The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1867-04-04
CAPTAIN TOMS FRIGHT.


in my life,' said Captain Tom kestle,
filing his brentwood and ramming home
the tobacco with bit of stick, excepting
once" he added, rehectively
:" How was that captain ~ said | de-
tecting indications of a yarn, s'let's have
it if it is worth telling The captain lit
cedar splfnt at the fire and proceeded
to ignite his pipe, the fame of the dry
stick bringing out his strong, quiet fea-
lures and grayish hair and beard in re-
lief against the black woods behind him.
The captain had the coolest way of
talking about us personal frigbts, way
which We all understood perfectly. for
most OF us had too often seen him in
action to believe his astounding accounts
of his own cowardice | actually believe
that to this day. many casual nearer of
his yarns thinks that Captain Tom was
the coward he painted himself, for often
would a stranger ask, after hearing him
narrate some of his exploits, how such
shameless sneak could remain In service
with honor s-.i-
Well, fellows" began he, Il feel
sort of confidential to-night-a strange
feeling for me, byt way, and [ think
some great piece Of luck must be await
ing me as a consequence. However,
think [ will tell you the story, although [
never told it to living soul before, and
the very thought of telling it now sends
! chill up the small of my back, so you
| mustn't be astonished If turn childish
before I get through. You must know
that in the summer and fall of 1850 |
was, in my profession OF engineer, rebuild
inc a long bridge on the Sunset and Great
Western Railroad My station was ten
or fifteen miles from any town, and had
a gang of thirty or forty of the widest
Irishnen you ever saw caught, beside
the sober mechanics who did the Joiner
work on the bridge. A pretty lonely
life led, for there was hardly any one
with whom it was a pleasure to associate
for any length OF time, though perhaps
that was to some extent my fault, for |
was always rather distant and reserved
with the ,nen, more from a fear of seeming
to intrtlde OF from the opposite horror of
seeming to court popularity, than from
any other reason. My station was at the
end Of long and perfectly straight stretch
Of road. | suppose there must have
been fifteen miles OF track within a curve
of any sort, save that which belongs to
the surface Of the earth. As the line
neared the river an easy grade raised it Il
few feet, 50 as to carry the roadway of
the bridge clear OF foods. Rather more
than half way up this grade was cutoff
or side track, crossing the river on a
temporary trestIe-work, and intended to
remain only while the main bridge was
undergoing its repairs. This cutoff was
set at a very acute angle, SO that the
speed Of passing trains was scarcely check
ed while crossing the river. One could
stand on this little grade and see the ap-
preaching trains at least d dozen miles
| off, when the air was clear. as they came
| tearing across the prairie and up the grade
and over the bridge, whirling past US a
momentary glimpse Of the world and its
life. Perhaps the conductor, if he was a
| clever fellow, would throw US off a pack
age of papers That was all we knew of
outside life. for none but gravel trains
condescended to stop at our little station.
| Our quarters consisted Of a cluster Of
| board shanties, with one Of more luxur-
ious build for me, all located for conven-
| fence OF getting water, quarter OF a mile
above the bridge, where the banks of the
river We're accessible.
'"Those Of you who have Irishmenn in
your companies will know that wlliskey
naturally grayitates to their vicinity, and
almost always of a Saturday night a sup
ply was on hand in our little community,
on which the week s wages were pretty
| certainly expended Saturday night was
always distinguished by tearing spree,
which invariably terminated In a free
| fight, but as the combatants were usually
too drunk to do much harm to one anoth-
er when the fighting time came around,
no material damage was ever done
/ There was one among these fellows with
whom, from the first, | had foreseen
trouble. A thick set, surly dog he was,
Pete McGee by name. and landowner
| by birth. He had always some fault to
find about his pay, was always grumbliug,
was continually sinking his work, and
was with all mighty drinller, and when
drunk a mighty man to lead the crowd
| Our antlpathy to one another seemed to
be led to a climax by fortune. and | had
4 good reason to believe that twice al
ready had Pete instigated an attack on
lie In my house, said attacks having been
easily repealed by sunday discharges of
my revolver at high elevation.
''One day L was watching the labors
OF a gang who We're shovelng dirt out of a
drain which had been filled by a recent
storm. / noted that Pete was Sinking
frightfully by taking a mighty small
quantity of earth on his spade, and throw
ing it as short distance as possible. He
saw that [ noticed him, and by mutter-
ed remark to his companions he let them
know that he did In few minutes
saw shat the whole gang had word of the
| Sinking of Pete and my observance
thereof. | made up my mind 70 have it
out with him, for the sake of discipline.
! I h. i Ii q 4.
stick which | always carried for measur-
| hickory, Of which. thanks to long resi-
dence with an old English baekwoods-
man. | knew also the use in self de-
/ fence
Pete said l, ':if you don't do your
your name goes off the roll Tomorrow
Pete stopped work and looked at me a
moment from under his shaggy brows,
| then leaned his spade against the ditch
side, hitched up his trousers, removed
his du'}een from his mouth and stuck it
of the ditch Pete's shillaiah and brown
Jug were never far from him, and he
walked coolly towards them remarking.
''Ye dirty spalpeenl I'll brak' the head
of We shure as me names Pete McGee,
an ye may tax me name off the roll and
be damned to ye. In an instant he had
his bit of black thorn in his hand, and
| knocking off his hat, pipe and all, he
| frightened his belt and came toward me,
as ugly looking specimen as you would
Wlsh to meet | heard man remark,
Boys here's discussion wild shticks,
shure enough. and saw the hands stop
work and watch the progress of events
with the enthusiastic interest of Irishmen,