The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-02-01
From the Clipper.
RAILROAD TRAPEZE.
By W. II. BC SHNELL.

Number NInety-nine stood putting
and blowing off steam at the water
tank Of a little wayside station-a
beauty and marvel Of bass and iron
and steel; strong beyond simile, max
ing play OF the hundred coal cars it
drew swiftly along, with its eye piercing
the darkness az a monday sun, with its
breath Of 1eecy steam and heart Of
volcanic fire-and John Lathrop stood
with hand upon whistle and throttle
awaiting the signal to go ahead.
1t was midnight, and the dead of
winter. The music of Christmas bells
hal died away, the glad acclaim that
welcomed the new year had been
hushed, and the holy lessons of love,
charity and goo will that had been
preached and sung were fast being for
gotten IN the rush and roar of business,
III 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 a 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
liberality. In almshouse and prison a
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 INDUCING IN ootuntatious 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 now Mrs. Grundy
and Flora McFlimsey and the rest of
the crane de la creme must think of
themselves. Strange, how suddenly
forgetfulness of others sufferings
comes-how soon the spasn of yearly
charity passes-how speedily the heart
of humanity again turns into stone!
But "the poor we have always with
you, and can they not be helped a.
any time? That may not be sound
philosophy in the eyes OF heaven, but
1t is in the eyes of fashion.
John Lathrop, engineer of No. 80 was
thinking of these things in somewhat
cynical manner as he peered out of the
cab window into the biting cold and
sleet burdened air-thinking OF the hard
wlnter-the almost starvation prices to
which wages had been reduced. and
more than all, of his mum BILE 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.
It's hard to be poor" he said,
brushing the icy frost from his heavy
beard and moustache, land it does
seem rs 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 water
tank.
That's nothing new" was the answer.
Ihey were AS plenty all summer as
blackbe.ries."
:" But the poor fellows half starved
and frozen, and begs so hard for a
ride .
Ride? Humph And get sent up
for thirty days if any of the big guns of
the road find it out |"
The light from the open furnace door
shown full upon the face of the tram p
as he stepped from the 6esolate, icy
tank where he had paused to gain
something of shelter, even if little OF
warmth. A rapid sigh passed between
aim and the engineer, and the latter
continued:
Come aboard. I'll take the
chances. | don't think the conductor
will give me away, and mighty clear of
the brakesmen showing their faces
more thsn they can possibly help such
q night as this. Anyhow, I'm not going
TO leave fellow being to starve and
freeze to death, for all the railroad COM
panies this side of Canada. Blessed if
| do Come aboard old fellow"
The tramp obeyed the summons, and
his scant 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,
E.
morning and would sadly miss their hot
coffee.
Two shrleks of the whistle 8 tug at
the lever, and Ninsty-nine started and
shot away with the long train following
behind like an immense serpent. over
airline and around curves, and through
tunnel and across bridge. Then John
Lathrop had time TO more closely scru-
tnlze and talk to his unpaying passen-
ger. The mystic sigh that had passed
between them told of brotherhood and
paved the way to his thinking we'll of
him.
You aren't used to trsmping, and
nalnt been very long at it." said John
laughing quietly at the rapid manner
II which the supper OF himself and
fireman was dissppe ,ring.
Not much, Gully" replied the
tramp, pausing, with biscuit in one
hand and the half-picked leg of a tur
key IN the other, to answer.
"Cully?" repeated John, cycling him
still more sharply. "You are show
Imam
"Was, and another few days like tn
asst and could play wal king skeleton