Jim Wainright's Kid[7]
An Engineer's Christmas Story[37]
The Clean Man And The Dirty Angels[59]
A Peg-Legged Romance[77]
My Lady Of The Eyes[99]
Some Freaks Of Fate[152]
Mormon Joe, The Robber[193]
A Midsummer Night's Trip[229]
The Polar Zone[255]

Part II

I Learning The Business—My First Office[1]
II An Encounter With Train Robbers[11]
III In A Wreck[19]
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 Range[87]
XII How A Smart Operator Was Squelched—The Galveston Flood[96]
XIII Sending My First Order[105]
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[270]

Illustrations

Part I

"Quick as a flash the Kid had my arm."[Frontispiece]
"I noticed his long, slim hand on the top of the reverse-lever."[50]
"It was a strange courting ... there on that engine."[70]
"We carried him into the depot."[90]
"He was the first man I ever killed."[170]
"'Mexican,' said I."[234]
"What seemed to be a giant iceberg...."[282]
"A white city ... was visible for an instant."[290]

Part II

Facsimile Of A Completed Order As Entered In The Despatcher's Order-Book[1]
"Two of the men tied my hands in front of me."[14]
"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...."[46]
"He looked at me ... then catching me by the collar...."[95]
"... Half lying on the table, face downward, dead by his own hand"[128]
"See here, who is going to pull this train?"[158]
"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"[222]