little railroading in
France with Pershing.) "This, hero
stuff is pure bunk.". He hitches
ardund in his seat and looks down
at'you in the gangway. "Self-preservation
is the first law of life and
I'll bet you there ain't an engineer
alive that would 'stick to his throt
tle if there was any chance at all
to jump. The fellow who 'sticks to
his throttle either didn't know it
was coming or else he was travel
ing so fast that he thought he had
a better chance for his life by stay
ing on, the engine. . , -'.
Paid S7S Week. .
"But eventfien he wouldn't 'stick
to his throttle.' He would get down
behind the. boiler head and take a
chance of not getting crushed or
burned to death.!' .
Thus does the" engineer with the
blue rubber collar strip a popular
picture, the engineer hero, from our
national gallery.
But if all engineers are not herpes,
they at least are hard-working, clear
thinking, tough-hided citizens who
take more" flesh and blood responsi
bility into their hands every time
tkey make a run than the 'head of
the biggest corporation in ' a city.
They not only take this responsi
bility, which is based on a knowl
edge of mechanics, electricity, phys
ics, a vast volume of rules and a
maze of signals, but they go to bed
and get up -at all hours, maintain
their homes at one end of the divi
sion and rooms at the other, eat
varnished restaurant food half the
time, see their families somewhat
less than half the time and go up
against the wildest extremes of
weather, engine temper and nerv-
pus tension all for a weekly -wage
ranging from $50 to $75 if they are
lucky enough to have regular runs,
or anything down to one-fifth less
than nothing if they are spare men
in slack seasons. , . ' ' ,
"Oh, yes, an engineer is subject to
rheumatism" and bad kidneys and
wornout eyes and such thfngs that
go along with the eternal jouncing
and sudden changes of temperature,
, says your friend with the dark blue
rubber collar, "but, after all, where
can a man of my education earn a
better, living? ,
Fast Trains Afa Helpless.
It is true that very oasseneer en
ffineer does carry great responsibil
ity as he sits on his padded box on
a 200-ton locomotive skimming
around curves and over-labyrinths of
' switches and out through hill and
dale, but once a train has gained
high speed the responsibility for the
safety of the lives of passengers lies
largely with train dispatchers in
green eyeshades at the ends of the
divisions, track repair men with
humped shoulders all along the line,
the strength of steel, the accuracy cf
electric signals and the grace of God.
The engineer of a speeding train is
as completely at the mercy of cir
cumstances as' the frailest woman
riding seven -cars back of him in a
Pullman. - - - ' ..
If a cross-over has been carelessly
left open in front of him, he couldn t
see it until he had struck it and prob
ably plunged his1 train .into the
pround. If an obstruction had been
laid on rails by wreckers he would
never see it until it was too late to
stop. At night, even with the me
dium bright electric headlights used
on New England fast trains, he can't
see more than a train length ahead of
liim. Thus the main responsibility
upon him is to remember his orders
and keep his eyesopen for signals.
How It Feels to Ride Engine.
Sitting in your automobile and
watching a fast passenger "tear
through with a goggled "eagle eye"
riding the right hand .side of the
engine cab makes you think the
business of running that train is a
high-tension job full of electric mo
ments. Suppose you had a chance
to ride in the engine; of a fast, train
to see. It's against nofonly a fed
eral law, but a standard rule on
every railroad in the country. But
just imagine you were doing it
There is no law or rule on imagina
tion. ;
, Let us say that you were some
dark night all togged out with over
alls and-a bandanna around your
- neck meeting an engineer friend in
the yards halfan hour before the
. 2:09 pulled out.
"Anyone would. think you were a
traveling engineer,' your friend the
engineer observes. '
, What's a traveling engineer?"
you ask him, resolved to learn all
you can in one night of railroading.
J,Why he' a sort of locomotive
doctor or veterinary.' When an en
gineer has trouble and is losing time
,on his run, ihe traveling engineer is
sent for to diagnose the trouble. -4l
may be the engine needs some over-
hauling at the shops, or sometimes
the engineer needs a dose of advice
"as to how to run it. The traveling
engineer usually tries making, the
, run himself with the regular man
along watching him. If he finds the
N-mgine cranky and can't get the
work out of it, then he know it
Isn't the engineer's fault But if he
makes the run in regular time with
out a hitch, the blame rests with the
driver." r
You order some breakfast, from a
sleepy-eyed waiter at a quick lunch
counter and hurry to the . round
house. Then you fish in your pocket
nd offer your companion a cigar,;
I About Smoking on Duty.-
!, "Thanks," says he as he stops in
t doorway to get a good light and
then hurries on. "I never smoke
except jwhen I'm off duty. Some, of
the boys do, but I always maintain
The Locomotive Engineer?
