NEWS: James and Patrick DORAN, 1899, natives of Cambria County, PA

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Morning Tribune
Altoona, Pa.
Monday, July 31, 1899


THE TWO RAILROAD DROMIOS.*
Some Reminiscences of James and Patrick Doran.

A writer in the Johnstown Tribune, in speaking of the veteran 
Pennsylvania railroad engineer, Henry Hudson, says:

"Mr. Hudson 'graduated' many firemen in his day, but none in whom he 
retains a livelier interest than in James and Patrick Doran, better 
known as 'Jim' and 'Pat' the famous and irrepressible twins.  There 
were five of the Doran brothers, born of Irish parents on a farm near 
Wilmore, this county.  John and Michael are also railroaders, and Jim 
and Pat and Jack and Mike all fired for Mr. Hudson in the beginning of 
their careers.  John was run down by a train and killed in the Altoona 
yard several years ago, but the three others are still very much alive 
and doing splendid work to this day.

But it was around Jim and Pat that interest always centered.  They 
were not twins merely - they were in appearance and disposition so very 
much alike that their most intimate friends were often puzzled to tell 
them apart.  And the startling resemblance continues, though they are 
now over 60 years of age.  They are not tall, but are broad-shouldered 
and heavily set, with laughing faces.  Still full of fun and still 
inclined to play pranks on each other.

"Jim and Pat have both been connected with the Pennsylvania railroad 
as fireman or engineer about 41 years.  From the tank or 'tender' they 
graduated to freight engines, but for 30 years or more both have been 
running 'first-class passenger' on the Pittsburg division, which 
extends eastward to Altoona.  They have always had the best trains and 
have hauled presidential or other distinguished parties almost without 
number.  Skillful, clear-headed and brave, they were always selected 
when extra good work was wanted, and never once did they fail in their 
duty.  Neither has ever been seriously hurt, though both have been in 
pure accidents in which they have had narrow escapes.  Twenty-five or 
thirty years ago Pat ran square into the rear end of a freight train 
that was standing on a short curve near New Florence, but came out of 
the wreck little the worse for the encounter.  No lives were lost.  
About twelve years ago Jim's train was wrecked on the eastern slope of 
the mountain, up from Altoona.  He was coming west and was passing a 
coal train, when it broke and several of its cars left their track and 
swung across and wrecked several cars of the passenger train.  In this 
accident seven passengers were killed and many more injured, but the 
locomotive and several cars had got safely by and Jim escaped.

"Pat and Jim now live in pleasant homes near together in Wilkinsburg.  
In fact they are never far apart except when on their runs.  They still 
dress in the same fashion, wear their mustaches or their beards of one 
cut and are gray and getting pretty bald alike.  Indeed they are the 
same two Dromios that they were many years ago when, one evening, Jim 
called on Pat's girl at Hillside, in Westmoreland county, and had a 
very pleasant time, the young lady being none the wiser until the real 
Pat came the next day.  But Pat got even by calling on Jim's girl and 
returning the compliment."


Dromio (The Brothers), two brothers, twins, so much alike that even 
their nearest friends and masters knew not one from the other. - 
Shakespeare: Comedy of Errors (1593). - Bibliomania.com