The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1877-06-02
TEL MINUTES LATE.

In 81 there wasn't a likelier fellow on
the line than George Kirke.
He was the son of a poor man, and his
mother was dead. His father was a con-
frmed Invalid of the rheumatic order,
and George played the dutiful son to
him in a way that would astonlsh the
young men of to-day.
Somehow, nobody knew exactly how,
George had managed to pick up a good
education, and he had polished it off, so
ltare--nnf43 by a two years course at o COM
merciaI college. e
Kirke began on the Stony Hill rail-
road when he was about twenty-one or
two years old. First, he was a brake
man.. This railway business is a regular
succession, and, generally speaking, a
man has to work his way up. 1t amt
often that he gets right to the dignity of
a conductor at n step, with the chance
to pocket ten cent scrips, and with the
privilege Of helping all the good-looking
and well-dressed ladies out of the cars,
and letting the homely ones, with babies
and bandboxes in their arms, stumble
out as best they may.
George did his duty SO well that he
was soon promoted to fireman, and, after
he had learned the workings of the ma
chine, he was made engineer and given
an engine.
This engine was one of the newest and
best on the line, aud was called the Fly
away, and George was mighty proud of
her, you may we'll believe
/ t~eltssyou, sir, your. true. e~ngineer-one
as is out and out for the business, and
feels his responsibility-takes as much
pride in his engine as the jockey does in
his favorite race horse, and would sit up
nights, or neglect his sweetheart, to keep
the brasses and flagrees of his machine
you could see your face in 'em.
There was another man wanted Georges
chance. There's generally more than
n after every paying job.
Jack Halliday hal been waiting for
sometime to be engineer of the Flyaway
and when he lost it he was mad enough
to pull hair. He was a brakesman, 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 a quarrelsome, disagree
able fellow, with independence enough
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 Whately,
the superintendent, and things generally,
until it seemed pity that there was not
something else to curse, he was in such
q fine cursing order.
There was mere 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 favorite 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 i'll would
come to George, from Jacks bad blood
him, and We warned him more
once, but he always laughed, and
US Of the old saw that clark
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 oe-