St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-02-17
CHiHchy Jivt RunEic.
a LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEERS STORY.

LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER STORY.
Looking Lack down the dim railway
of years, my own life and the countless
lives with which it has come in contact.
seem like Il big yard crossed and cris-
rosseI i'll every direction with switch
tracks and turn-ouis, 50 mixed up and
entangIcd, that no one but the Master
could trace them out, and see that not
one was laid amiss.
Railroad operatives make more ac-
qualntances than almost any other sort
OF men; every one knows them, at eve
ry station all along their line Of road.-
There are scores OF people whom have
met daily for months OF years, as the
case might be, whose faces were familiar
TO me, but whom | never spoke to or on
ly recognized by Il nod, and whose names
had no curiosity to enquire about. And
there are us many others whom never
saw but once or only a few times, whom
shall never iurgct,-Jim RmkIe was
one Of these last. The first time | ever
saw him, he came aboard my engine one
clustering night in mid-winter, while we
were waiting ut kokemo for the mid
ni.ht express. 1t did rot take long for
each of Us to find out that the other be-
longcd TO the brotherhood OF locomotive
engineers, and once assured that | was
all right, hc went in without any pre-
hmInaIlcs or excuses, i'll 4 way that
liked, to tell me his story lie hailed
from New England, had been up and
down through the western country as
thousands OF sangLlnc Yankee bows hpvc
done before and since, hunting a Job
But business was dull and he bad not
been successtul-eXccpt in having his
pocket picked at Chicago,-and out of
money and out OF work, among entire
strangers, homesick, and nearer discour-
aged than like TO see naturally stout
hearted young clap, he came to the di-
vision for such assistance rs we mirht be
able to give brother in distress. lear
rItd HIM down 10 Sumapolis. took him
to the division room, and introduced him
to the boys. lie showed his credentials.
and we, of course, did all we could for
him. We liked him first rate, he seemed
right smart, capable, lively, good hear
ted boy, and after getting him checred
up, rs there was no vacancy on our road,
we sent him TO the {. l.. and G.. folks.
who we heard wanted an engineer
received letter Il few days after, saving
the job was taken half an hour before he
got there, but they had set him to work
IN the round house, Il very lucra-
tive situation, but amy port in storm.
L sincerely thank you for the bruthcrly
kindness bestowed on me while in your
charge, at SumapoliS. Give my regards
TO the brothers who also extended a help
me hand. | assure you it will long be
remembered 10y me, IT'S one of the green
spots III the great desert of life
y good letter, which | answered i'm
medlately but leaving the road Just then,
and going home to Vermont for a few
months, | lost sight of him, and when
again went W est, after considerable look
Ing about, | struck my tent in Minnesota.
| often thought of Runkle, but never
heard thing from him for Il year or
more, when one morning the superinten-
dent, old man Lincoln as we called him.
came along where my engine was waiting
to go out and said, Il hired Il new man
last night, lie came from the Wabash
with letters from Dr.. Baker. I'm going
10 send him up the hill with Henry to
learn the road come over and see how
you like the looks of him.
We crossed the yard, and found my
self face 10 face with Jim Runkle, "a little
thinner and carrying in his face the un-
mlstakablc signs of the fever and chills,
but | knew him at once. He was as
tlchlcl as boy TO see me, and rs he
shook hands, sail -
I'm glad now ti.at l stayed, l hated
TO come, and Eve been 50 homeslck all
night | couldn't sleep, and I've been blue
all the morning, but now Eve found you,
I'm all right
'llow has the wO:l! used you 2
'Oil, not very well, l believe am on
ly heap OF bad luck any way | got
job running and sent Tor Mary-my wife,
you know-but the climate didn't agree
with us, and we have both been down
with the aguc. am afraid Mary Is con-
sumpiivc, the doctors told me must
bring her up here; I'm to have one ol
the company's houses there ut the foot OF
the bluff, and we shall 90 to house-kcep-
in. in fine stylc-if only Mary is not
home sick, and guess she won't be-
she's Il brave little thing She'll he glad
to know you, Eve told her 50 much about
you
l was glad they were coming and told
him 50; 1t would bc pleasant 10 have
genuine New England home, where
could call for western folks, although
good in their way, don't keep house ex-
actly after the Yankee pattern. The few
minutes that followed are indelibly i'm
pressed upon my memory. 1t was asplen-
did morning, 50 bright AMI clear that |,
who am always influenced by the wealth