Fast Life On The Modern Highway By Joseph Taylor Hard Cover 1874

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Fast Life On The Modern Highway By Joseph Taylor Hard Cover 1874
A Fast Life On The Modern Highway By Joseph Taylor A glance into the railroad world from a new point of view with numerous illustrations
Hard cover
220 pages
Copyright 1874
INTRODUCTORY.
IF the extraordinary man who made two blades of grass grow where only one grew before was a benefactor to his species, how much more so is he who provides the means of making the tedious hours of travel glide by as fleeting moments of exquisite relaxation !
This is not a conundrum; it is a problem in philosophy, which it is to be feared science has scarcely assumed a sufficient development to solve.
But however this may be, it will scarcely be denied that to the well-regulated mind there can be no object so gratifying as the promotion of the comfort and happiness of one's fellow-creatures.
This is a railroad age. It is getting more so. There are those who say that the railroad system of this continent is yet in its infancy; that it is destined to outgrow tenfold its present. extent. If that be so,. and railroad travel is to increase in the same proportion, it is obvious that those who now spend four or five hours per diem on the cars will be expected to spend forty or fifty ! In fact, like Pope's spider, they will have to " live along the line."
How indispensable, then, it becomes that every one of our citizens should have a thorough comprehension of that marvel of our day -- the great railway system of America : its way of working, its idiosyncrasies and associations, and the new and varied forms of social and physical changes which day by day it is interweaving among the mingled web of our lives.
As a contribution to this end, this book is placed in the reader's hands. It is the work of a railroad man, and is intended to afford amusement and instruction combined in wholesome proportions. A friend says that "it will conduce to the pleasure and profit of every trip on the cars made by its reader ; for it will place before his mind a constantly recurring series of incident and adventure, ludicrous or pathetic, which will so wrap up and associate themselves in his memory forever after with the every-day experiences of travel, that there shall be new charm and interest in that which heretofore had been esteemed monotonous and uninteresting.; and the railroad journey once dreaded as a wearisome penance shall become, as it were, a glance into a new world, with influences, sympathies, and surroundings of its own hitherto veiled from his eyes." So mote it be.
Others, with a similar aim, perhaps, have struck out in this same path, but have failed. They must have expected to do so. They knew nothing of what they wrote, and how should they essay to teach anything to others? " If the blind lead the blind, shall they not both fall into the ditch ?"
Since writing. the foregoing, I have been told by a man who has not read this book, and who is there-fore able to give an unprejudiced opinion, that it does supply a want long felt. He says there are thousands of persons who hunger after the things I explain. That same man says the book has a good object. He ought to know; and, if it should induce one man or woman to travel by rail who before went by stage, I shall not feel that I have labored in vain.
J. T.
NEW YORK, July, 1873.
Contents.
Chapter I.
The Author Expostulates.
Expostulatory. -A wide-spread Fallacy. - Railroading a distinct Profession.-A young Man from the Country; his Qualifications. -Advised td go back Home.-Some choice Applications for Situations.-An innocent Lad.-Sanguine.-The Cry of suffering Humanity.-A sublime Genius. - Sentimental Letter-writer.-Why
declined.-Sham TestimonialsPage 17
CHAPTER II.
THE CONDUCTOR.
The Conductor.-How his Duties should he performed.-A Lesson in Politeness.-The Discriminative " Guard."-How to put troublesome Passengers off the Cars.-Nellie's Trip by Rail.-The old Lady from Podunk.-The Man who did not know his Duty.-Perkins's Corner, and the Pills.-Why a Conductor should be a
married Man.-His onerous Responsibilities 33
CHAPTER III.
THE ENGINEER.
The Engineer.-A Night Ride on the " Greyhound."-Enginemen at their Work. -Going Shares in a Pipe.-Trying on the Mind. -The Engineer's Wife.-A Contrast.-The Incidents of a Run.-His Duties compared to the Soldier's.-How the Engineer begins.-The " Erk-yools " and her Driven-Why Mechanical Knowledge advisable.-The nervous Engineer, and the practical Joke that was
played on him.  50
CHAPTER IV.
MORE ABOUT THE ENGINEER.-JUMPING THE GAP.
More about the Engineer.-Tom Potts's Tale.-The "Witch."-Jumping the Gap.-The Story of Little Johnnie, and his sad Fate. - The Engineer's Story; "Foul Play with the Lamp." - The Ghost on the Cow-catcher.-A dreadful Scare.-Diagnosis of a
sickly Engine, by I. Throttlevalve.Page 63
CHAPTER V.
