Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-08-03
IRISH GRATIrUDE.

ANlSAA VIVA A ODEs
The following excellent story is from
the Washington Republic. The conduc-
tor referred to. is Rawlings of the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad. No one who
has heart. but will appreciate its touch
ing interest.
CHAT WITH THE CoNDUCToR.-''It is not
often Il man loses anything by kindness.
l know a little matter of that sort saved
my life' and perhaps the lives of many
others at the same time"
''H How was that ?'' asked we of our
friend Rawlings. the model conductor.
why, we had an Irishman watching
a tunnel. 1t was warm weather, so he
used to go into the tunnel to keep COOL
l rather think he used to take little IL
quor when he was lonesome, any way he
laid down one day on the track to listen
for the cars. He fell asleep, and very
imprudently got his head cut off by the
express train. Well, there was the last
of that Irishman. There was the DEVILS
own row in his shanty when we took the
poor fellow up, and we got away as soon
as we decently could, for it is not agreea-
BILE to be surrounded with a distracted fa-
mlly when you're neither doctor, nor a
nurse nor preacher. Somehow L was
always sorry when passed that place; of
course felt as if-not exactly the same
thlng-but just as bad might happen to
me some day, and then there'd be anoth-
er row in a family. L told my wife about
it, and she sent the family some little
things. The widow of the dead Irishman
was catholic, and as [ was then on u
very fast train, | would sometimes take UP
the old woman on Sunday, and carry her
to church at Martlnsburg. l somehgl-
thought 1t was satisfaction TO her TO g
to church, for she had but little Chance in
the world any now. | certainly did not
expect 10 get anything foritin thii world,
and Expected they had so much scored
against me in the other, that il wo.. GA' 7
amount to much
''That was during the summer. One
night the next winter, it was very cold,
and the mountains were covered with
snow; we were running to make time,
when, on turning a curve, the engineer
saw a waving light on the track, and
soon we heard some one shouting
ahead. l was then out on the platform
The engineer Stacked up, and stopped the
engine, aud we got out and went ahead
IN the dark to see what was the matter.
There it was. a large land slide had
fallen across the track near the shanty of
the old Irish woman. She had built up
a large fire and watched for the train, for
the curves were SO short that we might
have been upon the slide before we could
see 1t. So, when we ran up, there was
the old lady with her calico cap, swinging
the chunk of fire like a revolving light
hn1Cn tlar > h., l,,El. L. /
carrying brush like so many little bea-
vers. She had watched all that night in
the cold. But for her, in another minute
we should have ran into Il pile OF dirt and
stone as big as Barnum's Hotel | should
nave got Il pit ticket certain, for l was
on the platform. What would have be-
come OF the passengers and train you can
guess as well as l can"
We expressed hope that the old wi
dow had been properly rewarded
The passengers made up about eighty
dollars the company afterwards gave
her shanty rent free, the brakemen and
engineers bought her COW, and she
made out very well. But when l handed
the money to her that night, she said =
Gentlemen and ladies, I'm thankful, and
may ye niver know the want of what We
give me. But what did was mostly on
account ofhim there. He was kind and
thoughtful to the poor and.afflicted, and
I'd watched till froze before harrum
should have come to him, if could have
helped it,"
"D-n the thing. it made me choke
right up"
"Passenjars for the Rela-a-y." "Don't
forget your umberella, sir; there might
be an explosion, and you'd want it to
keep off the cinders.'' .eIet mo nosS
your bandbox, miss" "Take care Of
your little boy, madam, no insurance m
him" IAN right? Go ahead"