Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-04-26
J now a TRAIN WAS SAVED.
Use Beet Lessen she En9iNccr Ever
Gave.

Gave.
zone night, about four years ago,
and just about this month" the engin-
eer continued, II was coming down
this hill with considering the sea-
son. pretty heavy train. AT
Wilkesbarre, over in the vallcy,which
you will soon see, a young lady had
got aboard my engine. She wanted
a night ride, and was put on by the
Superintendent. She was u perfect
lady, and her mother was in one of
the cars back. To tell the honest
truth Gas I have often said to my
wife), never saw more beautiful or
game-looking girl. She was very
small-sized, dressed in what my wife
calls complete taste, and her figure
was so good, and her hands so small,
and her ways so frank and artlcss,
that 1 almost wished she was my
daughter. Her face, though, was what
/ can't give YOU an idea Of 1t was
the most beautiful face l ever
saw. 1t had,' proceeded the engin-
eer, warming, call the intelligence of
a woman's and the simplicity of a
child's. And she was so sprightly
and loving altogether, and asked so
many questions, that, although I had
never had woman on the engine
but once before, invited her ovcl
here to my seat, and explained to hel
all about how locomotive is run.
showed her how to manipulate the
lever, which admits more or les.
steam to the cylinders; how the re-
verse lever is worked, and how Tho
tests of water and steam are made.
showed her how to blow the whistle
and ring the bell, and explained how
the brakes were blown down, an(
how warnings were given on thu
approach of crossings. She took i
all in, and" said the engineer, stretch
ing his arm across the boiler ant
clutching my sleeve, cit was the bes
lesson ever gave. Right up arount
yonder about two miles from here
just as / was handling the reverse
lever, we struck a stone or somethin:
on the track at9 o'clock at night.
was bending down at the time, tn
I girl was sitting where you are, on m
cushion, and quicker than lightning
the lever few back and struck me i
the eye, and knocked newell, II
be id if l know where. Any
way, it didn't make much ditferenc
for a minute or two, for l was jus
stunned. As We were OH the dow
grade, with no need Of fuel, the fire
man was back in the baggage car,an
when came to, this young girl wa
holding on to my head and fannin
me with her toy of a hat. 1t WASH
two seconds before l knew what wa
to pay. The engine and the Who'll
train had started down this hill at tn
rate of sixty miles an hour. / trie
to spring up and reach the lever. M
right arm and side and right leg wei
numb. My face and even my tongu
were so paralyzed by the blow l ha
received that 1 could scarcely speal
was so desperate that, more to a
tract the girls attention to the dang'
than for anything else, l grabbed he
hat with my left hand and threw
outside of the locomotive, and the
managed to beckon her ear dow
/ close to my lips and say:
aTraip's going too fast. Well |
In hell If you don't tura down IL
lever!"
"She understood me in an instant
and it was time. The engine W:
rocking, swaying, grinding and sku
rying down the track like bea
with great bounds. Every second
. expected it would leap the Iails;
; certainly was descending at the raj
of seventy-fivo miles an h0nr. 81
that little thing sprang up her
clutched the lever, motioned whit
way she should shove or push it, e
, my nod, and reversed the wheels Ill
q little man. Then she whistle
down brakes; there was no need ,
that, for the boys had put on evol
brake already. Inside of a mile an
half she stopped the train and the
she knelt down all trembling and CT,
ihg-and now what do you think sll
said ?"
~ can't guess,
"Said she: MIR. -, feel as
! should faint. Haven't you g
/. some campAor, ora little whisky
And as shnre as ynu live she nd fail
right away there-right in fr0nt {
tho tire-box-right on top of me. TIL
fireman and conductor came in an
took her back to her mother and til
fireman had to run the train down t
White Haven."-New York W0rli