SENDING MY FIRST ORDER
I had now been knocking about the country for quite a few years, and
working in all kinds of offices and places, and had acquired a great
deal of experience and valuable information, so I reached the conclusion
that it was about time for me to settle down and get something that
would last me for a while. Commercial work I did not care for, nor did I
want to go back on the road as a night operator on a small salary. I
thought I had the making of a good despatcher in me, and determined to
try for that place. I knew it had to be attained by starting first at
the bottom, so I went up on the K. M. & O. and secured a position as
night operator at Vining. The K. M. & O. was a main trunk line running
out of Chaminade, and was the best road for business that I had as yet
struck. Vining was midway on the division, and was such a good old town
that I would have been content to have stayed there for some time, but
one day an engine pulling a through livestock express broke a driving
rod while running like lightning, and the result was a smash up of the
first water--engine in the ditch, cars piled all over her, livestock
mashed up, engineer killed, fireman badly hurt, and the road blocked for
twenty-four hours. The wreck occurred on a curve going down a rather
steep grade, so that it was impossible to build a temporary track around
it. A wrecking train was sent out from El Monte, and as I happened to be
off duty, I was picked up and taken along, to cut in the wrecking
office. The division superintendent came out to hurry up things and he
appeared so pleased at my work that, in a few weeks, he offered me a
place as copy operator in the despatcher's office at El Monte. This
appeared to be a great chance to satisfy my ambition to become a
despatcher, so I gladly accepted, and in a few days was safely ensconced
in my new position. The despatchers only work eight hours a day, while
the copy operators work twelve, so they work with two despatchers every
day. I had the day end of the job and worked from eight A. M. until eight
P. M., with an hour off for dinner, so that I really was only on duty for
eleven hours. The pay was good for me, seventy dollars per month, and I
was thoroughly satisfied. Really all that is necessary to be a first
class copy operator is to be an expert telegrapher. It is simply a work
of sending and receiving messages all day. However I wanted to learn, so
I kept my ears and eyes opened, and studied the time card, train sheet,
and order book very assiduously.
The first trick despatcher was honest old Patrick J. Borroughs, a man of
twenty-five years' experience in the business and as good a man as ever
sent an order or took an O. S. report. He was kindness and gentleness
personified, and assisted me in every way possible, and all my future
success was due to his help and teaching. The memory of the time I
worked under him is the brightest spot in all the years I served in the
business. After I had been there for about five months, he would allow
me, under his supervision, to make simple meeting points for two trains,
and one day he allowed me to give a right-of-track order to a through
freight train over a delayed passenger. Then he would let me sit around
in his chair, while he swallowed his lunch, and copy the O. S. reports.
I was beginning to think that my education as a despatcher was complete,
and was thinking of asking for the next vacancy, when a little incident
occurred that entirely disabused my mind. The following occurrence will
show how little I knew about the business.
We had received notice one morning of a special train to be run over our
division that afternoon, carrying a Congressional Railroad Committee,
and of course that meant a special schedule, and you all know how
anxious the roads are to please railroad committees, especially when
they are on investigating tours (?) with reference to the extension of
the Inter-State Commerce Act, as this one was. We were told to "whoop
her through." The track on our division was the best on the whole road,
and it was only 102 miles long; we had plenty of sidings and passing
tracks, and besides old "Jimmie" Hayes, with engine 444 was in, so they
could be assured of a run that was a hummer. Mr. Hebron, the division
superintendent, came in the office and told Borroughs to tear things
loose, in fact, as he said, "Make 'em all car sick."
After he had gone out Pat tossed the notification over to me, and said,
"Bates, here's a chance for you to show what kind of stuff you are made
of. Make out a schedule for this special, giving her a clean sweep from
end to end, with the exception of No. 21."
Proud! That wasn't the proper name for it. I was fully determined that
_this_ special should have a run for her money if she ran on my
schedule. No Congressional Committee was going back to Washington with
the idea that the K. M. & O. wasn't the swiftest road in the bunch, if I
could help it, and I had a big idea that I could. Pat told me he would
do the copying while I made the schedule, but as he said it I fancied I
saw a merry twinkle in his honest blue eyes. I wasn't daunted though,
and started to work.
"Order No. 34.
"To C&E, all trains:
"K. M. & O. RAILROAD (Eastern Division).
"DESPATCHER'S OFFICE, 'DS,' October 15, 18--
"Special east engine 444, will run from El Monte to Marsan having
right of track over all trains except No. 21, on the following
schedule:--
"Leave El Monte, 2:30 P. M."
Thus far I proceeded without any trouble, and then I stuck. Here was
where the figuring came in, along with the knowledge of the road, grades
and so forth, but I was sadly lacking in that respect. I studied and
figured and used up lots of gray matter, and even chewed up a pencil or
two. I finally finished the schedule and submitted it to Pat. He read it
carefully, knitted his brows for a moment, and then said, slowly:
"For a beginner that schedule is about the best I ever saw. It's a
hummer without a doubt. But to prevent the lives of the Congressional
Committee from being placed in jeopardy, I think I shall have to make
another." Then he laughed heartily, and continued,
"All joking aside, Bates, my boy, you did pretty well, but you have only
allowed seven minutes between Sumatra and Borneo, while the time card
shows the distance to be fourteen miles. Jim Hayes and engine 444 are
capable of great bursts of speed, but, by Jingo, they can't fly. Then
again you have forgotten our through passenger train, No. 21, which is
an hour late from the south to-day; what are you going to do with her?
Pass them on one track, I suppose. But don't be discouraged, my boy,
brace up and try it again. That's a much better schedule than the first
one I ever made."
He made another schedule and I resumed my copying. It wasn't long,
however, before my confidence returned and I wanted a trick. I got it,
but in such a manner that even now, fifteen years afterwards, I shudder
to think of it.