Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-11-22
MISCELLANY ",
BEHIND TIME.

In OE IncFc WASH u llkeIlet IelION
on the line lthan George Kirke. III
was the son of poor man, and hi
mother was dead. His father was {
confirmed invalid of the rheumatic
order, and George played the dutifu
son to him In way that would as
tonish the young men of to-day.
Somehow, nobody knew exactly
how, George had managed to pick NJ
a good education, and he had polish
cd it of, so to speak, by two years
course at commercial college.
Kirke began OH the Sandy Hill rail
road when he was about twenty-ont
years old. First he was brakeman
This railroad business is regular
succession, and, generally speaking, {
man has to work his way up. It aim
often that he gets right up to tho dig
NTH of conductor at one step, with
q chance to pocket stray ten CEN
scrip, and the privilege of helping al
the good looking and well dressed
ladies out of the cars, and letting the
homely ones, with babies and band.
boxes in their arms, stumble out az
best they may, while he is engaged
| talking to man..
George did his duty so well that he
was soon promoted to fireman, and
after he had learned the.workings OF
the machine he was made engineer
and given an engine.
| This engine was one of the newest
and best on the line, and was called
Flyaway, and George was very proud
nf II yOu NAV he1iove
tell you now, sir, your true engin-
Ger, one as is out-and-out for the
business, and feels his responsibility,
takes as much pride in his engine as
the Jockey does in his favoritc race
horse, and would sit up nights, or
neglect his sweetheart, to keep the
brasses and fllagrees OF his machine
SOS you could see your face in 'em.
There was another man wanted
Georges chance. There's generally
more than one after paying job.
Jack Halliday had been waiting for
some time to be engineer OF the Flya-
way, and when he lost 1t he was mad
enough to pull his hair. He was a
brakeman, likewise, and had been on
the road full two years longer than
Kirkc, and it would seem that the
chance really belonged to him, but he
was a quarrclsome, disagrceable fel-
low, with independence enough to
have set an emperor up in business
and still have some left.
When Jack realized that George
had got the inside track of him, his
anger was at white heat. He cursed
Kirke and cursed the company and
old Whately, the superintendent. and
things generally, until it seemed a
pity that there was not something
else to curse, he was in such a fine
cursing order.
There was more than one thing
which made Jack Halliday down on
George Kirke. George had been his
rival in many respects, and particular
ly where the fairer part of creation
was concerned. George was great
favorite with the girls, for he was
handsome and generous and good
natured, and Jack was sarcastic, and
always on the contrary side. and the
girls avoided him, as they always
should such man.
Well, all expected that i'll would
come to George from Jacks bad
blood against him, and we warned
him more than once, but he always
laughed, and reminded us Of the old
saying that "barking dogs never bite" !"
which is true in the main.
And. as the time went on until two.
three, four months had passed since
Kirke's promotion, and nothing had
occurred, we forgot all about our APP
prehensions of evil, and if we thot
of the matter at all, we concluded we
had wronged Halliday by our sus-
picious.
1t was a dark night in November,
with considerable fog in the air, and
strong appearance OF rain.
was at GQlosha, tho northern ter
minus Of our road, looking after
some repairs on a defective boiler,
and was coming down to New y York
on the 80 train---kirke's train.
About seven there came telegram
from old Whatcly, whose summer
residence was nearly midway between
Golosha and New York, and the old
heather had not yet forsaken it for
the city. The telegraph-opcrator
came into the cngine-housc where
Kirke was at work, for he was al
ways at work, and read it to him.
Kirkc made note of ii in his pocket
book.
"Pay train on the line, will meet
you just west of Leeds, at 10 10.
Squirt on the siding at behring's Cut,
and wait. WHATELY."
Kirke's watch hung on nail be-
side the clock. 1t was q fancy Of his
always to hang it there when he was
of train, so that he could make NO
mistake in the time.
He glanced at the clock, and from
it to his watch. Both indicated the
same timc-7:l5.
:l5," said Kirkc, meditatingly
sand we leave at 80, and the pay
train meets us at Decring's Cut al
l0:l5. Scant time to make the run in
this thick weather, but it must be
managed.
And he turned away to give some
orders to his fireman.
Jack Halliday was there /; he had
been strolling in and out of the room
for the past half hour, smoking {
cigar. and swearing at the bad wealth
or. His train did not leave until mid
night, so he had plenty of time tC
i swear.
We all went 10 the door and took {
look at tho weather, and unanimously
voted it deuccd bad, and then W.
walked up and down the platform
and smoked our aftcr-supper cigars
and by the time we were through i
was time for the train hands to b.
getting into their places. Both th'
Clock In the engine-room and Kirke'
watch indicated 7 :40.
| Kirke was putting his watch in hi
pocket as he said:
/ "Garth, are you going with me OF
the Flyaway?"
"No, thank yc," said l.; ~ &c
enough Of that sort Of thing in IN.
every day life; / am to do a littl
swell business tonight, and take pass
age in palace car. Want to rest m,
back. Goodnight to yc, and hol,
her well round Rocky Bottom curve
The roads little shaky."
"Aye, aye, STRIP responded Kirkt
and he swung himself into position
on the Flyaway.
The bell rang; scrambled into m
compartment on the Pullman, an
felt horribly ont Of place among tn
silks and broadcloths and smell @
musk; but / was in for tirst-clas
: ride, and made the best of it so eflct
tually that, five minutes after, Gibso
. who now fancies that he owns all ere
, alton, because he has got silver CO.
fin plate on his breast with conducto
| on il, had shouted "All aboard ="
!: was sound asleep.
What occurred in other quarters
effect the fate Of Kirkc's train l learl
cd afterwards.
Old Whatley the superintendent {
tho road, as / guess have alread
. said, had a country residence in Leet
on o mountain spur, which commant
1 ed view of the surrounding countr
!, tor more than scorc Of miles. II
: line of the railway could be distinc
8 ly seen in each direction for fiftcc
9 miles, and Whatley was wont to 50
I, that his looking was worth more
the safety Of trains than all tho tel