Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-02-07
-4r From the Clipper.
RAILROAD TRAPEZE.
BY ". II. BUSHNELL.

and blowing off steam at the water
tank of little wavside station-a
beauty and marvel of brass and iron
and steel; strong beyond smile, max
inc play of the hundred coal cars it
drew swiftly along, with its eye piercing
the darkness as monday sun, with its
breath of feecy steam and heart of
volcanic fre-and John Lathrop stood
with hand upon whistle and throttle
awaiting the signal to go ahead.
It was midnight, and the dead Of
winter. The music of Christmas bells
had died away, the glad acclaim that
welcomed the new year had been
hushed, and the holy lessons of love,
charity and gooc will that had been
preached and sung were fast being for
gotten in the rush and roar of business,
In running the mad race for wealth,
and following the spendthrift dictum
Of ever-changing fashion.
The spasmodic charity that breaks
out at such times had run its course.
The poor had been warmed and fed
and made happy for day, and would
be scarcely thought of until the year
had completed its cycle, and the holly
and ivy and evergreens were twined
and festooned again in parlor and hall,
and wreathed about the notices Of
Christian remembrance hung upon the
walls. Plenty had glorifed itself in
the giving, and poverty and vice and
crime must live upon the recollection
of what they had received until the
coming Of another Christmas and the
dawning of another year. Aye, wealth
had given and plumed itself upon its
iiberality. In almshouse and prison q
hearty feast had been spread. The
duty of the rich had been done, and
--Well-notbing more could be expect
ed Of them! Fashion had held fairs,
and given balls. and made itself merry
while indulging in ostentatious aims
giving, because it was "the proper
thing to do'-and subsidized, The SEN
.sation of the thing was over, all its at
Effectiveness lost, and DOW Mrs. Grundy
and Flora McFlimsey and the rest of
the creme de Ia creme must think of
themselves. Strange, how suddenly
forgetfulness of others sufferings
com es-how soon the spasn of yearly
charity passes speedily the heart
of humanity again turns into stone!
But t''the poor Je have always with
you," and can they not be helped at
any timer That may not be sound
philosophy in the eyes of heaven, but
It is in the eyes of fashion.
John Lathrop, engineer of No. SO was
thinking of these things In a somewhat
cynical manner as he peered out of the
cab window into the biting cold and
sleet burdened air-thinking OF the hard
Winter-the almost starvation prices to
which wages had been reduced, and
more than all, of his humble home and
bright-eyed little boy of half dozen
years, who was then dreaming that
Apapa" would be home to breakfast
and spend the next day Sunday with
them.
"It's hard to be poor" he said
brushing the icy frost from his heavy
beard and moustache, "and it does
seem as if the company might be a lit
tie more liberal after the way they
worked us and piled up stamps during
the Centennial. But"
"John, here's tramp" sang out the
fireman from the interior of the Watel
tank. .oaa
"That's nothing new" was the answer
-stThey were as plenty all summer al
blackberries.
"But the poor fellows half starved
and frozen, and begs so hard for s
ride"
"Ride? Humph! And get sent w
for thirty days if any of the big guns Of
the road find it out /"
The light from the open furnace doc,
shown full upon the face of the tram
as be stepped from the desolate, icy
tank where he had paused to gain
something of shelter, even if little OF
warmth. A rapid sigh passed between
him and the engineer, and the latter
continued:
"Come aboard. I'll take the
chances. don't think the conductor
will give nae away, and mighty clear of
the brakesmen showing their faces
more than they can possibly help such
a night as this. Anyhow, I'm not going
to leave a fellow being to starve and
freeze to death, for all the railroad com
panies this side of Canada. Blessed if
I do! Come aboard, old fellow"
The tramp obeyed the summons. and
his scant clothing and numbed hands