The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-18

AN ENGINEEHe YARN.
You see. I'm an engine driver on the Great
west.by.Dorth Railway. We don't chase light
ming over the prairies our line, Tor we're slow
and pretty sure. I've been half as fast again on
your London and Birmingham and Great Western
faster than liked too, though II was my trade.
90 you see don't mean TO raise your hair that
way. ~
Ours is a new lne-a very new one-running
through miles Of unsettled country. where it's no
wonderful thing TO make out In the far distance
halta-dozen Injuns gslloping along with their
hair and blanket streaming out behind !; and more
than once I've wondered how 1t would be II one
OF those painted beauties was to friends
and pull up the line. pom my word, it's about as
sensational feeling as can come over you. Talk
about your hair standing on end, why, there is q
perceptible creeping, for all the world as II some
one was pouring canary seed through the roots.
And, mind you, fomahawk and scslping knife are
not things only 10 be heard of In Cooper's novels,
for they are in 10 this very day. so that more
his green and bloody scalps torn from the heads
of the hated whites by his treacherous hand.
Seems very horrible, no doubt, and to belong
TO the past; but for all that such things are
taking place every day in the far West.
Now, it's through this part Of the country that
our line runs and for years past I've driven that
line. drove there when II only ran twenty
miles and saw and ran along tnas Inc as !.
region westw ard, till it went its hundreds.
We've cow-catchers on our engines, and moth
ing to laugh at neither. On your few mile-long
lines, you can fence but when your line happens
to get over thousand miles, fencing becomes
expensive, and would make hole In the profits
80 that it was soon found necessary to have some
thing In front that would throw of COW or bull
lock IL IL had strayed on to the line or else. be-
ing an obstinate sort OF beast, Il might throw of
the train. For they will stray, and there's no
mistake about them, and when you see them
Of me
of and into safety. they'll 60 galloping on n their
clumsy, cocktail one.two.three am6le, tili we
catch up TO them, and then-well, should say
that in my time I've made beef Of score OF
cows, though l never made an end OF EEL
low-creature yet. / was very near It, though
once. -. 1870 r-. ..u.
front on 10 the COW catcher, TO hesvs billets Of
wood at the brutes; but it's q fact, and I've done
1t before noW and good crack from corner
fish piece OF wood has served 'em, making them
give kick and plunge of the single line, and
But there are things that will not get out Of the
way, do what you will; believe you might sound
the horn or whistle, or Whatever you'd got, at any
old woman who was crossing the line, and she'd
only stand still and stare while II you had billet
of wood, she'd only shake her umbrella at you,
and call you villain. They're dreadful creatures
that they were once young, don't know how we
should bear them. They don't seem to under
stand railways ct all they're always either toe
soon or too late (; and when once they are in the
guard mad by expecting that folks have entered
into conspiracy 10 carry them right past theil
destination. Why, friend 0f mine, guard on
The line between New YORK and chicago, once .O, s
wanting to get ont at the first station.
Well, putting cows nrst and old women second
the next on the list, to my way Of thinking, stand
Ssss bn hss ssay. sI srs
cold shivers when see them near railway
For you see. suppose for compsny's sake, being
an out.of-the- way lonely spot, there was chap
built himself log shsnty close to the line, where
he had made bit Of q clearing, and perhaps he
thought 1t would be bit Of company for his wife
and little ones to see the trains go by with people
in besides being bit of protection from the wan
derng tribes about; for you see where man sets
mp bis tent, as you may say, out In the wilderness
he's obliged 70 run risks /; so any chance, how
ever small Of making II less risky Ia snatched at
qgss
been there six months, that bit OF wilderness
began to look like little garden Of Eden; and
two more people came and pitched In the next
bts. | quite knew those first folks, though we
never spoke for always went by them attwelve
miles an hour but the little ones used to stand 81
she shaHty door and cheer. and as time went on
I'd wave my hat to the vile and the husband 700
SO that they generally used to come out when they
heard me coming up or down; and more than
once mine has been an anxious journey when I've
passed there, and all has been quiet, for I've
thought that perhaps the Inguns had been down
which would have meant murder and IRE
but somehow never had that to trouble me, fol-
the next time I'd pass there would be some one Of
the door or In the strawberry patch in front.
We got TO be such friends at last that used tc
buy candy and doughnuts and heave 'em into The
garden ss went by, for the children TO scramble
After and that's what II was that did IT, and this
how II was.
We were going comfortably along one after.
noon till, as we got near the clearing where my
friends, as called them, were located, began tc
furridge about In my pockets for couple oil
papers Of something that I'd got, when my stokel
says: " Halo WHAT'S that on the line"
"Cow," says l.
"Cow; no." he says " why-why-iss three
chldrenl"
Sound the--.n did not step to finish, bul
opened the little valve myself making the still
afternoon air culver with the hollow booming roai
il sent far and wide.
"That's moved EN-" says my stoker, laughing
20 see the little distant figures scsmper away.
81 thought II would, - says, and then, with my
hand on the valve, made the thing scream and
roar again, for there was one Of the little ones
still right in the middle Of the track.
In moment I'd forgotten all about the slut 10
the papers, for O curious sort OF feeling came
over me, one that for few moments took all the
nerve from my limbs, so that could not move
and then, instead of reversing the engine, be
gan TO creep forward, while, as II from the same
feeling my stoker stood staring with all his might
right at the poor little child.
We were too near for II to have done any good
even il we had both done our parts, and 1t wa
with o grosn seeming to force itself out OF my
breast that told myself 1t was through my en-
courering the poor children with presents ths
this was going 20 happen, for there, seeing M
danger, was Q little brghseyed, long-haired thing