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that a fellow has ot-all he can
take care of to catch all the signals
and run his engine without having
a pipe or a cigar to occuov the edec
of his attention) "That's one thing
about running an engine that it takes
a long time to learn. A man has
got to . pay attention to business
every second he's in the cab or he's
taking big chances. that may mean
a( wreck. , ,
"Why, I could tell you all the ac
tual mechanical part to making an
engine move along, the track in
about five minutes. It's really sim
pler than running an automobije.
But tTie job isn't as easy as all that,
not by a jug full. Instead of an en
gine that has say 40 horsepower to
put it fairly high andva car that
weighs maybe two "tons you've got
an engine that develops 1,000 horse
power or more and total weight,
engine and train together, perhaps
8,400 or 1,000 tons if- it's a passen
ger. .
"Now, then, stop to consider, what
it means to' drive a piece of machin
ery developing 1,000 horsepower
and train weighing 800 tons at 40,
50 or even 60 miles an hour and you
get some idea of the terriffic smash
that's going to come if anything goes
wrong.
Rocky 4 Road to Right In Cab. '
"You quicken your step and soon
come in sight of th roundhouse.
"Yes, driving an engine is an hon-esMo-God
man's Job, he continues
thoughtfully. "The regulations . on
this road require that a lad shall fire
for four. years before he takes-his
examinations to qualify as an engi
neer. Then he is given three of
them, mighty stiff ones, too. First,
he takes his machinist's examina
tion, and if he passes that he tries
another on airbrakes. His last one
is on train rules. After all this he
is ready for an engine of his own
when a vacancy comes. But he prohc
ably will have to wait several years
before he gets such a promotion.
"He begins his worlras an engi
neer in the freight service, because,
if he makes a mistake there the con
sequences are not so serious. Before
he is given charge of a passenger
train, he must cover the minimum
qualification mileage required by his
road, which is perhaps 64,000 miles
or so. Only the best fellows get
that far." -
Into the Roundhouse.
Tou stumble across some tracks
in the darknus and enter the dimly
lighted roundhouse. ThA roar of
the engines that are getting up
steam is sO loud that conversation
is impossible.' The "air is full of
smoke and coal gas. ' You have
an overwhelming sense of your own
diminutive .size and weakness be
side these monstrous engines that
tower above you, belching out smoke
from their stacks into holes in the
roof. The. sharp hiss and shriek of
the steam as it bursts into the pop-)
off valve- dt a too-high pressured
boiler gives an idea -of the giant s
power that is imprisoned within.
You feel confused and a little tim
id . amid such.i a din. . Your guide
nods to some of the grimy-faced,
black-garbed mechanics who are
working about the locomotives, look
ing .like, diminutive nJmes as they
stand -beside the great driVing
wheels, some of which Are higher
than "their heads. ' The engineer
grasps fbur arm and makes a
trumpet'of his hands, shouts some
thing into your ear. The engine be
fore you is his.
: You Climb IntA the Cab.
You climb up the four ladder
steps that lead to the cab. He in
troduces you to his fireman. By
now your ears are growing accus
tomed to the noise in the round
house and you can hear what your
friend tells you.
He is showing you how simple the
controls of the engine really are. , In
easy reach of hit left hand as he sits
in the engineer's seat on the right
hand side Of the cab is the throttle,
the lever that controls the flow of
steam into the cylinders, ji - which
run the great pistons that drive the
engine. In front of him, and at one
side, is the large reverse lever. Close
at his side are the two airbrake
valves, with handles like the air han
dle on, a street car, one controlling
the brakes on the' entire train, and
the other the independent brake for
the locomotive alone. A hostler
climbs in to back the engine out, but
your friend shoos him away.
"TV...1. .11 .1,.,. I. it" .m,,m V.
iiwi a 1X IHblS la w it, wmj m ...v
engineer as he finishes and shows
youvthe fireman's seat on the left
nana side of the cab. He pulls a
rope, which starts the bell to ring
ing. While -he had -been showing
you about the, cab the turntable in
the middle of the roundhouse had
swune around oooosite vour track,
and the man who ran the table had
thrnwn an iron nlate where the
tracks met to lock them securely..
