Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-07-22
THE SWlTCH.TENDER'S STORY.

1t ran thus tits nigh onto elev-
Ell years, sir, since came on this
road. For the first three years | was
brakeman, and ii had stuck to it ]
might have become conductor 10y
this time-whO knows. My charac.
ter was good, and I've always been a
steady man, but you see 1t wasn't to
he. My old woman always objected
to me running on the train, 1t kept
me so much away from home, not tn
speak of the danger, and the end OF
the third year, when our little boy
was horn, she begged so hard for ME
to give 1t up that l consented, and
the company put me in this place
where I've been ever since. It's not
hard; I've only got to tend one
switch and do odd jobs about the de-
pot; the pay Is just the same as what
| got before, only there's no chance
for promotion; but then Pm always
at home which makes it up. live
only little way across the bridge in
the outskirts of tho town, yOndcr on
the other side of the rivera small
white house with an elm tree In the
Lyard-yOu can see 1t from the other
end of the switch.
$50 you think the river Is very
beautiful at this season OF the year ?
Well, sir, I dare say 1t Is. thought
so once myself; hut ! don't take a y
pleasure In looking at it now, nor
have / done so Tor many day. Its
green banks and its clear water, with
the sunshine sparkling on IL, only
makes It seem the crueler to me, IA
II It laughed over the misery 1t had
caused to human beings; but my OPP
inions hav'nt got anything to do with
what you come to ask me about, so
I'll try and get to the point ut once.
ut will he three years, come Mon
day, the 18th of next month, which
Is May, that after eatin' my breakfast
and sniokin' my pipe, which latter
operation generally gifts through
with about 5, ven O'clock, l started
across the bridge, takin' with mo my
little boy Willie, who was at this
time just risin' o. five years. He was
awfully tickled at the idea Of bein'
allowed to go out with me, as his
mother kept him mostly around the
house, havin', like nearly all women,
great fear of the trains. don't
tullh, SIT, Il cNtt SNSi " hhci Hiotuth
the sun well nigh up, but not too
warm, with u white cloud here and
there In the blue sky, the trees and
grass green and fresh, and glistenin'
with the dew, and underneath us the
river fiowin' bright and claar, just M
YOU see Il now, sir. My heart felt
light, and havin' nothin' un my mind
i had just finished payin' for my
house the week bcfore-I began to
think ON comparin' my troubles with
my blessin's that after all II would
he hard to find better place than
this same abused world we live In.
"The time table, was little differ
ent then from what 1t Is now. The
freight train came down nj 7:30 A.
NJ, switched of, and waited Tor the
express to go by, which followed In
fifteen minutes later. I reached the
switch about ten minutes ahead of
time--I always do-and sittin' down
on the tie, filled fresh pipe and
smoked away, while little Willie
gathered pebbles, and throwin' 'em
In the water, laughed and shouted at
the splashes they made.
"Finally CROWN holder he ven
tured Ia the rivers edge, and pluck
in one Of the lilies that grew there
In abundance, he came In great glee
and laid IL Mt my feet. ! put the
flower carefully in my pocket so ms