Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-05-10
E MINUTES LATE.

In - there wasnt a lkeller fellow On
the line than George Kirkc.
lie was the son Of a poor man, and his
mother was dead. His father was a on
irmed invalid Of the rheumatic order, and
George played the dutiful son to him III
a way that would astonish the young men
Of today
Somehow, nobody knew exactly how.
George had managed to pick up a good
education, and he had polished it off, so
mercial college.
Kirke began on the Stony Hill rail
road when he WAS about twenty-one or
two years old. First, he was Il brake
man. This railway business in a rcgu-
lar succession, and. generally speaking,
4 man has to work his way up. 1t amt
often that he gets, right up to the digni-
ty of conductor at one step, with the
chance to pocket ten cent scrips, and
with the privilege Of helping all the
good-looking and we'll dressed ladies out
Of the cars, and letting the homcly ones,
with babies and bandboxes in their arms,
stumble out as best they may.
George did his duty 50 we'll that he
was oon promoted to fireman, and, after
he had learned the workings Of the
machine, he was made engineer and given
N engine.
This engine was one Of the newest and
best Of the line. was called the Flyaway.
and George was mighty proud Of her, you
may we'll believe.
I tell you, sir. your true enginecr-one
as is out and out for the business. and
feels his responsibility-takes as much
pride in his engine as the jocky does in
his ~favoritc racc-horse, and would sit up
nights, OF neglect sweetheart, to keep the
brasses and tilagrcess OF his machine SOS
YOU could see your face in EN-.
There was another man wanted George
chance. There's generally more than one
after every paying job.
Jack Halliday had been waiting for
some time to be engineer of the Flyaway,
and when he lost it he was mad enough
to pull hair. He was a brakeman, like
wise, and had been on the road full two
years longer than Kirke. and it would
seem that the chance really belonged to
him, yet he was q quarrelsOlne, disagree
able fellow, with independence enoug
to have set an emperor up in business and
still have had 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 Whatcly. the
superintendent, and things generally un-
til it seemed a pity that there was not
something else to curse. he was in such
fine cursing order.
There was more than one thing which
made John Halliday down on George
Kirke. George had been his rival in
many respects, and particularly where
the fairer creation was concerned. George
was a great favoritc 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
q man.
We always expected that ill would come
~ George, from Jacks bad blood against
him, and We warned him more than once,
but he always laughed, and reminded us
Of the old saw that barking dogs seldom,
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 oc.
CURED. We forgot all about our apprc-
tensions ofevils, and if we thought Of the
matter at all, We thought we had wronged
Halliday by Il suspicious.
1t was a dark night in November, with
considerable fog in in the mir, and strong
appearances of rain.
. l was at Golosha, the northern tcrmi-
nus of our road, looking after some re.
pairs on a defective boiler, and l was 60
ing down to New York on the $50 train
-Kirke's train.
About seven there came telegram from
old Whately, whose summer residence
was nearly midway between Golosha and
New York, and the old heather had moi
yet foresaken it for the city. The tel
egraph operator came into the house
where Kirke was at work-for he was
always at work-and read it to him.
Kirke made a note Of it in his pocket
book.
"Pay train on the line. Will meet YOU
just west of Leeds at 1915. Shunt on to
the siding at behring's Cut, and watt
WHATELY.
Kirke's watch hung on q nail beside
the clock. 1t was a fancy Of his always
to hang it there when he was off the train,
80 that he could make no mistake in the
time.
He glanced at the clock, and from it to
his watch. Both indicated the same hour
-7:15.
"7:15," said Kirke, meditatively, "and
we leave at 80, and the pay train meet,
Us at behring's Cut at 1O:15. Scant time
( make the run in this thick weather, but
1t must be managed