Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-12-20

with his Coalg--yeg, | mean If he eooIomiseg
his ooals-he's allowed so much more.
Some will make from five TO ten shillings q
week that way. / don't complain of the
wages particular; but it's hare lines for
such as US, to have to pay income tax. The
company gives an account of all our wages,
ana we have to pay It's q shame.
Sour domestic life-our life at home, you
mean? Well, as to that, we don't see much
of our families. leave home at half past
seven in the morning, and don't get back
again until half-psst nine, or maybe later
The children are not up when l leave, and
they've gone to bed again before | come
home. This is about my day Leave Lon
don at 8. 45: drive for four hours and half;
cold snack on the engine step; see to en-
CINE; drive back again; clean engine !;
report myself and home. Twelve hours
hard and anxious work, and no comfort
able Victuals, Yes, our wives are anxious
about US, for we never know when
we go out, if we win ever come back
again. We ought TO gohome the minute we
leave the station. and report ourselves to
those that are thinking on us and depend
ing on US but I'ln afraid we don't, always.
Perhaps we go first to the public house, and
y y
charge of engine all day long. But the
wives have way of their own Of finding
out if we're all right. They inquire among
each other. Have you seen my jim 2 one
says. No. says another, but Jack see
him coming out Of the station half an hour
ago Then she knows that her Jim's all
right, and knows where to find him if she
wants him. It's q sad thing when any Of
us have to carry bad news to mates wife
None Of US likes that job. / remember
when Jack Davidge was killed, none of us
could face his poor missus with the news.
She had seven children, poor thing, and two
OF EN-, the youngest, was down with the
fever. We got old Mrs. Berridge-Tom
Berridge's mJther--to bre ak it to her. But
she knew summat was the matter the min
ute the old woman went in, and, afore she
spoke word, fell down like as if she was
dead. She lay all night like that, and
never heard from mortal lips until next
morning that her George was killed. But
she knew it in her heart. It's pitch and
toss kind Of life, ours
"And yet never was nervous On en-
CINE but once. | never think of my own
life. You go in for stalking that when you
begin, and you get used to the risk. |
never think Of the passengers, either The
thoughts of q engine driver never 90 be-
hind his engine. IF he keeps his engine all
right, the coaches behind will be all right,
as far as the driver ia concerned. But
once did think Of the passengers MY
little boy, Bill, was among them that morn
ing. He was q poor little cripple fellow
that we all loved more than the others, be-
cause ne acas q cripple, and so quiet and
Wise~like. He WAS going down to his aunt
IN the country, who was To take care Of him
for awhile. We thought the country air
would do him good. did think there were
lives behind me that morning: at least I
thought hard Of one little life that was in
my hands. There were twenty coaches on
my little Bill seemed to me to be in every
one Of EN-. My hand trembled as turned
on the steam. / felt my heart humping as
we drew close to the pointsmans box; as
we neared the Junction was all in O. cold
sweat. AT the end Of the 1lrst fifty miles I
was nearly eleven minutes behind time.
What's the matter with you this morn
ing? my stoker said. did you have drop
too much last night p Don speak to me,
Fred said, till we get to Peterborough
and keep sharp lookout, there's good
fellow L never was so thankful in my
life as when | ehut off steam to enter the
station at Peterborough. Little Bills aunt
was waiting for him, and saw her lift him
out Of the carriage. called out TO her to
bring him to me, and took him upon the
engine and kissed him-ah, twenty times, l
should think-making him in such mess
with grease and coal dust as you never saw.
81 was all right for the rest of the jour-
ney. And I do believe sir, the passengers
were safer after little Bill was gone. It
would never do, you see, for engine drivers
to know too much, or to feel too much"