Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1869-01-07

been kind, and good, and loving, al
ways but / should be sorry we ever
met if you are togo in this way. Don
ask me what I-Blean. You know
"Jo,n said I, sits only<One club
night"
.'It win grow, z said Sc
Then she put her, arms around my
neck.
stDon't be afraid, child" I'll never
4 pain you SO again.
And I meant it; but at twelve
] o'clock that night I felt that ] had
! forgotten my promise and my resolu-
ton.
/ couldn't 60 home to 10. made
up my mind to sleep on the club sofa,
and leave the place for good next day.
Already feltnny brain reel as / never
had before. In an hour ] was in q
land of stup0r.
1t was morning. A waiter stood
ready to brush my coat. 7 saw a.grin
upon his face. My head seemed ready
to burst my hand trembled Hooked
at my watch saw that had only
just five minutes to reach the depot
jos words came t0 nlv nj md Was
/ 1 III u take etlafgG CL stIl III
was not fit to answer. I ought to have
asked some sober man. AS it was,
only eought upuny hat and rushed
away. Bwas just in time.
The San Francisco glittered in the
morning sun. The cars were filling
rapidly. From my post could hear
the talking-bidding each other good
bye, promising to write and come
again. Among them was an old gen.
/ tleman I knew by sight-One Of the
shareholders; he was bidding two
timid gilrs adieu.
Goodbye Kitty-gOOd-bye Lue, "
heard him say; "dOn't be nervous.
The San Francisco is the safest engine
on the line, and Guelden the most
careful engineer. / wouldn't be afraid
to trust every mortal I love in the
batch to their keeping. Nothing could
happen wrong with the two together.
I said, "l'll get through it some
how, and 10 shall never talk to me
again" After all it was easy enough.
L reeled as I spoke. 1 heard the sig
nal. We were off.
| Five hours from i. to D.; five hours
back. On the last l should be myself
again, I knew. saw red futteI
and never guessed what it was until
we were past the down train at a
wrong place. Two minutes more and
we should have had a collissiOn.-
Somebody told me. 1 laughed. I
heard him say, respectfully,
"Of couse, Mr.. Guelden, you know
what you are about"
Then 1 was alone, and I wandered
whether I should go slower or faster
1 did something, and the cars rushed
on at fearful rate.
The same man who had spoken to
me before was standing by me. Iheard
some questions.
How many miles an hour were we
making? 1 did not know.
Rattle, rattle, rattle. I was trying
now to slacken the speed of the San
| Francisco. / could not remember
what L should do. Was it this or that!
Faster-Only faster. was playing
with the engine like child.
Suddenly there was an awful roar
a crash; was flung somewhere. II
was into the water. By a miracle 1
was only sObered-nOt hurt. / gained
the shore. I stood upon the ground
| between the track and the rivers
edge, and there gazed at my own
work.
The engine was in fragments, the
cars in splinters; dead, dying and
wounded were streWn arOund-men
women and children, old age and ten
| der youth. There were crowns and
shrieks of despair. The hemaimed cried
out in pain; the Uninjured bewailed
their dead; and a voice, unheard by
any other was in my ear whispering,
''Murderer."
The news had gone back to A, and
people came thrOnging down to find
their lost ones. Searching for an old
mans daughter, came to place un-
der the trees, and five bodies were
lying there in all their rigid horror
an old woman, q young one, a baby
and two little children. 1t was fancy
it was pure fancy, born of my an.
guish-they looked likC-Oh! great
Heaven! they were my old mother
my wife, my children! all cold anC
dead.
How did they come on the train
What chance had brought this about
I gazed on the good old face Of he
who had given me birth, on the lovely
feature of my wife, on the innOcen
children. I called them by name
there was no answer. There never
could be-never would be. And as
comprehended this, onward up tn,
track thupdred another train. It's reC
eye glared on me; flung myself be
fore it; felt it crush me to atoms!
''His head is very hot, said some
body.
1 opened my eyes and saw my wife
"How do you feel ?" she said "a
little better?"
L was reioiced and so astonished BY
the sight of her, that could not speaI
at first. She repeated the question.
81 must be crushed to pieces" safe
1, for the train wentOver me; but
feel no pain"
"There he goes about the trair
again." remarked my wife. "Why
Ned!u
1 tried to move; there was nOthin,
the matter with me; sat up. wa.
in my own room, opposite the crib il
which two children were asleep, ont
had a tiny bald baby head. Ny wifi,
and children were safe WAS L de
Iirious or could it be-
Joe" cried L, "teIl ME what ha
happened"
Its nine o'clock, said Joe. "YoI
came home in such a dreadful stat
from the club that L couldn't wax,
1 you. You were not fit to managt
steam and risk peoples lives. Th'
San Francisco is half way to A,
suppose, and you have been frighten-
ing me to death with your dreadful
talk"
And 10 began to cry.
It was q dream only an awfu
dream. But had lived through it al
as though it were reality.
as there a Bible in the house, 10 .
said I.
"Are we heathens ?" said 10.
"Give it to me this moment, JO.n
She brought it, and I pnt my hanC
on it and took an oath (tOo solemn Il
be repeated here) that what had hap
pened should never occur. again. /
never has. And if the San Franclse,
ever comes to grief, the verdict vii
not be as it ought to be so Often-th
engineer 1CGs drunk.
It is estimated by those who hav
some knowledge of the subject, that
present there are, in round numbers
about ,250, GOO Free and accepted Ma