Since the introduction of the patent air brake on passenger trains, by
which brakemen have been dispensed with, a number of patent right men have
been studying up some contrivance to do away with conductors. All have
failed except one, and that fortunate inventor is Col. Johnson, of the
Railroad Eating House, Milwaukee. He has been engaged for two years on
this patent, and has got it so near completed that he has filed a caveat
at the Patent Office, and as his rights are secured, it can do no harm to
describe the invention, as it is destined to work quite a revolution in
the railroad business. It has been Col. Johnson's idea that an arrangement
could be made so that an engineer of a train could have the whole train
under his charge, to stop it, start it, collect fares, and bounce
impecunious passengers, from his position on the engine, and do it all by
steam, wind and water. A series of pneumatic tubes run from the door of
each car to the engine, with speaking tubes. A passenger gets on the
platform, and through the speaking tube asks the engineer what the fare is
to such a place. The answer is returned, the fare is put in the hopper of
the pneumatic tube, it goes to the engineer, he pulls a string, the door
flies open and the passenger enters. Not the least important part of the
machinery is the patent "aeolian bouncer," as it is called.
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