Pass Out of the Roundhouse.
Very slowly your friend opens the
throttle a little way. The heavy en
gine glides onto the turntable with
uncanny ease. He closes the throttle
but lets her roll on slowly until the
mSii" : Leather
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leces iji
Goods
HAT more appropriate for HIM or HER than
something distinctive in leather? There are so
many fine things to choose from in our wonder
fully varied exhibit of leather goods. Here yon
i will find the latest styles and effects m hand
luggage of every description. Our entire stock, has been
selected from the leading lines of. nationally known, manu
facturers. You have here an unusual opportunity to CHOOSE
FROM THE CHOICEST.
- Take, for instance, this one Item:
SIxteen-inch bag in black cobra grain
cowhide, of 5-piece construction; hand
sewed frame; welt edges; gold-plated
trimmings; crepe moire lining; two long
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toilet case and equipped with 10-piece-Louis
XVI MINIATURE AMBER FIT
TINGS, as follows: mirror, pin box,
tooth brush tube, scissors, hair brush,
comb, nail file, clothes brush, tooth
paste tube, buttonhook. v
Wouldn't ANYBODY be pleased to
earry THAT hag?
xThen there are all manner, of suit
cases, portfolios, traveling bags' and .
cases, toilet cases, f itall bags, etc.. Nifty
and dainty bags for ladies, including
neatly ' arranged toilet accessories.
Everything for comfort and luxury in
traveling. ;
You'll admire the varied effects in
black cobra grain cowhide, black baby
walrus cowhide, patent leather, russet,
brown and mahogany finishes, black
panther grain cowhide in short, all that
Is correct, convenient and -worth-while
in leather.
Omaha
You will be pleased to see Ihese fine things. Perhaps
you are not entirely familiar with the new and remarkable
creations in leather goods. No doubt we have just THE
THING that will solve that vexing gift problem. What is
more appropriate than an ENDURING present something
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prices well within reason. WHY NOT STEP IN ON YOUR
v TEXT SHOPPING TRIP?
Better Buy Your Luggage From the
uuuiis
Co
V
THAN WISH YOU HAD
Thirteenth at Farnam St.
Phone Douglas 27 93
turntable delicately. balances, so as
to place all of jhe engine's 200 tons
on the tfivot in the center. A little
donkey engine r revolves the turn
table about, the engineer opens the
throttle'again and you pass out into
the yard.
To you this is a mass of lights and
switches and you cannot see why an
engineer does not get lost in it all
at this ungodly hour of the night.
xou get a contused view of switch-
the track," the fireman explains.
"We got seven coaches on, besides
a baggage car and a mail car. Now's
where my job begins."
ftm gain speed rapidly. Instead
of a huge black bulk of steel and
iron the engine suddenly becomes
like something animate. Every part
of it pulsates with power and it
seems to fairly leap forward on the
rails that lead away into the dark.
men with swinging lanterns, freights ! Within the fire-box the draft and
l i ' i:t. . i.iAA. ti. -
mai line uiasi lumaic a iic
vibration increases as you reach full
speed till it seerns more than ever
as if you are riding on some ancient
reptilian monster of a past. geologi
cal, era. for the great parts of steel
tremble violently, more like great
muscles straining under a mammoth
load than like inanimate mechanism.
. Pissht, bingl
The fireman flings open the air
operated doors to the furnace and
a hot breath of air scorches your
face. He plunges a long forked
poker deep into the mpnster's fiery
bowels again and again to break the
crust on his fire and get the most in
tense heat out of it.1- When he draws
it out, he poker glows a cherry red
in the darkness. ' Then he begins
shoveling in coal, accurately, every
shovelful hitting the exact spot for
which it is intended,, The flaring
light from the furnace gives his
face a fierce, savage look and makes
un me siaings, ana once a passing
train rushes by with a roar. . You
draw near the station, and presently
stop and switch over onto the track
on which your train is waiting. You
wonder how the engineer can esti
mate his distance from the train as
he moves backwards to make the
coupling. But somewhere, in spite
of the darkness, he does the trick
with scarcely a bit of jar.
You step down info the gangway
and across the cab, lean out and
look back at the Ions line of sleep
ers. Near the middle of the line
someone is waving a lantern. "That's
the conductor. He's giving the sig
nal to start." 'The engineer releases
the airbrake and a sigh issues from
the 'air tanks along the train. He
pulls open the throttle a ways, and
the night express is off.
