The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-12-17
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THE ENGINEERS STORY.
BY ANNIE RoBERTLoN NoXoN.

"Would l like to go forward and ride
on the locomotiveW
This was the question propounded just
at dusk, as we were flashing past quaint
farm houses, nesting in perfect bowers
of hollyhocks, dahlias and flaming cox
combs, dark bits of woodland, frowning
hills and black, swift streams, with foggy
winding sheets, spreading from shore to
shore. On, on, with monotonous roar
and clack; startling the browsing herd
cropping dewy grass on a homeward
path, staring with innocent eyes at the
mysterious thing, with its moving flame,
its shower of short-lived sparks, and the
long train of fiimsy smoke left behind
against the night sky.
Sleepy little children pressed their
shaggy heads between primitive curtains
of fringed dimity and gazed at us as we
flew by, and all the little speckled pig
gies turned over in their comfortable
beds of pure country mire, and grunted
with the satisfaction that comes ter
good supper to happy little piggy STith
no troublesome conscience.
To ride on the engine would be to ex-
perience a decidedly new sensation, and,
of course we should like it, and consider
it an inestimable privilege besides; which
it was, since very few passengers are al
lowed to go forward-especially ladies,
who take up more room generally than
they ought, and always get scared when
the stoker pulls at little thing close by,
and lets out such shrek as to curdle
ones blood. In our instance this stoker
was brawuy-fsted young fellow, with
an astounding width of chest, swathed
in a fanciful checked shirt, a pair o!
baggy trowsers tucked into his red
boots, while the close-fitting fustian cap
"a part of all railroad mems uniform
drawn tightly over his closely cropped
hair, gave look of shrewdness to the
gray eyes overhung by dusty eyebrows.
1t was out OF the question not to rev
erence this hearty young fellow, even
| if there was but a small modicum of ad
miration mixed with the reverence.
He wore such whitening sneer on his
bristling upper lip, when he insinIated
in the gentlest of voices that we should
be in his way thsre.
The engine had begun to wheeze from
the stopping place for supper and cry
out Justify for water, and then it was we
scrambled up the black side, over the
cinders and slippery rails, perching in
Jay bird fashion on the cushion to the
left of the engineer.
Here was a quiet, gentlemanly man.
with all our lives in the hollow of his
horny hand He frowned as he realized
his responsibility, and swore like real
numbering Spanish sea pirate-''D-m
| that throttle"
Another terrific pull and jerk, and the
numbering creature had obeyed orders.
excuse me, marin, | did not notice
you there "a my eyes are blinded by this
regulator. This thing don't work right
more'n half tue time. Oh, don't make
yourself uncomfortable in the least; you
won't be in the way, it you'll only keep
| your skirts clear of the fireman. and
hold tight to the window-ledge when We
start. I've got to put the old lady down
to her work now. We are two hours
late, and l intend to make up thirty
minutes between this and DredgeviIIe.
It's ugly running, too-right through
the mines-black, gaping holes"
The fireman doomed up in the dark
ness. Somebody away back in the pitch
dark waved light like the fitful wings
of FREELY; the bell answered vigorous
swing at the rope, and we moved away
into the uncertain beyond. The quiet
engineer resumed his pla e, his hand on
the stubborn throttle, his anxious eyes
peeriDg steadfastly down the cleaning
track, illuminated inch by inch by the
glaring headlight. The stoker threw
open the furnace doors with a clarg,
and with a great exertion of knOtted
cords and muscles in his brown arms,
began to feed the hungry demon roaring
and crackliug inside.
! Now, indeed, for the first time during