The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-05-31
e Switch-T Tenders Story.

Fhe Switch-T Tenders Story
1t ran thus: dts nigh unto eleven
ears, sir, since came on this road
for the frs: three years | was brakes
han, and if l had stuck to it | might
ave become conductor in this time
Tho knows. My character was good and
Dve always been steady man, but you
lee it WASH to be. Ny old woman al
Fays objected to me running on the
rain, it kept me SO much away from
home, not to speak of the danger, and
1t the end of the third year, when our
little boy was born, she begged so hard
10 give it up tha; consented, aud the
company put me in this place where
I've been ever since. It's not hard, I've
pnly got to tend one switch aud do odd
obs abou; the depot, the pay is jast the
same as what l got before, only there's
no chance for promotion but then I'm
always at home, which makes it up. |
dive only a little ways across the bridge,
lin the outskirts IF the town, yonder, on
the other side Of the rivera small
white house with an elm tree in the
yard-you can see it from the other cnd
of the switch.
$50 you think the river is very beau
8tiful a: this season of the year? Well,
tsir, / dare say it is. | thought so once
myself; but don't take my pleasure
in looking at it now, nor have done
SO for many day. It's green banks and
4 its clear water, with the sunshine spark
4 ling on it, only makes it seem the
crueler to ME, as if it laughed over the
misery it he'd caused TO human beings !;
but my opinions havn't got anything 10
do with what you come tc ask me about,
so III try and get to the poiut at once
at will be three years come Monday,
the 18th Of next mouth, which is May.
that after ca,in' my breakfast aud
smokiu' my pipe, wlich latter operation
! generally gifts through with abSut
seven clock, | started across the bridge,
takin' with NE my little boy Willie, who
was at this time just risin' olive years.
He was awfully tlckled at the idea Of
bein' allowed to so out with ne, as ais
mother kept him mostly around the
house, hayin', like nearly all women,
great fear Of the trains. don't think,
sir, ! ever seen finer mornin'-the
sun we'll nigh up bu: not too warm,
with white cloud here and there in the
blue sky, the trees aud grass green and
fresh, and gisteniu' with the dew, and
underneath us the river Howin' bright
and clear, just as you see it now, slr.
My heart felt light, and haviu' nothin'
on my mind had just finished. .payin'
for my house the week before-I began
to think on comparin' my troubles with
my blessins' that after all it would be
hard to fnd better place than this
same much abused world We live in.
"The timetable was little different
then from what it is now. The freight
train came down at 7:30 a. m, switched
of, and waited for the express to 20 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 gather.
cd pebbles, and thrsTug 'em in the wa,
ter, laughed and shNted at the splash
es they made.
"Finally CROWN bolder he ventured
to the rivers edge, aud pluckin' one Of
the lilies that grew there in abundance,
he came in great glee aud laid it at my
feet. put the flower carefully in my
pocket so as not to bluise it, intending
to show it to his mother. He lisped GU,
that pretty blue ones grew further down
and begged to 90 and get one of them
butt il was almost time for the train
/ rel lased my permission, and taking him
some ten or fifteen yards from the track
sat him down at the foot of a tree-the
maple yonder-and Dade him remair
there till | called.
"The time for the train came anG
passed, and still no signs Eft. grew
nervous and did not notice my boy
Minute after minute passed away, anc
at last when I began to be certain tina
. some accident had occurred it hove il
sight just Eve minutes before the ex.
press was due, which l knew could no
be more than two miles behind. saw
at once the cause ofthe delay the trair
was Luususly long aud heavy, and th'
engine number forty-tvo. which. th'
fremen had christened "Old Ricketty,'
was the worst on the road. The switch
was all ready, but the, train moved 81
slowly that the last car had hardly
left the main track, when I heard th'
vhistlejof 4hei' express, and she mex
moment she rounded the bend at ful
speed. 4 Knew t9stI didn't have an,
too much time to get tha switch in DO