Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-12-28

they had hunted the WnOIe country through
| than right there. There was sharp curve,
| and on the outside of 1t was straight up
/ and down precipice for hundreds of feet,
! that II train went of 1t would be smashed
into kindlin' wood and .tenpenny nails.
| DEVILS Run went underneath the track,
near the point OF the curve, through a bar
| rel culvert, and once there came hard
| storm, N the trees n stones, and so on
checked up the culvert. which wasn't large
| enough. n the water damned up aud rose
| till by'n by the whole embanSment gave
way, and twenty feet of the road went rip
pin down the mountain. They found out
the break before anything happened, and
the culvert was rebuilt, good deal larger
! than before. But that place the whole
road was afeard of.
AS was 4 tellin'. if it hadn't been sich a
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 gathern
| and we could set there in the hottest day
n the sun could never find bis way through
| the trees overhead.
As was tellin, Charley was born to be
an engineer. BY the time he had got to be
six years old he knew the name OF nigh all
the parts of a machine. He'd learnt all
the signals that was used on the road. He
knew that red flag ora red light meant
danger. That a lantern, at night, swung
| backwards and forwards. slowly. across
the track would bring a train up, all stand
in. All that sort o thing he'd jest picked
up hisself. He knew the sound OF every
whistle and bell on the road, n could tell
what ingine they belonged to, and | be-
lieye he knew the tread of No. 20 whenev-
er she went by, night or day. No. %, that
was my inglneI run her about three years,
and there wasn't nothing In Gods world |
couldn't git out of her wen she was In a
good humor. We sort o understood one
another, and she hardly ever went back on
me. Once In while she did, and then
she was perfect cuss.
Yes. he was seven that winter. Just
seven years old a few days before Christ
mas. After Charley gotta year or two old
| alters made much OF Christmas. Mostly
| contrived TO lay of that day so as to be
home with my little pard. Some OF the
boys was alters ready n willin' TO take my
run that day-them as didn't hev no wives
or children. They'd come aud say, Now,
Latham, there's your little pard he'll be
wantin' of YOU Tomorrow, which is Christ
mas. So III jest take your run down. An
this ere basket. why, the boys, you know.
they ses, we alnt got no chick nor child
and we'll send this along to !.lthams little
Ch arley.
The first time they did that was took
back that way | stood and gaped, a lookin
around like a natural, and couldn't say
word. And the things they used TO send
Charley was astonsnhin, TOYS ami 80 on
Why, one Christmas they sent i'm a real
silver mug. oh stranger, them days was
such times as I've never he'd since. There
wasn't no other children around for Char
ley TO play with. but me and his mother
was all he seemed to care Tor. and we'd
carry on together all DAY just a ii none Of
US was more than seven years old.
Charley he'd little room by hisself
where he slept, which had a window that
looked down the track. | gave him II rail-
road lantern, which he trimmed and filled
hisself amer showed him how and wen il
was my night down he'd light his lantern
and put it in the window at the head OF his
bed. could see ii a long way before |
got TO tho house, and you don't know,
stranger, what comfort il was wen was a
comm down to see that light and know
that my little boy was lyin there fast asleep
and dreamin that the roar OF the train was
the footsteps OF his old paId flyn at forty
mile an hour
1t was my run down Thanks giving eve.
| was goln 10 stop OF in the mornln, and
Bill Walker was to take my train goin
back. We started from Altoona late In
the evening and a good deal behind. 1t
had been bad day. The weather had
been warm for some time back, and il be-
gan TO rain In the mornin' and he'd rained
all day. BY night the wind chopped round
To the North'n it began TO turn cold. so
that wen we started it was rainin' and
sleetin' with an outlook for heavy storm
A darker night | never saw, in wen /
the conductor pulled the bell ses TO my
fireman, Crazy. this is agoin' TO be an
ugly run My fireman was a wild. harum-
scarum sort OF boy, and so they had
nlck-named him Crazy Jake, But they
soon dropped the Jake and left him Crazy.
and thet's the name he alters went by. So
he ses to me, 'Boss.I guess you're right |
there Crazy was one OF them boys thet |
never was afraid of nothing. Eve seen him
in desperate tight places. but never knowd /
him TO show the white feather. don't be-
lieve man or devil could scare him. butt /
night he seemed TO be sorter uneasy like.
Sometimes there's something makes you |
think beforehand that something is going /
10 happened-a kind of-of-presentiment
Yes! that's 1t. PIesentiment. You can't |
tell exactly how it is, but If there is sper-
rits in accidents or disasters, seems like |
they was trying some way to let folks |
know 10 time, and couldn't quite do it.
Everything seemed to 90 wrong with us |
that night. The passengers was all q grow
ling cos we hurried them up at supper;
and Wen pulled out my machine had the
very old boy in her. No. 20, as | was tell
ing ye, one OF the surest engines on the
road, but wen she did git into her didos |
she was more obstreperous n govern
ment mule. lngines is like these sewing
machines or planners. and them things.
They git out OF kilter without no reason |
and yer can't tell what's the matter with
EN-, only they jest won't, and that Is all |
there is about 1t. She wouldn't steam, she |
fretted snorted and foamed, and wouldn't |
do her work no ways at all. Me and Crazy |
fused with her, aud worked with her, and |
coaxed and cussed her, but it wasn't no
use. We kept runnln behind all the time |
instead Of maxim up, and the conductor
swore like pirate. He was an engineer
bisself, and he came ouf into the cab and |
for five or ten miles he fused and worked |
and coaxed and cussed. believe that en-
gine knew jest as well that Satan was out |
loose that night as If she'd been real hui
man. IDgins Is like women--they can't |
tell you why thing Is so, and can't give
no reason tor it,but they jest know it Is so.
Mebbe we'd made thirty mile, or sich
matter. The rain and sleet and hail and
snow was comm down fearful. The wa
ter was pOurln down the mountain and NIL |
In the bitches aud runnin much as you saw
it last night. The wind was BLOWN tor
nado, and come tearin' through the passes
-gulches they call EN- in this couLtry-in
gusts that would strike the locomotive
like big wave striking ship. and almost
throw her over. 1t was so dark too, that
| couldn't have seen Crazy on the other
side OF the cab but for the lantern, and
when he opened the furnace door. But
had TO get along all l could. 1t wouldn't
do to slow up, as l was runnin for a meet
In point. just before you get to the curve
at Devils Run there's a short stretch of
straight track. Soon as l struck that be-
gan to look for the light in Charley's win
dow. which was the other side of the run.
Straining my eyes through the dark just
at the point of the curve / saw light
swinging backwards and forwards slowly
across the track. You know was tell
In you as everything went crooked that
night. Soon as l saw that light knew
what il all was in mint. 1t came on me
with rush. like. My hair stood on end.