The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-03-08
Railroad Trapeze.

Railroad Trapeze.
From the CliDper ~
Number Ninety-nine stood putting
and blowing off steam at the water
tank Of a little wayside statio1-a
beauty and marvel of brass and iron
and steel; strung beyond smile, max
ing play of the hundred coal cars it
brew swiftly along with its eye pierre
ing the darkness as a MONDAY sun, with
its breath of fieecy steam and heart
Of volcanic fire, and Jonn Lathrop
stood with hand upon whistle and
throttle waiting the signal TO Ego
ahead.
It WAS midnight, and the dead Of
winter. The music OF the Christmas
bells had died away. the glad acclaim
that welcomed the New Year had been
hushed and the holy lessons Of Love,
| Charity, and Goodwill that had been
preached and sung were fast being
| forgotten in the rush and roar OF bust
ness, in running the mad race for
wealth and following the spendthrlft
dictum Of ever-changing fashion.
The spasmodic charity that breaks
1
The poor had been warmed and led
and made happy for day, AID would
be scarcely thought Of until the year
had completed its cycle, aud the hoi-
| " and ivy and evergreens were twlned
and festOoned again In pal Tor and hall.
and wreathed about the notices OF
| Christian remembrance hung upon The
walls. Plenty had glorified itself in
the giving, a id poverty ana vice anc
crime must live upon the recoliectoI
of what they had received until The
coming Of another year. Aye, wealth
had given and plumed itself upon it.
.hberality. In almshouse and prison ;
hearty feast had been spread. Ih'
duty OF the rich had been done. and =
well-nothing more could be expected
lof them! Fashion had held fairs, ant
given balls, and made itself merr,
while indulging in OstenSatlous aims
giving, because it was 1.-The prope
thing to do'-and subsidized. The sen
sation of the thing was over. all 1t
attracliveness lost, and now Mrs. Grun
dy and Flora MoFlimsey and the res
of the creme de Ia creme must thinl
!, of themselves. Strange, how sudden
Ily forgetfuiness Of others suffering
comes-how soon the spasm Of year,
charity paSses-hOw speedily the hear
of humanity again turns into stone
! But 1.-The poor ye have always wit
/ you" and can they not be helped a
! any time! That may not be SCUM
: philosophy in the eyes Of Heaven, bu
] it is IN the eyes Of fashion.
8. John Lathrop, engineer OF No. 8!
: was thinking Of these things in
f somewhat cynical manner as he peere
d out of the cab window upon the bitin
+ cold and sleet-burdened air-thinkin
5 Of the hard winter-the almost starv
ton prices to which wages had bee
f reduced. and more than all, of b
5 humble home and bright-eyed lit
: boy Of half q dozen years, who W;
II then dreaming that papa = would
It home to breakfast and spend the ne,
il day Sunday with them.
e Its hard to be poor he sal
d brushing the icy frost from his hea1
Il beard aud moustache, land it do
= seem as if the company might be
n little more liberal after the way tn,
worked US and piled NJ stamps duril
1t the Centennial. But"
N John, here's tramp, sang o
. the fireman from the interior of Il
IF water tank.
to That's nothing new, " was the a
N swer. "They were as plenty all SUI
is mer as hlackberrles.
h "But the poor fellows half starv
ae and frozen. and begs SO hard for
On ride
We s.Ridef Humphl And get sent
RI for thirty days if any Of the big gu
In OF the road find it ont -
Id The light from the open furna
to door shone full upon the face of
ct tramp as he stepped from the desola
Id icy tank where he had paused to ga
mt something of shelter, even Il little
ty warmth. 4 rapid sign passed betwe
or him and the engineer, and the lat
by continued:
Come aboard. III take the chanc
to I don t think the conductor viii g
on me away, and mighty clear of
Of brakesmen showing their faces M
in than they can possibly help sucl
ste night as this. Anyhow. I'm not go
Ar to leave q fellow being 10 starve q
lat freeze to death. for all the rallrt
companies this side OF Canada. Bless
he if do Come aboard. old fellow.
aw The tramp obeyed the snmmons,s
rer his scanty clothing and numbed hal
Or, and feet and pinched-up face told b
es- sadly he was in need OF warmth
Tor food. The roaring furnace speed
ne supplied the one, and the dinner p;
res OF che engineer and fireman the 9th
ipI though they would hf We to fast IL
morning and would sadly miss Ii
The not coffee.