Daily Democrat and news. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1859-1864, 1863-02-04
DEMOCRAT g. NEWS
Trips In the Life ola L locomotive
Engineer.
A CT OSE SH We.

Several times during my life I ha,
felt the emotions so often told of, 80 &C
dom ielt by any man, when, with deaf
apparently absolute aud inevitable, il,
mediate and ingloIious, staring me fu
in the face, forgot ali fears Tor mysc
dreamed not Of shuddering at tb
thought that soon must dc that th
gates Of ds,th we're swung vice open b,
fore me, and that, with speed and fore
against which oil human resistance wa
useless, ! vas rushing into them.
knew that was fat, d with the rest bu
| thought only OF those behind me i
my charge, under my supervision, the,
chatting gaily, watching the swil,.rcced
ing 'cenery. thinking perhaps how
quickly they would be ut home will
their dear ones, and not drea ming Of tn,
hideous panorama OF death soon to un
roll, the iinkle OF tho bell for tue start.
ing OF which seemed to hear; the frs,
sad scene, the opening crash OF which
as sckening my soul with terror and
binding me with despair. For knew
that those voices, new SO gay, now 80
happy, would soon be shreking in agony,
or muttering the dying groan. l knc.
that those iaces, now SO smiling, would
soon be distorted with pain, or crushed
mt OF oil temblance to humanity and
| was powerless TO avert the catastrophe
All human force was powcrJess. No
thing but the hand OF God, stretched ID
its Onn'potence, could avert it; for such
scenes last but moment, though their
memory endures for all time.
| remem Der well one instance Of thi.
kind. was running on the II. d w
road in the East. 4 great Sabbath.
school excursion and picnic was gotten
mp, and l was detailed to run the tram.
The children OF all the towns on The
road were assembled and, when We 90,
to the grove in which the picnic Ass I.
TO held, 10 had eighteen cara full Ms they
could hold OF the little onca, all dressed
in their holiday attire, and bimfdl OF
Inirth and gaye,y. drew the train it,
upon the itch, out Of the way Of pass.
ny trains let the engine cool down, aid
hen went into the woods TO ar,i:ipatt
n the innocent pleasures of the day.
The children very soon found ont that ]
, a, the engineer; and as l krd Chi.
lren, and tried TO amusc them, it WI.
'ot long before l had perfect troop q
ny heela, all laughing and chatting ga,.
y 10 "Mr. Engineer" as they called
ne. They asked = thousand questions
bout the engine; and one aud aIl lrl,d
0 cxiors PROMISE ir III IN. to let then.
idc with me, several declaring to me il,
he strictest oLfilence, their intention
| becoming engineers, and their desire
bove all things, that | shond teach
1em how.
So the day passed most happily. The
hildren swung 10 the swings, romped
n the grass, picked the flowers, and
'andered at their own sweet will all
yer the woods. A splended collation.
as prepared for them, ut which ], too,
II down, and liked 10 have made myself
ok eating pbiopenas with the Bnlys,
e. ddys, Mollies, and Ms,,ies. whose
l had made that day, and
Rose pretty faces and sweet voices
ould urge me IN etyle that ! could I
ot iud heart TO resist, to eat phiIo.
sna with them, or 'just to taste lhei, ,
Ike and ace il it wasn't the coolest ]
,er saw"
But the day passed, as happy or un. :
'ppy days will, and time 10 start came
und. We had some trouble getline
mary Little folks together, and It was
lily by dlut OF great d al OF
hIstling tina. all my load was collected.
much amused to see some OF the
tie fell, W. contempt at others more
mid tLan they, WHO shut their ears
the sound OF The whistle, and ran 10
de 10 the cars. lnnumerabe were the
treaties that bad from some OF them,
let them ride on the engine, onl, 4
lie once" but | WAS memorable. The \
perlntcndent Of the road, who con- :,
cted the train, came to me as ! was d
out ready to start, and told me that, h
We uAu lOet ~ iuuCu kiiuC COIltcllHE i
r load, lad better not stop at the 81
st station, irom wheuco We bad taken
I few cnildrcn but push on to the
xt, where We would meet the down ,
lin, and send them back from there
bother reason for this was, that had
,esyy train, and it was very bad stop
u axe, lying right in valley, At the I.
II OF two very heavy g,ade.. SO, If
tarted, the children 10 the cara swing =
, dozen handkerchieis from every Z
ndow, all happy.
A. had good unuing-ground. and b!
less buried, was goiu. TO b. quite - :,
c in reaching my j urney's e,,., ga
He'd out, and 1T tie engine do her y
81. So We were running very last r
out torlyeigbt .niles M hour. Be :,
1 arriving At the s.~tion at which ] :,
$ to stop, passed through piece oi .,