United States or Namibia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
After an operator has repeated an order back he signs his name, and the despatcher then says: "Order No. 31, O. K.," giving the time and signing the division superintendent's initials thereto. The order is next handed to the conductor and engineer of each train when they come to the office; both read it carefully, and then signify that they understand it fully by signing their names.
For a moment Alex stood speechless at this further calamity, then once more dashed for the station. To reach Zeisler, two miles west of the cut, was the only hope for the Mail. Rushing in to the instruments, he in feverish haste began calling "Z. Z, Z," he whirled. "Qk! There was no answer. Z heard him no more than did the despatcher. A feeling of despair settled upon the boy.
For hours they poured over the divide to the delight of the astonished boy, and after a time he wired Baxter at Medicine Bend that a herd of at least one million buffaloes was crossing the railroad at Goose Creek. As the grave despatcher seemed not greatly excited by this intelligence, Bucks followed up the story at intervals with vivid details.
The despatcher, whose only interest in the matter was to run the trains and earn money for his employer, having given written and verbal orders to the engineer, watched his chance and, when the sheriff was pounding on the rear door, dodged in at the front, signalling with the bell-rope to the driver to go.
"No," said the engineer, "but I'll lay a violent foot up agin the crown-sheet o' your trousers if you don't jump." The man jumped. Now the chief despatcher came from the station, stole along the shadow side of the car, and spoke to the man who had ordered the train. A deputy sheriff climbed up on the rear end of the special, tried the door, shaded his eyes, and endeavored to look into the car.
He hasn't any. Most of the chiefs are in their offices from early morn until late at night, and there is no harder worked man in the world than the chief despatcher. Each day is divided into three periods of eight hours each, known as "tricks," and a despatcher assigned to each.
When the trains run on time it is all very simple, and the work of the despatcher, the man who keeps track of the trains, is easy. When, however, the system is disarranged by the failure of a train to keep to its schedule, the despatcher's work becomes most difficult.
Quickly Alex interrupted, and shot back: "Train robbers are after the Overland. They held me up, and cut the wires both sides of the station. I got free, and have made a connection through the rails HC." For a moment the line remained silent, while at his end of the wire the despatcher sat bolt upright in his chair, eyes and mouth wide open.
The first time, Morris Blood only growled; the second time he looked at the handsome boy disapprovingly. "Want to be a despatcher, do you? What's the matter with you? Been reading railroad stories? I'll fire any man on my division that reads railroad stories. Don't be a chump. You're in line now for the best station on the division."
In the meantime, the operator had sent this message to the train despatcher at Manchester: Want right of way over everything. Pres. coming on light engine. To which the despatcher replied: Run to Manchester extra regardless of all trains. When the engine finally rolled into the station Jim was pacing up and down; he was as nearly impatient as Jim Weeks could be.
Word Of The Day