The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-10-02

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extremely wet season There had been q
succession of long, heavy rains Every
stream was swollen bank full Vet the
rain continued to pour. 1t was so wet
farmer Brady could not work on his farm.
lie harnessed his horse into his carriage
He drove to l.. twenty miles up the river
his only business being to talk with the
President of the railroad company about
the killing of his boy
He found the President and talked with
him No reasoning could make him be
lieye that his child had not been witully
murdered. 70 test and decide the point
he made y proposition to the railroad
company They should place another en-
ginecr on the freight train. There was TO
be the same number of loaded ears. They
should be run Mt the same speed. When
this train should reach the spot from which
Donald McSheclcy discovered the child on
the track every effort should be made IL
stop the train a quickly as possible. If
it proved impossible to spot the train be-
fore reaching the place where Robert was
killed, then the farmer would be satisfied
that no mur,l,r was intended. II. on the
contrary. the t:ain could be stopped inside
these bounds then he would hold Donald
McShcele> guilty of the murder Of his boy
1t was Il strange proposition. There
was some shadow of plausibility IN it, The
President OF the road believed in Donald
McShcclry. He believed he had done his
utmost to stop the train. He had no doubt
but this test train would prove his in
nocencc and set the farmers and the pub
lie mind at rest So he consented to have
the trial made rs soon as possible
Ii the tact OF the farmers proposition
was strange, the fact Of the Presidents
taking amy such notice ni it was vastly
more so. 1t can be accounted for only by
the supposition that il was destined to be
so. Even when score, OF persons are
killed by reckles~ncsS of railroad officials,
Presidents take little pains to enquire into
the matter They are usually blind and
deaf to the demands of the public In this
case il was not So Satisfied with the M
rangcment, farmer Brady started home
ward The day and night previous it had
raincd feartullv The streams in all di-
rectiors, were bank full and still rising.
Farmer Brady pursued his way until he
was within mile Of home Here an ap-
palIing SIGHT burst upon him For u dis
| tance Of twenty rods every vista@c OF the
railroad track was gone The river had
broken over and swept ii away. Where
trains had passed and rcpa~Scd not AL
hour before now rolled and boiled the
whole current of the broad deep river
Farmer Brady comprehended the oittlt-
ton He pulled out his watch. One glance
was sufficient In ten minutes the New
York and Boston express would he due
One instants hesitation was worth hun
dreds Of lives He did not hesitate. lie
| sprung from the wagon. No one can tell
how he GOT round the break tln4ing Ia
that lrighttuly steep bank BY the time
it was accomplished, he hear, the whistle
of the train close at hand He lcaped upon
the track, and, swinging hia hat and
shouting like a nadmail. rushed down the
road to meet the doomed train sweeping
round the curve into eternity, " WhiIc
Farmer Brady was going to -er the i'roSi-
dent. Donald Mp>hecley WAS taking his
freight train on it, was to the city. But
he was intercepted ly Il telegram from
the superintendent, directing him to sur
| render his train to another engineer. Then
he was to take and run the next passenger
train back to l.. This nrNt passenger
train was the New York and Boston rv-
press. which h. was ID meet III the next
station, lie was aslonishcd at the strange
order. but he obeyel il. Iir got aboard
the express and TOOK His place at the en-
CINE.
1t was q long train: ~eNeH cars were
crowded with Passengers. Many OF them
We're on their way to the mountains. 50
Donald McSherley, instead of running his
freight train to the city. suddenly found
himself running the passenger express
back to l.. This was the result OF farmer
Brady talk With the President. And here
it seemed that destiny itself ordered ii that
Donald McSheecy should run that train
to l..
We can not tell what Donald Nlc>heelty's
thoughts We're ;ls the train sped ON it, way.
No one can tell what his thoughts were as
the train swept through farmer BIldy'S
meadow, where little Robert met his
doom. l;ut his hand was on The irvrr,
his eye was ON the track, AS the train
rounded ont OF sight Of the house. Half
Il minute later his eve caught sight Of 4
man rushing round the curve, swinging
his hat and hands irantlcally in the air
The faculties of the trained engineer
are ever on the alert Ills trained per
ception> are Keen and quick as lightning.
lie read in that mans frantic manner the
presence Of an awful emergency. He
knew the train, with lis hundreds Of lives,
was rushing on to IFS doom. Qulck a.
thought the steam whistle Shricled out the
sional of dancer Every brea}mon snrono
10 his most Tbn steam was reversed IN
the train svrut o, past the frantic man
who had only time to escape with his life.
1t swept on, on. on. and at last stopped
not three feet from the edoe of that awful
cbosm where the mad waters boiled
and SurynI ~ thni, nn,nnua.ed fu,,-
Donald Hcsbonlnv stenprd calmly down
from thc pnriun and went to th,. rdon of
tho ch,Sn and lnoEcd over inio thn tiood
A moment after farmer Brady. hatles. and
n,utinu ,,mn md stood hv his side and
11ool,ol oN Thnn thcv tu,;ed ,nd looknI
into zach otbrr,s owes hnt neither of them
snola Unw roulI ,ho\ at such an aw,nI
npro,na,t ,.h;ln bnnIrn1. Of ,nnollal M
,n nnnnnr. crnwdnI fnr,yard in tsnrecblnss
,n,97'Iar ~ eo, ,,,h,t Gnd.s ,,n,c, thrnnoh
| frn,a,. E,,1, .nI Donald McShnnlnT,s
tr'.r rt''. .;Ii nd l',a,I hanls La1 savo1
thot, tron, Al, 1;I ,hnsn TWIN hnrnns
nnInrstanI ''r1ll' o,nl ntho, n,an5 GoJ on1,