Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1873-07-31
TRUE HERoIsM.

John Rafferty,. the heroic engineer
on the Chiesso. Rock Island aud Pa
ciac Railroad, who stood at his post,
reversed his engine. aud set the air
brak. when only fiity feet from death.
should b. immortalized. God does
not build all men In the mould OF this
engineer. That se!f-Sacriiclng bravery
aud fearless discharge OF duty which,
In the face Of inevitable death, per-
forms Its work un~ilnchingly. Il rare
among mankind. BY his presence Of
mind aud forgetfuluess Of self a loaded
train of passengers was saved from de-
struction. while their savior lost his
life. He might have escaped by jump
Ing from his engiue when the displaced
rail was first discovered, but the brake
was not set. the engine was not re-
versed. and a train heavily laden with
men, women and children WAS behind
It; If he shrunk from duty, they must
perish. This was enough for John
Rafferty,. He stood at his post. The
crash came, the train was saved, but
the engineer was dead.
W. do not think enough upon these
rare instances Of bravery. We do not
fully realize that exalted spiri: which
places duty before self, even at the
risk of. yea, with tnll knowledge that
certain death will follow. We have
brave men in a 1t requires a de-
gree OF courage. unknown to those
who haze not Ind experience, TO lace a
bayonet charge, to storm Il battery. or
still more to form for an attack In the
gray light Of early morning. But
there Is in this the excitement Of num-
beers, tho emulation which springs
from ambition, and tie prospect OF
hoaorS which shall succeed 4 victory.
There Il also a certain feeling that,
although some are sure to die. we in
dividually shall escape. These feel
ings come to every one when formed
In liue Of battle, aud mitigate the
dread which otherwise would cover a
whole corps with gloom. A gallant
fireman climbs a ladder to n dizzy
height, and cscnes from devouring
flames n woman or q child. The deed
Is heroic. The risk Is great. The act
IA worthy Of all commentator. fet
It Is not certaia death, and a great
surging crowd below cheer him as he
mounts the burning pile. encourage
him with shouts OF appreciation rs he
takes from the upper window II human
being. aud glorify his act when con-
pleted. His companions also recog-
nize his bravery, and accord him we'll
earned praise.
Acts of Individual bravery are Of al
mos, daily occurrence. The worldisiu
Of heroes. yet no heroic deed which his
tory records, surpasses in cool courage
that Of brave John Rafferty,. A nan
on n nyiag engine, plugging lnto the
night. behind him humanity In slum-
Der. before him death In any event.
II duty be done. death 10 himself.
Duty unperformed. death follows to
the sleeping passengers behind him.
Wife aud children, home. loved ones,
life. flush before his eyes; are gone
agliu aud the engineer does his duty,
saves Ill. fr-igi,, OF human souls while
his " life goes out In the effort.
Where do We find III act more truly
heroic? Does history record a Drawer
deed?
We 10 not realize to how great an
extent our lives aud safety depend Oh
the man who, begrimed with dust and
smoke. sits with hand OH the throttle
valve aud controls the fate Of the hu.
msn freight behind him. In Summer
heat and Winter cold. he faces Instant
death. A rail- displaced, a wheel
broken. u rock across the track,
u thousand dangers constantly I'm.
pend. Engineers Of locomotives. as a
class, are brave men. Nearly NIL OF
them are faralists. They love their
business and perform Its duties with
out much honor from those whose
lives they mold In their supreme con-
troll. John Rafferty, was n true hero.
He honored humanity aud proved to
the world for the thousandth time that
true nobility l. not alone found In the
blue blood which courses through the
veins Of kings, but that God scatters his
heroes oyer the world TO star:le by their
daring the life oil our sometimes slug.
gi!h humanity, aud impress Us with
the fact that duty nob!y and faithfully
performed Is the highest evidence Of
true chivalry, the c!earest proof ofthat
nobility OF soul which e!evates a life
aud fits man TO be immortal.