The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-05-18
THE SWITCH TENDERS
STORY.

1t ran thus at is nigh unit,
eleven years, sir, since came on thi
read. For the first three years | wa
breassman, and if | lrad stuck to i
| might have become conductor b,
this time-who knows. My charactc
was good, and I've always been
steady man, but you see it wasn't tC
be. My old woman always objecte,
to my running on the train, it kept
me SO much away from home, not t,
speak Of the danger, aud at the enc
Of the third year when our little DO,
was born, she begged 80 had to Civ,
it up that ! consented, aud the co m
pany put me in this place where Pv,
been ever since. It's not hard, ",
only got TO tend one switch aud Dc
odd jobs about the depot, the pay i.
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 a little way
across the bridge in the outskirts o
the town. yondcr on the other side o
the rivera small white house with OF
elm tree in the yard-yoy can sec i
from the other cud OF tho switch.
So you think the river is very
beautiful at this season of the year
Well, sir | dare say it is. / thought
so once myself; but don't take au,
pleasure 10 look ing at it now, nor hav,
done so for many a day. Its green
banks and its clear water, with the
sunshine sparkling on it, only make.
it seem the cruelcr to me, as if i,
laughed over the misery it had caused
to human beings; but my opinions
hav'nt got anything to do with what
you come to ask me about, so Ill try
to get to the point at once.
1T will be three year como Monday
the 10Th ofnext month, which is May
that after eatin' my breakfast and
smokin' my pipe, which latter opera
ton generally gifts through about
seven O'Clock, started across the
bridge, takin' with ME my little boy
Willie, who was at this time just ris
in o five years. lie was awfully
tickleda the idea Of bein' allowed to
80 out with Ae, as his mother kep,
him mostly around tho house, hayin ),
like nearly oil women, great fear OF
the trains. don't think | ever seen
q finer mornin'-.the sun we'll nigh up
but not too warm, with o white cloud
here and there in the blue sky, the
trees and grass green and fresh, and
glistenin' with the dew, and UNDER
meath US the river flowin' bright and
clear, just as you see it now, sir. My
heart felt light, and hagin' nothin' on
my mind-I had just finished payin
my house the week before-I began
to think on comparin' my trouble:
with my blcssius' that after all it
would be hard TO fnd o better place
than this same much abused world we
live in.
/" Tho timo table was little differ
ent then from what it is now. The
freight train came down at 7:30 a. IN.
switched of, aud waited for the ex.
press to go by, which followed iu if
teen minutes later. l reached the
switch about ten minutes ahead of time
II always do-aud sittin' down on
the tie, I filed fresh pipe and smoked
away, while little Willie gathered
pebbles, and throwing them in tho
water, laughed and shouted at the
splashes they made.
Finally CROWN boldcr he ventur-
to the rivers edge, and pluckiu' one
of the lilies that grew their in abun-
dance, he came in great gloo and laid
It at my feet. put the flower care
fully ia my pocket SO as not to bruise
il, intending to show it to his mother.
lie lisped out that pretty blue ones
grew further down, and begged to 90
aud get one of them but as il was
almost time for the train, l refused my
permission, and taking him some tee