Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-02-14

was just debating in my mind
whether / mightn't run down to
the depot and hitch on the train,
when suddenly the missing gen.
tleman came up, and l could see
that he had been celebrating the
Fourth with rather more than his
usual degree of success. He plant
ed his feet squarely, and walked
with firm, decided step, as if he
was not altogether certain of his
footing or his relation to surround
ing objects, but was bound to go
through anyhow.
Gall rightr said he, without
raising his head, as he came up to
where l was leaning against the
run-board.
GAIL right, l believe" I replied.
"a curious all right" he return
ed, STOPPING down and taking a
hasty view Of the undergear, "there
is nut loose on one Of them CEN
ter bots, at any rate"
He was not so drunk but he
could see that. In a few minutes
we got started, picked up our load,
and were fairly of. 1t was a clear
morning. and bid fair for fine day,
but about sunrise it began to get
misty, and we were soon enveloped
in one Of the heaviest fogs ] ever
saw.
At Il, Eben Capron, another
engineer, who was off duty for that
day, got on with us. He was going
home to spend the Fourth, and
ours was the first conveyance that
came along. When he saw that
it was all that joe could do to carry
himself straight, he offered to run
the train for him as far as he went,
but Joe declined.
81 am responsible for its safety"
be said "and I will put it through
al right if the DANCED old steam
dosen't give out"
Thicker and thicker came the
fog, until he could scarcely see the
length Of two cars ahead. Joe
was very careful indeed, did not
run as fast as is usual atsuch times
In fact, he went so slow that at last
, Eben commenced to banter him or
his prospect Of getting to the end
of his route sooner than could nat.
urally be expected.
swell, just look here" said Joe
, "Tm drunk, and you know it, ant
if l should go fast and run the trair
off the track, reckon yon'd botl
Of you swear it was the fault of tn,
drunken engineer"
80 you see candor was one o
Joe's virtuous bumps.
BY the time we got to c. tn,
, fog had partly lifted. Here we hat
, a good deal of switching to do, ant
, just as we were ready to start, th'
: conductor came forth and said
D "NothiDg for P-;keep straigh
. through to E.. You have gon
so confounded slow that you are al
' most an hour behind time. / shoul,
3 have hurried you up II it hadn'
8 been for the fog. All right, g
2 ahead" and he waved his hand an,
r started back towards the rear car.
q "Well, I'll go fast enough for you
: II that's what you want" muttere
{ Joe, IN a voice loud so as to be hear
o by the conductor. n ad
! "What did you say 7" asked tn
a latter. a
a oT said 81 II clears away, ! gues
II I'll be able to make up the tim
n before we get to s." atf
d "Well." uf afoaE
"Of course that was all he coul
d say, 30 he kept on back, and Jo
l. grasped the handle, and continue
II his reflections.
n "He'd have hurried me up II
/ hadn't been for the fog. Blast him
n I've got . good run now and I
give him enough
is "Don't hurst the boiler, Joe
y. said Eben, Laughing.
"a mo fear OF that" answered Jo
ID sshe viii stand two hundred ar
,r not strain. Pile in more wood
Ne added to me. "keep the Are juml
.s ing, for it's the Fourth Of July I,