New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-31

Nv uu0 IuOtlOu VI HIS iIpS-A CJuluu lea
for the noise of the cars-that he was say
ing, "You and me Is parde, isn't we!'
As l was tellin', Sundays laid of; n il
the mornin', after breakfast. Mary wOuli
fiji up basket with some bread n butter
IN meat n things, and we three would 60 of
up into the mountains and stay all day
We used to do this mostly every Sunday
aud so Charley got to calm it his pard'l
day. You see, he got notion it was thu
best day in the week cas- l was alters home
with i'm. l didn't never go to church
much-it was q long ways; and then
thought Charley would get as much re
ligion by going around in the woods and
among the mountains, where the trees anC
leaves were 60 beautiful, and the rocks st
grand, as any other way. If they don't tel
us that the Creator who made 'em all il
powerful and good too there amt NJ
preacher can do it.
You went up to the top of Pixies Peak the
other day. I've been there too. and Id like tt
know if . chap can 60 up there, among those
awful precipices and gorges, and lot K over
the country for q hundred miles, and
zee the mountains around, and the plains
way off in front, that don't seem to have
no end, and then look at bisself and say
whether he does really amount to row Of
pins. You see / never was any Christian
and never give Charley any SIGH trainin'
and sometimes l think mebbe didn't do
quite right by him. But, Lord love you,
stranger, when he went among the angels
I'm Jest certain there wasn't none of 'em
had any cleaner eoul AN what he had.
There was place, about three-quarters
of q mile from 0ur house, where we used to
60 good deal Sundays, and Mary would
read the Bible to us and sing. She was a
good singer, Mary was. We used to call
the place "Devil's Run" 1t was q sort of
creek, but didn't have no water in il, 'cept
after hard rain. 1t came down between
two high mountains, where it was steep as
could be. Wen storm came up I've known
it in half an hour to have six feet of water
in it, An then it would bring down big
logs, trunks of trees, And great stones, roar
ing that way you could hear it for miles.
It got it's name because it was such an in
fernal place. Often I've been woke up at
night by q heavy shower, and I'd hear
DEVILS kun bowling as though il would
tear every thing to pieces. There couldn't
be no worse place fixed for the road. if
they had hunted the whole country
than right there. There was
curve, and on the outside of it was q
straight up and down precipice for hun
dreds of feet, SO that If train went off it
would be smashed into kindlin' wood and
meath the track, near the point of the
curve, through barrel culvert, and once
there came q hard storm, n the trees n
stones, and so on, choked up the cuivert
which wasn't large enough, n the water
damned up and rose, till by n by the whole
embankmeDt gave way, and twenty feet of
the road went Ri ping down the mountain.
They found out the break before any acct
dent happened, and the culvert was re-
built, good deal larger than before. But
that place the whole road was afeard of.
As / was tellin', if it hadn't been SIGH
wicked place Devils Run was the prettiest
one on the whole mountain. The bed of
the stream was deep down, n full of ferns
and grasses that Mary was alters gstherin',
md We could se there in the hottest day n
The cum could never fad his way through
The trees overhead.
Az was tellin', Charley was born to be
IN engineer. BY the time he had got to be
,ix years old he knew the name OF nigh all
he parts of q machine. He'd learnt all the
.ignals that WAS used ON tho road. He
<new that Q red flag or red light meant
ianger; that q lantern, at night. swung
'ack wards and forwards, slowly, across the
rack would bring train up, all standin'.
All that sort o. thing he'd jest picked up
,lrs-lf. He knew the sound Of every whistle
nd bell on the road, n could tell what en-
zine they belonged to, and believe he
Knew the tread of No. % whenever she
vent by, night or day. No %, that was
ny engine, l run her about three years, an
here wasn't nothin' in Gods world l
nuldn't git out of her when she was in
.o"d humor. We sort O. understood one
mother. and she hardly ever went back on
No. Once in while she did. and then she
vas perfect cuss.
~ ba hot mint
n years old few days before Christmas.
At'er Charley got year or two old alters
nsGe much Of Christmas. Mostly con-
rived to lay off that day SO as to be home |
nth my little pard. Some of the boys was |
lers ready n willin' to take my run that |
ay-tht IN as didn'5 hev no wives or chill
rem. They'd come aud cay, Now, Latham,
mere & your little perd, he'll be wantin' OF |
GU to morrow, which is Christmas. So I'll |
1T take your run down. An this ere |
asket," why, the boys, you know, they |
e.. I'VE amt got no chick nor child, and |
ell send this along TO Latham's little |
harley"
The first time they did that was took |
ack that way stood and gaped, q lOokin' /
round like u natural, and couldn't say a
ord. And the things they used to send |
harley was astOnishn'-tOys and 80 on. |
Ihy. one Christmas they sent i'm q real
liver mug. Oh! stranger, them days was
lch tunes as I've never ned since. There
asn't no other children around for Char
v to play With, but me n his mother WAS
1 he seemed 10 care for, n we'd carry on
gotber all dav just as if none of us was
ore n seven years old.
Charley had little room by hisself,
b re he slept, which had window that
oked down The track. l gave him rail
al lantern, which ne trimmed and filed
ssoif after showed him how, n wen 1t
Az my night down he'd light his lantern
put it in the window Mt the head of his
u Icould see it a long way before got
the house n You don't know, stranger,
nat comfort it was wen l was comm
MN to zee that light and know that my
le boy was lynn there fast asleep and
-amin' that the rear of the train was the
,tsteps of his ola pard Il lying ut forty mile
bour.
1t was my run down Thanksgiving eve.
sss gOin' to stop OFT in the mOrnin', and
i Walker was 70 take my train gcin'
ck We started from Altoona late in the
Mug and good deal behind. L. had
n a bad day. Yhe weather had been |
ro for some time "ack. and it began % |
III The morniu', ard he'd raineG all day,
night tn WIND chopped round 20 the
rIh u; it began 10 turn cold, 80 that Ven |
arted it was rsiHiu' and sleetin' with
ou look for d heavy storm. A darker
IT | never saw, % Wen the conductor
ivd he bel j SEES 90 IN, fireman, "Cr Zg, {
. IL guiu' 80 be an Ugly run" NV fire !
va was Will, bainm--cai nm sOct Vi
V, and 50 ttey had nick nAmrd i'm
: ~ Jake" b c hes soon dropped tie
"a. u LET, him Crszy. aud tue ;. The name
alters went by. 80 he ses to me, "BJss!