The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-07-04

was close up, but never got bit. The
men all soon got to know her and
didn't mind her. But whenever q
new engineer canss along and saw
her. he'd whistle down breaks and
raise rumpus. often bringing the
train to dead stop. But she'd walk
of just at the right time, and seemed
to understand the joke
Our little csbiA was among the
mountains. good way from any
other house. and used 20 sometimes
think that Mary nust be lonely, with
me away 50 m0eh Of the time
You see. l was allsrs out three nights
in week l went up in the daytime,
passing my house st noon, and down
again that night. passing midnight.
But was home two or three days in
the week, and alters Sunday. The
place where we lived was wild re-
gion of country. asd the storms we
used to have up there. 30 high 10 the
air. was fearful.
didn't tell ron anything about
the boy? No. Veil, do you know,
took to him the very first moment.
And that's very curious thing about
bsbies. Now, l never fancied 'em
much, bat l tell you stranger. it
makes oil the difference 10 the world
whether it's your baby or whether it
belongs to somebody else. I've seen
great many OF 'em 10 my time. and,
according to their parents. they were
the most uncomuon babies but /
could never see mech it. used to
laugh good deAli when people made
such fools Of tket(s Ives over their
children. but kSpw exactly how it
is now, for | suppdle l was the great.
est fool over my C1srlie as ever lived.
Mary named him Ct arlie. That was
after me- Seems b me be took to q
locomotive from thp time be was six
months old. His mother would set
out in front Of the house with him
in her lap, when ! vent up ct noon,
and she'd kiss her hand and wave
the baby at me. By the time be was
three years old bed got so that I'd
used to take him up to ride with me.
There was q water tank near the
house and when I'd stop for water
be was sller's tbere. and I'd ketch
i'm up'n carry i'm of ten or twenty
miles, till l met another train, and
some of the boys'd carry i'm back
home 'Twasn't long afore there
was scarce man on the road as
didn't know Charley Lstham's baby.
The'd pick i'm up wherever they
could 6nd i'm, and sometimes he'd
be gone nearly all day. bet some body
set IN down afore night'n he'd come
toddlin' home. Sometimes l think
it's queer how the men used 70 take
to that baby. There was fellers just
- rough IS besfs = brskemen -
they'd get drunk and crazy with
liquor and cut or shoot nan quick.
erin lightnin'; and section men-up
in them mountains, them section men
were mighty hard cases What for
ightin' and qusrrelin' they beat Sam
Hill. An yet there wasn't one of
them chaps as would speak a cross
word To my Laby. They was all fond
of i'm and anybody took to imposin'
on i'm. why there'd be q muss quick
erin the drsp of yer hat.
There was Bill Walker. You
didn't know Bill Walker, did your
No! OF course you didn't. Dead
now. Left a switch open on i'm and
he run of Never spoke after picked
i'm up. Bill be was . crusty old
bachelor-one of them fellers wat
never sees nothin', is be can help him.
self. He didn't have no relations
and be was 80 sot agin everybody,
the boys used to say they didn't be-
iieve be ever had father or mother
like other folks He'd b. hard lines
in life. for q fact, and it made i'm
what they called q misen-yes that's
it,-s misentbrop. He seemed to
hev q particular grudge for every
body be had ever seen, and 6 sort of
general disgust for everybody be
hadn't. Bill picked up the baby for
q ride one day, and when be stopped
at the next station be was goin' round
oilin' his injine and the little tyke was
Itaggerin' after holdin' on to his
coat-tail and gettin' himself all cov-
cred over with grease jest like q reg
Ter injineer; and there was one Of
the station men IS didn't like Bill no.
how, and be ses, ses be, "Hullo. Bill,
is that left-hander of your'n?"
They say Bill just turned sshy.,
He sets down his can and reached |
for that ieller-just one, square 10 the |
jugular, and be dida't git out o bed |
for ten days. One day there came
down from New York rocking horse,
and Nary fouad il At the tank with .
piece of paper tied on the bride, and
it said like this: "lf Bill Walker
would ever wish for baby of bis |
own it would be little Charley"
That rocking horse cost Bill . whole
month's wages.
One of the 6rss things Charley
learned to say. when be was begin.
nin' to talk, was this: You see the
men on the road used TO call one
socther "Psrd "--short for partner
Charley had caught it, snd be alters
called me "Pasd." | don't think be
ever called me father or papa, like
other children do; but he WAS alters
"Psrd." "You and me is pards,
isn't We? be used to say. An that
is what We alters called one another,
aSd be went BY the name of Charley
Lathsm's pard,p . oil over the road.
I'D be goin' BY the house on the
noon train, and lssnin' cut of the cab
wstchin' for i'm, and he'd be out 10
the front with . white rag or some
thing to ware at me, and I'd see BY
the motion Of his iips-l couldn't
hear for the noise Of the cars-thst
be was ssyio', "You an me is psrds,
isa't We ?" II
As l vas tellin'. Sundays laid
Cd; and 10 the mornin', after break
fast. Mary would gil up . basket
with some bread a butter, 70 meat n
things, u We three would 90 OF in-
to the mountains and sta. all day.
We used to do this nearly every Sun
day, and 90 Charley gos 10 callin' il