Casey Jones went to work for the railroad in 1880. He became an engineer on the Illinois Central Railroad in 1890. On April 30, 1900, he was at the throttle of Number 382 for a friend who was ill. Near Vaughan, MS, he came upon two freight trains blocking the main track. Jones stayed with the train and jammed on the brakes. He died in the crash, but saved the lives of his passengers and crew. A ballad in his honor is still sung today. Casey Jones became a railroader's hero, particularly in the labor movement of the early 1900s.