Mower County transcript., 1871-07-06
miscellaneous.
TIE ENGISEER'S STORY.
EY. G. L. CATI.IN.

l;Y G. l.. CATI.IN.
ON bitter cold morning in January, the
passengers on the niyht express, due i'll
b At noon, awoke to look out through
the harrow window panes upon a land
ocApe white with snow, and to hear thu,
wind bowling disumlly loud above the end
less clattcr OF the Carwhcrls beneath
thSm. The snow was still falling fast, and
great clouds of it, caught up upon the gale,
game dashing IN drifts against the train,
enycloping roof, and platform, and window
ledge and anon whisking away again,
leaving them as bare rs newly.swept
floor. Now and then u sensible retarding
of motion would tell Enthusiastically that
the great engine, far up forward, had en-
countered some snowy barrier, difficult to
penetrate yet through and on, and away
again, moved the train, in the dim light Of
morning, winding its dusky length through
the field of otherwise unbrul1en white, uu-
til LAY gradually stole upon the travellers,
and disclosed a scene so cold and forbid
ding without, as to only serve to give q
kccncr ztst to the warm, cozy comfort
within
AS the hours wore on the storm, far
from showing any signs of abatement,
seemed, if anything, to increase in VIC.
lence. Eight o'clock had arrived, and the
station where the train usually stopped at
that hour for passengers to breakfast, was
yet matt, Of twenty miles or so distant
The snow drifts ahead grew more and more
1ormid'blr, taking all the strength Of the
engine to batter them down before it.
Passengers began to grow uneasy, pulled
out their watches, pccred anxiously ont of
tn" windows, consulted their time tables,
tried to take note of familiar landmarks by
the wayside, and assailed the conductor,
whenever he passed, with all sorts of ir-
relevant inquiries, when suddenly the
train slackcncd its speed-ag in moved on
little-slackcned more-again tried to
move. and thu n stopped stock still, with a
jar and u rebound which had well-ligh
sent some unwary ones off their feet
Instantly there was a rush for the for
ward car, in the hope of asccrtaining the
cause Of this unloo6ed-for stoppagc One
or two imprudcnt ones undertook to
alight, but on finding themselves waist
deep, We're only too glad once more to re.
gain the solid footing of the platform.
Meanwhile, the word ran down from
mouth to mouth, from car to car,
"Snowed in" Every moment the sit,,a.
ton was growing worse, and the posi-
blllty OF cxtricating the train grew more
remote with each keen blast that cume
pllng few more inches Of tleecy wall
around us. Front and rear and on the
side, the barrier each instant grew higher
Spasmolic efforts-now forward, now
backward, but each succeeding one more
feeble than its prcdecessor-all proved
1rultless, and at length the great monster,
weary and exhausted, ceased its fierce,
fiery breathing, and the train lay still,
hall: buried III the snow.
Meanwhile, upon imprOmtu seats, boxes
hlrrn ~ had
gathered about the glowing stove in the
express car forward, and were making
themselves vastly comfortable under the
circumstances.
"Pve been thinking" said the express
messenger, that our friend Jim r.,
during his twelve years of running an
engine on this road, must have run up
against many worse adventure than this,
my tri"ns. So propose we call on him
TOR story, from his own experience.
That ) good idva,' answered several
voices.
Come, Jim, old fellow" said the con-
dnctor, give us the story of that day
when you came so near going head first
over the p Bridge, train and all.
never did hear the whole truth of that
matter"
The engineer looked into the fire
thouShtfully tor moment, and shadow
stole over his pleasant face, as he an
swcred:
Well, boys, it's ten years ago since that
little affair happened, but it never comes
back to mind without making me shudder
at the recollection Of it. l was running
No. 7, between IL and b, at that
time; the road was in prime condition, my
engine had just had thorough overhaul
ing, and altogether the duties We're pleas
ant and easy enough as one of our trade
duties 60
well, on Sunday morning, had back
ed down from the engine. house to the sta
tlon at Il, coupled On to my train, and
was waiting for the passengt rs to finish
their breakfast, and get aboard again for a
start One by one they came hurrying
out, and l stood on the platform by the
tender, playing with the children, whom
my wife had brought down to the depot,
as was her custom every Sunday morning,
to see me off I was living in IL at
the time, for that way | had chance to
pass my evenings at home, you see. was
Just giving my youngstcr parting hug,
ana wondering why the fireman STAYED SO
long Mt his hrcaklls lst, when all Of a sudden
L saw a man, a stranger to me, jnmp
ST. althlly but quickly upon the engine, and
pull the throttle. The wheels creaked, the
jumped hurriedly ON board Quick as
as thought placed the child in it's moth
crss arms, and in another instant was face
to face with the intruder
~ single look sufficed to tell me that
he meant mischief A man of herculcan
stature, bare h.ad"d aud ecantily attir,d,
with eyes slaring like Goals of fire. with
long hair flling down upon his shoulders.
with sl.evcs rolled up above his elbows.
d1splaylng braWny, muscular arms, and
with wild, exct d laugh upon his coun-
tthancc' was before me, pulling thu h.ll-
rop' violently, and taking apparently but
than have been telling it, l had closed
with him.
"N hat arc you doing? Areyo crazyy"
cried.
"He looked at me for minute, with
that same devilish lecr in his eye, and
pushing me back as if were feather
said, abstractedly:
80" Don't annoy me now, beg of YOU
I'm busy
81 summoned all my strength and rush
GU upon hun again, for by this time the
tra'l was well ia motion, and the rate of
S!'.t'1 was 'nomcntarily increasing.
IL" let go Of the bell rope, and as
se'Heo him ny the arms, grasped mine in
va ~ '|'N' h'''i't3 HlN III IL Vlcu- like rrji,
looked me full in the facr e''p'
Didn't tell you, said he, in harshcr
voice tl"n before, that [ didn't wish to
be annoyed
Il glanced into his face closely as he
spoke. and then, for the first time, the
horrible truth broke in upon mc-the nun
Das nand!
9 felt shudder run through my veins,
and great drops of cold sweat stood out
uponmy face, as in single moment re.
allied the dreadful danger before me. I
thought of my little children, whose kisses
were yet warm upon my face, and of that
long train behind us, full Of passengers so
little suspccting their peril. All the sto.
rles | had ever heard or read of crazy
people and their freaks, flashed through
my mind in that instant, as I felt myself
pushed backward to destruction.
But no; quietly seating me upon the
bench, on the other side, he loOsrncd his
hold and returned to hi' post, saying, in
the same distracted voice az at first:
There, now! | don't want to be both
ercdP
90" "RYthis time we were dashinp along at