Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1877-03-01
Railroad Tfapeze.

Railroad Trapeze. 80 '@
Number Ninety.nine stood putting
and blowing of steam at the water
tank of a little wayside station-a
beauty and marvel of brass and iron
and steel; strung beyond smile, max
ing play Of the hundred coal cars it
drew swiftly along with its eye pierre
ing the darkness as MONDAY sun, with
its breath of fleecy steam and heart
of volcanic Ere, and Jonn Latbrop
stood with hand upon whistle and
throttle waiting the signal to ''go
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 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 ted
and made happy for day, aid would
be scarcely thought of until the year
had completed its cycle, and the hol.
~ and ivy and evergreens were twlned
and fcstooned again in pal lor and hall.
and wreathed about the notices of
Christian remembrance hung upon the
walls. Plenty had glorilie.l itself in
the giving, Il I'd poverty and vice and
crime must live upon the recollection
Of what they had received until TIE
coming Of another year. Aye, wealth
had given and plumed itself upon Its
liberality. In almshouse and prison Il
hearty feast had been sIread. The
duty Of the rich had been done, AMI 80
withholding more could lie expected
of them! Fashion had held fairs, and
given balls, and made itself merry
while INDUCING i'll ostensatious aims.
giving, because it was 1.-THE proper
thing to do''-and subsidized. The sen.
sation Of the thing was over. all its
attracliveness lost.and now Mrs. Grun.
dy and Flora McFlimsey and the rest
of the creme de la creme must think
of themselves. Strange, how sudden
ly fOrgetfulness of others sufferings
comes-hOw soon the spasm OF yearly
charity passes-how spet Oily the heart
Of humanity again turns into stone!
But 1.-The poor ye have always with
you" and can they not be helped at
any time! That may not be sound
philosophy in the eyes of Heaven, but
it is in the eyes Of fashion.
John Lathrop, engineer of No. 90,
was thinking of these things in a
somewhat cynical manner as he peered
out of the cab window upon the biting
cold and sleet.burdened air-thinking
of the hard winter-the almost starva.
ton 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 papa would be
home to breakfast and spend the next
day Sunday with them.
''lt's hard to be poor" he said,
brushing the icy frost from his heavy
beard and mOustache, land it does
seem as if the company might be a
little 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
water tank.
''That's nothing new" was the an
swer. "They were as plenty all sum.
mer as blackberries.
But the poor fellows half starved
and frozen, and begs so hard for a
ride"
ride! Humph! And get sent mp
for thirty days ii any of the big guns
OF the road find it ont !"
The light from the open furnace
door shone full upon the face of the
tramp as he stepped from the desolate
icy tank where he had paused to gain
something of shelter, even if little OF
warmth. A rapid sign passed between
him and the engineer, and the latter
continued:
"Come aboard. III take the chances.
don't think the conductor will give
me 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
companies this side of Canada. Blessed
if do! Come aboard. old fellow"
The tramp obeyed the summons, land
his scanty clothing and numbed hands
and feet and pinched.up face told how
sadly he was in need Of warmth and
food. The roaring furnace speedily
supplied the one, and the dinner pals
OF the engineer and fireman the other
though they would have to fast unit
morning and would sadly miss thei,
hot coffee.
Two shrieks of the whistle a tug al
the lever, and Ninety-nine started and
shot away with the long train follow
ing behind like an immense black ser
pent, over ali line and around curves
and through tunnel and across bridge
Then John Lathrop had time to more
closely scrutinize and talk to his un
paying passenger. The mystic sigr
that had passed between them told Of
brotherhood and paved the way to hi!
thinking well of him.
''You aren't used to tramping, ant
haint been very long at it, Sale
John, laughing quietly at the rapi,
manner in which the supper of him
self and fireman was disappearing.
mot much, Gully replied tn,
tramp, pausing, with a biscuit in on
hand the half picked leg. of turke,
in the other to answer.
"Cully p repeated John, eyeinI
him still more sharply. "You are
showman!'' --e,. .
''Was, and another few days like tn
last and I could play walking skeleton
to perfection" and he glanced up a
the engineer with pair of the black
est possible eyes, and face marke
with resolution and bravery. - 80
"What biz !" queried John Lathrer
"Bar and trapeze.
He did not appear to have time t
make lengthy replies-only uttere
the briefest possible between mouth
fulls and, noticing this, his ques
toner paused until he had finished hi
almost wOlf.like meal. and tkan RI