JIM RILEY'S " BORG."
The Engineer's " Dorg."-Life atJim Riley became
acquainted with the " Dorg."-Salvation gets some Idees.-A volunteer Lookout. -Dead at his Post.-Recollections of a Friend.
-A Miner's " Dorg."    79
CHAPTER VI.
THE FIREMAN.
The Fireman.-How he begins.-Wiping the Engines in Shed.-Remarks on the Firing.-Facing Death for Duty.-The Fireman's Story.-A Smash.-The Yardsman.-How Trains are made up.-The Yardsman's Story.-A narrow Escape.-Detonators.-A new
Style of Signaling, -The automatic Bell 91
CHAPTER VII.
THE DEPOT AGENT.
The Depot Agent.-His Duties.-How a small Station is run.-The Agent at Leisure.-Fun by Wire.-The puzzled Agent.-A Flag-station.-How not to do it.-The Depot Ticket-clerk.- Why he is barred in.-A rough Customer. - The tiresome old Lady.-A Case of "Inquire within for every thing."-An anxious Moment. - Meanness of a Passenger.-The lost Ticket.-Remarkable Incident in the Career of a T. C., and blissful Result
thereof. 106
CHAPTER VIII.
THE BAGGAGE-MASTER.
The Baggage-master.-Unceremonious Treatment. -A Man of few Friends.-The disappointed Travelers. -The Ass's Appeal to Jove. -Moral.-A good Idea.-Accidentally Shot.-Truly RRemarkable. -A fancy Inventory.-Baggage Registration in Europe. - The Baggage-master's Story.-Old Perk among the Trunks. -The mysterious Groan, and extraordinary Contents of a Piece of Baggage.
-Happy DenouementPage 127
CHAPTER IX.
THE BRAKEMAN.
The Brakeman.-Mistaken Zeal. -Some of his Duties.-An easy Job. -The Freight Brakeman.-Dangerous Work.-An unsuitable Applicant.-An uncomfortable Dance.-The Brakeman's Story.-Fall into Black Creek.-Results of a Brakewheel giving way.. 145
CHAPTER X.
THE SWITCH AND 'SIGNAL TENDER.
The Switch and Signal Tender.-Accidents from misplaced Switches. -Unaccountable Mistakes. -Heavy Responsibility of his Duties. -A clear Head needed.-Of two Evils choose the least.-The Switch-tender's Story.-A careless Conductor.-What came of his
Carelessness.-A fearful Dilemma.-The Choice 153
CHAPTER XL
SIGNALS.
Signals. - Calling for Brakes. - Off Brakes."-" Back up."-A complicated Circular. - Arm Signals. - Flags. - The Telegraph Target, and its Object.-Communication between Train-men and Engineer.-An extraordinary Device. -" Semaphore" Signals.-Switch Targets.-Accident Signals. -Some useful Suggestions and otherwise.-Signaling reduced to a Science.-Still Room for Improvement.-Freight-car Coupling.-A good one still a Desidera
tum.-Perfection in Passenger-car Couplers 165
Illustrations.
Page
The Ghost And The LampFrontispiece.
The Applicant Who Could Do Any Thing 18
" I'd Choose To Be A Brakesman"   22 The Young Fellow Who Knows How To Run A Road 23
The Young Lady Applicant   28 The Conductor 34
The Charming Young Lady    35
The Rheumatic Old Lady 35
The Common-Looking Person Who Was President 36
The Superintendent's Mother-In-Law . 37
The Pig-Headed Man Who Refuses To Pay His Fare 40
"Is This Perkins's Corners?" 46
The Engineer 51
" She Jumped The Gap Like A Stag" 67
Little Johnny And His Widowed Mother 71
The Miner 86
The Dorg 87
The Muss 88
The Pardners Weeping 89
The Accident 89
The Remains 90
The Depot Agent 107
The Perplexed Baggage-Man    111
The Ticket-Clerk 113
The Betrothal At The Hotel 125
The Disappointment . 131
The Careless Baggage-Man 133
The Young Lady Found In The Trunk 142
The Switchman And The Englishman 159
The Young Woman Who Stopped The Train. 169
The Semaphore, Or Target   172
Diagram Time-Table 183
The- Train Dispatcher 202
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