Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1876-05-27
An Engineers Story:
A LITTLE LADY AT THE LEVEG

by Kind permission of the engineer. rod,
beside him on the engine. Away 10 th,
south stretched the bleak Pennsylvania Wi,
derncss.
There's a right-down romance. or tragedy
or whatever you may call il, said rllr rnai
=. ncer, attached to this hiI ANU | was the
/ least of a hero in ii. A drere was a wo mar
. in il though, | must tel! you that | an Il inaG
ried man
. All right. Go ahead with tie story"
( "Oue night. about four years ago, and ju>r
about this month, the engineer continued
Il was cuning dorm this hill with lconsalrr-
ing the season. a pretty heavy train. 4,
Wilkesbarrc over III The val!ey-which You'll
soon see-a ycung lady got aboard of ny
engine. She wanted nigh, ride and was pun
on 10y the superintendent. She was a perfect
| lady, aud her molher vas in one of the cars
back. To tell the honest truth (as have
often said 10 my WIFI, ! never saw more
beautiful or samc-lookulg giri.
"She was very small s,Zed, dressed in what
my wife calls complete TASTE, and her figure
was So good. and her hands 80 small and her
ways 80 frank and aftless, llIarI almost wished
she was my daughter. Her Gice, though, was
what cant give you an iGea Of 1t was the
most beautiful face | ever saw. Il had, "
proceeded the engineer, warming, 'all the in
telligence of a woman and the simplicity of
a chiids And she was 50 sprigItIv and
lovable altogether. aud asked 50 many Qrcs-
tions, that although had never had woman
on the engine bar once before, Invited her
over here 10 my seat, and explained TO her all
about how locomotive is run.
IL showed her now 10 manipulate the lever
" adj III, c,-I,
ders; how the reverse l.yer is wuikci; how
the tests of Water and steam are made.
showed her how to Jlow the whi>tIed and
ring the bell, and explained how the brakes
were blown down, and how warnings were
given on the approach to crossings. She took
il all in. and" said the engineer. stretching
his arm across the boiler and clu,ching my
sleeve, 1t was the best lesson | ever gaze.
Right up around yonder. about TWO miles
i,om here, Just AS | was handling the reverse
lever, we struck a stone or something on ,t,r.
track at O'Clock al night.
Il Was bending down AT the time (the girl
was sitting where you are, on my cushiou),
and quicker than lightning tie lever flew back
and struck me in the eye aid knocked Inc
well, | will be id if know where ANY
way, it didn't make much diiierencn for a
minute or TWO, for was just stunned As
we were on the down rade with no need of
fuel, the fireman was uack n the bamgage-
car, and when | came TO- this girl was holding
onto my head tanning me with her toy of a
hat Ii wasn't two seconds before | knew
what was to pay. Tie engine and the whole
train had started down this hill al a rate Of
sixty miles an hour
81 tried to spring up and reach the lever.
My Int arm and side anI right leg were
numb My face and even my tongue were
so parayZed by the blow had received that
could hardly speak. | was so desperate
that (more to attract the girls attention to the
danger than for anything rl>e) | grabbed her
hat with my lett hand and threw 1t outside Of
the locomotivc, and then managed to heckon
her ear down close To NV lips, and say:
"'Train> going too last. Wen be in hell
if You dent turn the lcveTt
She understood me in an instant; and i,
was time. The engine was rocking, swaying,
grinding and kurTying down the track like
beast with great bounds. Every second eH.-
pecsed il would leap the rails; it certainly
was descending at the rate of seventy miles
an hour. But that littie thing sefang up here.
cluched the lever. nrotionrd which way Size
should shove or push il, got my nod. and r,.
yersed the wheels ike a little man. Then
she whistied uown brakes-bur there was no
need Of that, for the boys had put on every
brake already. ln>de of a mile and half
she stopped the train; and then she kner
down all trembling aud crying-and now,
what do YOU think she said.'
Il can't guess
'Said she, MIR. -, feel as if shosl
faint. Haven't you got some camphor or-a
little whisky! And as sure as you live She
did faint right away there-right down in
trout OF the fire-box-right on top Of me- The
iir,. man and conductor came in and took her
back 10 her mother, and the fireman had To
run the train down Il White Haven"