The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-06-08
j. $. q. in New York World.

, j. ,. Il. III New orh w WOrld.
| Away TO the south stretched the bleak Penn
SNlNanla wilderness. unlnhabited save by il few
wood-men. the panther, the deer and the bear
The solitude seemed like that of desert, and
the Stralning, ascending locomotive like Il gi-
gantc wbeezy pioneer.
There's Il right-down romance, or tragedy,
or whatever you may call it," said the engineer
''attached to this hill. And | was the least OF a
hero in it. AS there was woman in it, though,
| must tell you that I'm married man.
'All right. Go ahead with the story
cone night about four years ago, and just
about this month"; the engineer continued, II
was coming down this hill with considering
the season. pretty heavy train. At Wilkes
barre over in the yalIey-whieh you'll soon see
"A young lady had got aboard OF my engine.
She wanted Il nght-ride and was put on by
the superintendent. She was perfect lady,
and her mother was in one of the cars, back.
To tell the honest truth Gas have often said to
my wiie), never saw Il more beautiful or game
looking girl. She was very smai-sizcd, dressed
i'll what my wife calls complete taste, and her
figure was so good and her hands 50 small
and her ways frank and artess, that al
most wish she was my daughter. Her face,
though, was what | can't give You an idea of.
Ii was The most beautiful face ever saw. 1t
had proceeded the engineer, warming, ''a II
the Intelligence of Woman's and the simplic-
ty OF chlds. And She was so sDri9hty and
loNable altogether, and asked 50 many ques-
TONS that, although had never had woman
on the engine but once before, | Invited her
over here to my seat. and explained to her ali
about how locomotive is run. l showed her
how 10 manipulate the lever which admits
more or less steam to the cylinders; how
the reverse lever is worked; how the tests
Of water and steam are mace I showed
her how to blow the whistle and ring the bell,
and explained how the brakes were blown
down, and how warnings We're given on the
approach TO crossings. She took it all ill., and -
sand tine engineer. sirpttbiOr hi. arm
the boiler and clulching my sleeve. ''it was the
best lesson | ever gave. Right up around Won
der about two miles from town ust as | WAS
handing a reverse lever, we StruCa stone or
something on the track at . O'clock ut night. |
was a-bending down at the time (the girl wa,
sitting where YOU are, on my cu>hiou) and
quicker than lightning the lever flew back and
struck me in The eye and knocked Newell,
I'll be id if know where. Anyway it didn't
make much difference for Il minute or Two. for
| was Just stunned As we We're on the down
grade, with no need Of fuel, the fireman was
back IN the ba9@age-car, and when | came to,
this Young girl was holding on to my head and
tanning me with her toy Of q hat. 1t wasn't
two seconds before | knew what was to pay
The engine and the whole train had started
down this Hill AT the rate of sixty miles an
hour, tried TO spring up and reach the lever
Ny right arm and side and right lee We're
numb. My face and even my tongue We're SO
parayZed by the blow [ had received that
tDultl IltItllN -Itdh 1 NaS ~ tcNi}iIult lliti
(m"re to attract the girl'S attention to the dan
ger than fer anything elSc1 grabbed her hat
with my left hand and threw it outside of the
locomotive, and then managed to beckon her
ear down close to my lips and say:
49, Trains going too fast. Wen be in hell if
YOU don't turn the lever!
she understood me in an instant and it
was time. The engine was rocking, >Waylng,
grinding and skurrying down the truck like a
beast with great bounds. Every second | eX-
pected it would leap the rails it certainly was
descending at the rate Of seventy miles an hour
But that little thing Sprang UP here, clutched
the lever, moti0ned which way She shove or
push it. got my nod and reversed the wheels
like Il llttIc man. Then she Whi>tIed down
breakS-there was no need Of that for the boys
had put ON every brake already. Inside of Il
mile aud half she stopped the train; and
then she knelt down all trembling and crying
and now What dO You think she oaid!'
''She said Mr. -, | feel rs if | should
faint. Haven't YOU got some canphor, or--u
little whiskcy" And as sure as YOU live she
did faint right away there-right down in front
Of that tre-boN-right on top Of me. The tire
man and conductor came III and took her back
to her mother, and the fireman had 10 RON the
train down 10 While Haven"