Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1873-07-12
THE wARING AT THE BRIDGE.

In the year 1861 was Superintendent
of the Herwich and Rocky River rail
road.
1t was line which did good run of
business, connecting as it did a great
city with a flourishing back country,
and we ran pretty good number of
trains over the rails i'll the couse of TWEEN
ty-four hours.
The daily trians were run every hour
but after nine in the evening there was
only one train, until the steamboat ac-
commodation at half past three in the
morning.
The intervening train was the Belport
mail. 1t was made up at Belport, and
ran as far as Clinton express all the way.
Belport was the large city of which
have spoken, and it was there that my
office was located, for the business of
the road was all settled and arranged at
the end of the line.
Of course | give fictitious names. and
the reader need not expect to find Bel.
port on railway map.
The 1890 train, or the midnight
mail as it was frequently designated
was run by Earl Rogers young man
of seven or eight and twenty, who had
been employed OH the road for several
years.
He was the best engine driver of the
corporation, and for that reason he had
been selected for the train, it being ex
pedient to place men of the best iudg
ment on the train, because there was a
better lookout required by night.
Earl, taken all i'll all, was one of the
finest fellows / ever saw.
Frank, handsome, generous to faul
and well educated.
He had fallen into the avocation of al
engineer more from his love of excite
ment and danger than anything else
perhaps: perilous business to be done
Earl Rogers was our man.
For some time he had been desperate
ly in love with Laura Demain, tn,
daughter of rich old fellow, Just oil
the other side of the Rocky river, hal
dozen miles beyond Belport.
This love was fully returned, for Lau
ry was noble hearted girl, and did no
care for wealth or ambition when weigh
ed in the balance of love; but old De
main and she were two, and there wa
no probability of his ever giving hi
consent.
He had set his heart on her marrying
Prince Carlton, young blood of the vi
cinity, reputed wealthy and one of al
old family.
Demain's opposition naturally mad
the lovers more dete rmined and, the
only waited for an increase of Earl's sal
airy to be married in spite of papa Dc
main. Earl, was faithful fellow, an
| was doing my best to get an adyanc
for him with every probability of sue
cess.
Somehow took strong interest i
Earl's love affairs.
l am an old codger and love matter
are rather out ofmy line my forte bein
the calculation of accounts, for the reg,
lation of freight rates and the manag
ment of business so as to secure the fla
est dividends to stockholder.
Perhaps my interest to Earl's love t
Laura might be because most cordial
detest Prince Carleton.
n He was always "blowing" our roa,
? finding fault with the rate of spec,
with the grade, with the carriages, wit
). the ventilation with everything in sho
!, for nothing suited him.
Then upon one occasion he and / ha
. a few words, neither very pleasant nc
very choice, and he had called me q
a old scoundrel, and had returned Il
compliment with interest. After thi
we were worse friends than ever.
One dark rainy night in Novembe
: just after the 8 O'clock train had bee
got off, and l was sitting in my Off
trying to balance an account that won
not balance, the door opened and Ea
Rogers walked in. He had on his wat
proof suit, the hood over his head al
collar buttoned closely, but l saw th
his face was very pale and his ey
CLEANED with an unnatural fire.
"What in the world has happene
!. Rogers?" said /. "You look as gium
if you were going to your own fun,
al" .a =, .r.os ,-s- -
"Mr. Woodbury." said he, earnestl
;. edo you believe in presentiments?''
"No,', said, 81 certainly do not,