"He doesn't give her much steam
at first, 'cause that would make the
drivers spin amd lose their grip on
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We Clcjso at 6 P. M. Daily
bis skin appear as red as an In '
dian's. v
Pissht, bang I The fire doors slam
shut . ,
"Eagle Bye" Scans the Track.
The engineer never utters a word,
but puts his whole attention on the
track ahead. Once or twice he
glapces in at the steam gauge. Oc
casionally he pulls open the injec
tor valve forcing water from the
tender into the boiler by steam pres
ture with a loud metallic shriek.
That is all. For the rest he. sits
motionless with his hand on the
throttle andhis eyes peering through
the darkness ahead to catch the sig
nal lights.
The fireman explains the block
signals to you. Green means all '
clear ahead: yellow, caution and slow
up, and red, stop, danger. It is too
dark to see distinctly, but he shows
how these lights correspond to the
three positions of the scmiphore
arms, horizontal, all clear; 45 de
grees, caution, and vertical, danger.
"Hnw fast are we ffoins?" vou
task, looking around for a speedc-.
meter.
"About 40, I "guess. There's noth-
ing on 4he locomotive to tell. You've
got to figure -out by your watch and
by where vou are," says the fire
man. "We re going pretty slow be
cause the grade is heavy hene.
That's the top of the mountain."
Out of High Rent District
COInliPAKRf
s. b. cm. ism &. JACKSON STS.
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"SJMHOK I
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39c
9
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IRoval Monogram
Boxed Chocolates
I Less Than Today's Wholesale Price
This is Omaha's greatest sale of -Ghristmas
Candy, as these are pound boxes filled with the
richest, creamiest and most delicious chocolates
imaginable. Because of a Special Purchase
you can .
Buy Your Christmas Candy
at LESS Than Wholesale
and give the whole family ft
real treat on Christmas morn
ing. There are six delightful
flavors in every- box of thes ,.s
chocolates.
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Not
Open
: Even
ings before Christmas.
We close as usual
daily at 6 p. ra.
Xm a s Plants
At Greatly Reduced Prices
Xmas
, Poinsettias
Tall, stately flowers
with velvety petals,
well worth Oft '
Red
Peppers
with bright green
foliage and red pep
pers, 50c and 75c
aalr.'....29c
$1.00, at. -
Red
'"Cherries
Large, bushy plants
with bright red
cherries, values to
$1.25, ylO-.
at
I ,vS
Restful t
I Rockers
I
Library
Tables
A handsome
table is espe
cially appropri- I
ate for Christ
mas giving and
you have a f
wide range of
models to se
lect from at
$14.50 Up
If you are
wondering what
to give, remem
ber few gifts
partake of the
same usefulness
and comfort as,
a cozy rocker at .
$6.95 Up
iff
Tea
Carts
' Electric
Lamps
Think how
pleased she
would be on
C h r istmas if
S a n t a brings
her a beautiful
Lamp. Floor,
Table and Bou
doir models
Any woman
will be delight
ed with a gift
like this, as it
makes light
work of her
luncheon, tea
or dinner serv
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I
I $4.50 Up
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Saw.
Air.
K Pedestal or
Tabourette '
will add new
beauty to a va
cant corner of .
the room or to
the space . in
front of a win
dow. Prices
$4.95 Up
Let It Be a
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Christmas
and your thoughtfulness will go
on through the year, filling the
home with happy music.
Pathe Plays v
ALL Records
and because of its
jeweled, Sapphire .
ba)l, there are no
needles to change.
Models
$45 to $225
llllllllllllillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllljllllllUlUlUllIllllillllillMl ..i.J ,!. Illlll.l j
! A BIG BEAR
I. Will Be Sold at Auction Wednesday
The big, shaggy, lif esize bear that has won the
admiration of all grownups and little folks who
; visited our Toyland this Christmas will be sold to
1 the .highest bidder on Wednesday afternoon at 4
a o'clock, t '
This great stuffed bear is perhaps the. most
I unique and delightful toy a child could receive.
fiiiiiiiiiiiijikuiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiin
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Trunks
The lifetime gift a Ward
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her wearing apparel safely
vto its destination without a
"wrinkle. ','
Trunks, Bags and Suit
Cases at a wide range of
prices.
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