Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-04-08
What an Engineer Told.

lam an engineer. Ever since the
G. road was laid I've travelled over
it every day, or nearly every day
of my life.
For a good while I've had the
same engine III charge-the San
Francisco-the prettiest engine,
and as well managed, if l say it, as
the best.
1t was a southwestern road, run
ming we will say, from A. to u. At
a. my good old mother lived; at Il.
had the sweetest little wife under
the sun, and baby; and | always
had q dollar or two put by for a
rainy day. l was an odd kind of n
man. Being shut up with the en-
gine, watching with all your eyes
and heart and soul, inside and out,
don't make a man talkative.
My wGe's namo was Josephine,
and for short / called her joe
Some people called me unsociable,
and could not understand how a
man could feel friendly without say
ing ten words an hour. So, though
| had old fi'iends-dcar ones, too
| did not have so many acquaint-
ances as most people, and did not
care to have. The house which
held my wife and baby was the
dearest place on earth to me, except
the old house which held my moth
er, up in A.
| never belonged to club, or
mixed myself up with strangers in
any such way, and never should If
it had not boon for CRANKY. You
see CRANKY was one of the share
holders, aid handsome, snowy
fellow. | liked to talk with him,
and we were friends. He often
rode from u. to A. and back again,
and once he said:
"You ought to belong to the sci
entific club, Gueldon."
"Never heard of it," said /.
81 am member" said he. "We
meet once a fortnight, and have a
Jolly good time. We want men
like you. We have some among Us
now. I'll propose You if you like"
l was fond Of such things and |
had ideas that / faHcied might be
worth something. But then an en-
gineer don't have night and day to
himself, and the club would have
one evening in a fortnight from
Joe, | said.
"I'll ask her. If she likes it, yes"
"Ask whom p said he.
"Joe," said L.
"If every man had asked his wife,
every mans wife would have said
cant spare you, my DEAR and we
should have no club at ALL" said
CRANKY.
But j made no answer. AT home
l asked Joe. She said:
81 shall miss you, Ned; but you
love such things, and then, if Gran
by belongs to it they must be supe-
rior men,"
"No doubt" said /.
at isn't everybody who could be
made a member" said Joe. "Why,
of course you must say yes"
SO said yes, and CRANKY pro-
posed me. Thursday fortnight l
went with him to the rooms. There
were some with brain and some
without. The real business of the
evening was the supper, and so it
was every evening.
I'd always been temperance
man. actually did not know
what effect wine would have upon
me; but coming to drink more of
il than / ever had at the club table,
/ found it put the steam on. After
so many glasses | wanted to talk;
after so many more l did.
/ seemed like somebody else, the
words were so ready. My little
ideas came out and were listened
to; / made sharp hits; | INDUCED
in repartee / told stories; l even
came to puns; l heard some one
say to CRANKY:
"By George that's man worth
knowing. l thought him dull at
first"
Yet / knew il was better to be
Ned Gueldop, with his ten words
an hour than the wine made wit
was.
| was sure of it when three hours /
after, ] stumbled up stairs to find
Joe waiting for me with her babe