Chapter I: Part II: Chapter

I. Learning the Business--My First Office 1

II. An Encounter with Train Robbers 11

III. In a Wreck 12

IV. A Woman Operator Who Saved a Train 25

V. A Night Office in Texas--A Stuttering Despatcher 33

VI. Blue Field, Arizona, and an Indian Scrimmage 42

VII. Taking a Whirl at Commercial Work--My First
Attempt--The Galveston Fire 52

VIII. Sending a Message Perforce--Recognizing
an Old Friend by His Stuff 62

IX. Bill Bradley, Gambler and Gentleman 68

X. The Death of Jim Cartwright--Chased off a Wire by a Woman 80

XI. Witnessing a Marriage by Wire--Beating a
Pool Room--Sparring at Long Range 87

XII. How a Smart Operator was Squelched--The Galveston Flood 96

XIII. Sending My First Order 104

XIV. Running Trains by Telegraph--How It is Done 111

XV. An Old Despatcher's Mistake--My First Trick 125

XVI. A General Strike--A Locomotive Engineer for a Day 137

XVII. Chief Despatcher--An Inspection Tour--Big River Wreck 147

XVIII. A Promotion by Favor and Its Results 160

XIX. Jacking up a Negligent Operator--A Convict
Operator--Dick, the Plucky Call Boy 168

XX. An Episode of Sentiment 185

XXI. The Military Operator--A Fake Report that
Nearly Caused Trouble 192

XXII. Private Dennis Hogan, Hero 203

XXIII. The Commission Won--In a General Strike 222

XXIV. Experiences as a Government Censor of Telegraph 237

XXV. More Censorship 246

XXVI. Censorship Concluded 257

XXVII. Conclusion 269

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List of Illustrations

PART I.

"Quick as a flash the Kid had my arm." Frontispiece

TO FACE "I noticed his long, slim hand on the top of the reverse-lever" 22

"It was a strange courting ... there on that engine" 70

"We carried him into the depot" 100

"He was the first man I ever killed" 176

"'Mexican,' said I" 236

"What seemed to be a giant iceberg...." 282

"A white city ... was visible for an instant" 292

PART II.

Facsimile of a completed train-despatcher's order 1

"Two of the men tied my hands in front of me" 16

"After many efforts I finally reached the lowest cross-arm" 30

"One of them picked up the lantern, and swaggering over to where I sat all trembling...." 38

"He looked at me ... then catching me by the collar...." 100

"... Half lying on the table, face downward, dead by his own hand" 128

"'See here, who is going to pull this train?'" 144

"Are you not doing it just because I am a woman?" 190

"... Dennis, lying under the telegraph line. His left hand still grasped the instrument" 219

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DANGER SIGNALS.