The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-08-04
TuE ENelNr.pKIyERs sIoRY.

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THE ENGINE-DKIyER's STORY
,UHH 4 NW n nflNaftf
BY WILL cARLEToN.
since you're all bearin' down on me, an won't Let
hi ten you story, lnoyided yorS let me follow
my plan
Nor / thsn,t ny the track although you.OhoOse to
but push ahead to my station as fast as ever 1
can
Company please excuse me for all my feeltn' an
sluppin' rr t-r.f
Likewise frora whistlin' at crossns, or halrn to
explain;
Neverwas nthe explain--it sets mans drivers to
slippin',
Wherefore fellow loses az mach as he everIl
gain.
Johnnie Mcdec my fireman; fine young
fellow
Planted his hoof on a footboard or swore at sui
phury coal;
Always at his place; an pleasant, an kind, an
clever,
without any gauge on his pocket, or steam-brake
onto his soul IF
witched him,
For she was old an ugly-how old I do not know
The boys always a-wonderin' as how she ever
But il was dead sure certain, for she had the
orders TO show.
Twenty times he had slipped her an left the old gal
behind him;
Twonty times she had followed an stuck to him
like a bur-
Wherever he might run she was az avs sure 20 nhu
him, .".. 80
For, poor old girl, she loved him, although he
didn't her.
All the legal remedies that surfoited folks s tryin,
johnnie held In horror. an sent her half his pay
An though the lawyers offered square divorce Tor
He made no strike for freedom, except to keep
out of her way.
But when Johnnie fred with me he was feeln some
An somehow had an idea he'd nothing more to
fear;
For he'd had nothing from her-not even the ghost
Az he in confidence told me--foi something more
than year;
Til just a-startin', one night, from one
horse station,
She climbed up onto the footboard, a-lookin'
wrinkled an wan,
An went for John an Rugged him au' kissed him
like all creation,
An the more he tried to shake her the more the
old gal hung on.
Break-Neck bridge is high one-a hundred foot
from the bottom;
Nothin' when you've lighted, except the rock an
sand
An just as we struck the center, if the Old Boy
They both went Off together before I could raise
hand.
on in the pitch black darkness they both on EN-
went a-hyin';
on in the pitch-back darkness they both pulled
out for death
An when we found EN-, the woman down on
the rocks a-dyin',
An John had catched a timber, al bruised an
out of breath.
Now said when opened my valves, perhaps you
wouldn't believe me,
Though why you shouldn't I'm certain is more
than can think,
For eyes is eyes an mine don't often go to deceive
me,
An I've never doused nay headlight in any kind o
drink.
But johnnie laid of a month, an much us fellows
missed him;
But when at last he was able to make his run once
more,
The ghost Of q wrinkled woman climbed up in the
cab an kissed him.
An when came to - the Broak-Neck," went of
she did before.
An 80 this singular woman ran down us all
summer;
Every once in short time she'd dash upon us
quick,
Till John remarked to me: I" There's no 'scapin
from her;
III have to jump the engine I'm gettin' tired an
SICK"
An John he wrote TO me- If can believe my
see my wrnkled woman wherever 1 may go;
For ghosts are regular deadheads, an clear of al
I'm goin' to blow my brains out, an try an get
show"
From which I've learned this lesson BE sure an
never try fort
To run from desperate woman you have treated
wrong;
She'll follow you up and catch you, although sh
has to die fort,
An though you run TO the Devil, she'll manage t
go aoni.
---y,a;iirqu 1ge