Smyrna times., 1871-06-28
MiSceIIU n e o II s.
The Switch-Tender's Story.

three years was brakesman, and if | had $
stuck to it might have become a conductor
by this time-who knows My character was
good and We always been steady man, but
you see it WASH to be. My old woman al
ways objected to me running on the tran-it
kept me SO much away from home, not to
speak OF the danger and at the end Of the
third year, when our little boy was born, she
legged so hard Tor NE TO give it up that | con- |
sented, and the company put me in this place,
where We been ever since. 1t is not hard
I've only got to tend one switch and do odd
| jobsabout the depot. The pay is just the same
rs got before, only there ; no chance for
promotion; but then Im always at home,
which makes it up. | live only little way
| across the bridge. in the outskirts Of the town,
yOnder, on the other side OF the rivera small !
white hOu.e with an elm tree III the yard. |
You eau see 1t from the other end Of the |
switch
So you think the river is very beautiful at
this time OF year? Well, sir, | dare say it Is |
| thought SO once myself; but don take any
pleasure Iii looking at it now, nor have | done
so or many day. Its green banks and its
clear water with the sunshine sparkling on it,
only makes 1t seem the crueler to me, as if it
laughed over the misery it has caused to hu-
man beings; but my opinions haven got any
thing to do with what you come to ask me
about SO I'll try and get to the point at once.
1t VIII be three years come Monday, the
thirteenth OF next month, which is May and
alter eatln my breakfast and snokin my pipe
winch latter operation | generally gifts
through with about seven o'cl0ck-I started
across the b:idge, taking with me my little boy
Willie, who was at this time Just risin' o five
years. He was awfully ticked at the idea Of
bcin' allowed to 90 out with me- as his mother
kept him mostly around the house, havin' ike
nearly all women, great fear of the trains. l
don't think, sir, | ever seen a finer mOrnin'-
]. the sun well nigh up, but not too warm, with
a white cloud here and there in the blue sky,
the trees and grass green and fresh, and glis-
TENN with the dew, and underneath us the
river flown bright and clear Just as you see
it now sir. My heart felt light, and havin
. nOthin' on my mind lad Just finished payin'
for my house the week before-I began to
think of comparin' my troubles with my bless
ings, that after all it would be hard to find a
better place than tLis mucn-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. NJ, switched off, and waited
: for the express to go by, which followed in if
teen minutes later. reached the switch
= about ten minutes ahead Of time-I always dc
q and sittin' down on the tic, [ filled a fresl
pipe and smoked away, while Willie gathered
pebbles, and, THROWN EN- in the water
laughedan shouted at the spashes they made
Finally, growing bolder, he ventured t
the rivers edge. and, pluckin one of the lille
e that grew there In abundance, he came in grea
M glee and laid it at my feet | put the howe
carefully in my pocket so as not to bruise it
intending to show it to his mother. He lispet
out that pretty blue ones grew further down
and begged to get one of them, but, as it wa
almost time for the train, [ refused my pei
mission, and taking him some ten or fiftee
M yards from the track, sat him down at the foo
of a tree-yOn maple yOnder-and babe hiL
remain there till | called.
1.-The time for the train came and passed
sh. and still no signs of it. | grew nervous an
did not notice my boy. Minute after minut
passed away, and at last, when | began to
certain that some accident had occurred,
hove III sight just five minutes before the e2
press train was due, which knew could not
more than two miles behind. | saw at ono
I've the cause of the delay the train was UNUSUAL
>" long and heavy and the engine No. II, whc
the ireman had chrstened Old Ricketty
was the worst on the road. The switch W;
all ready, but the train moved so slowly tn;
It, the last car had hardly left the main trac
when [ heard the whistle of the express an
ny the next moment she rounded the bend at fu
speed. L know that | didn't have any t
much time to get the switch in position an
DS went at my work with "a will, when sudden
,.e l heard a child scream, and, turning round,
arf, saw little Willie struggling in the water. f.
and an instant the sight OF my child danger owe
g a powered every other consideration aud spral
for the river; but before [ got halt ii
oo" %' distance, the hoarse whistle Of the approac
j 10 ing train rang in my ear like a trumpet, al
hat the thought OF my duty, and the hundred
With of lives. that would be sacrificed if | DESERT
my post, went through my brain like fa
5. of lightning, while, all the time, there was
vel. feeling about my heart | can't tell in so ma
If words-l only knew it was worse than death
. beSeechlng me to save my boy.
II, 'The whole thing coudn' have lasted mo
H than two seconds, and how the one feeling g
the better of the other | never knew. | ha
no recollection of turning back, but the ne
thing | remember was at the switch, work.
away like mad. | never had such strengt
felt that l could have wrenched up the so
iron rails in my agony, and bent them Ii
Om straw and did not seem to see anythi
about me distinctly-neitherr rails nor ties-t
nm dlmly and vaguely, as if in dream, or at
ou great distance. What did see, as plainly
0N' l do now-although it was behind me-v
the clear and beautiful river, flowing on in
morning sun, and in the midst of it little w
for lie, weakly struggling for help, while the brig
New cruel waves smote him in the face and laug
,Lo;. ed. had no ear for the nearing train, but
paid L heard-or seemed to- for | can't rightly
were his cries to his father for help, gro
ing fainter and fainter; and then the horr
X bubblng sound, as he sunk finally, and
- last breath found its way to the surface
=" AT length the switch was In position, a
u although it's short job at best, and | mi
haye accomplished it at that time with qui
=, ness can never again equal, yet it seen
longer than the longest summer day bu
was done, and | rushed to the river and ga,
eagerly around for some sign that might
me where to plunge in to rescue my child
NDS the sunlight that glistened brightly on the
co tie wavelets that smiled mockingly in my f
. and as they hurried onward. | don't remem
anything further. There was great choak
n put in my throat, huge weight of lead seemed
done done fall on my brain, and all was black. When
PA came to my senses it was three weeks af