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

preacher can d 1t.
You went 10 the top OF Pixies
Peak the other day. I've been there.
too, an' I'd like to know If . chap can
go up there among those awful preci.
pices and gorges and look over the
country for hundred miles, and see
the mountains around, and the plains
away OF in front. that don't seem to
hev no end, and then look at himself,
and say whether be does really
amount to row of pins. You see |
never was any Christian. and never
gave Charley no such trsinin', and
so sometimes think maybe didn't
do quite right By him. But. Lord
love you, stranger, va he went
among the angels, I'm jest certain
there wasn't none Of 'em had any
cleaner soul 'sn what be lad.
There was q place about three
quarters Of q mile from our house,
where we used to 60 q good deal on
Sundays. and Mary would read the
Bible to Us and sing. She was q
good singer, Mary was We used to
call the place "Devips Run" 1t
was sort of . creek, aud didn't have
no water in cep. after hard rain.
1t come down between two Eigh
mountains, where it was steep as
it could be. Wen q storm came up,
I've know it in half an hour to have
six feet Of water in it. An then it
would bring down logs, trunks Of
trees, and great stones, roaring that
you could hear it for miles.
1t got its name because it was
such an internal place Often I've
woke up at night by heavy shower
and I'd hear DEVILS Run howlin' as
though it would tear everything to
pieces. There couldn't be a worse
place fixed for the road if they he'd
hunted the whole country through.
than right there. TFere was sharp
curve, and on the outside of it was q
straight up-snd-down precipics for a
hundred of feet, so that if a train
went of it would be mashed into
kindlin' wood and ten penny nails
Devils Run went underneath the
track near the point of the curve,
through barrel culvert, and once
there came hard storm. n the trees,
n stones, u 80 on, choked up the
cnlvert, which wasn't large enough,
n the water damned up an rose, till
by n by the whole embankment
gave way, and twenty feet of the
road went rippin' down the noun
tain. They found out the break be-
fore any accident happened, and the
culvert was rebuilt q good deal lar
ger than before. But that place the
whole road was afeard Of.
As / was tellin' if it hadn't been
sich wicked place, Devils Run was
the prettiest place on the whole
The bed of the stream
was deep do wn, % full of ferns and
grasses that Mary was alters gath
erin, an we could sit there 10 the
hottest tisy, d the sun could never
find bis way thro' the trees overhead.
As | was tellin', Charley was born
to be an engineer. By the time be
had got to be six years old he knew
the name of nigh all parts of the ma
chine. He'd learnt all the signals
that was used on the road. He bnew
that red flag or q red light meant
danger. That . lantern at night
swung backwards and forewards,
slowly across the track would bring
q train up, all standin'. All that sort
o. thing he'd jest picked up himself.
He knew the sound of every bell and
whistle on the road, n could tell
who they belonged to, and ! believe
be knew the tread of No. 80 wnen-
ever she went by, night or day. No
80, that was my engine, run her
about three years, and there wasn't
nothin' 10 Gods world that couldn' t
get out of her when she was in a
good humor. We sort o. u nderstood
one another, and she hardly ever
went pack on me. Once in q while
she did, and then was q perfect cuss.
Yes, be was seven that winter
just seven years old few days be-
fore Christmas. After Charley got q
year or two old l alters made much
Of Christmas. Mostly coDtrived to
lay of that day 30 as to be home
with my little pard. Some of the
boys was alters ready and willin' to
take my run that dsy--them as
didn't have no wives or children.
They'd come and say, Now, LatL-
am, there's your little psrd, he'll be
wantin' of you to morrow, which is
Christmas. So I'll jest take your
turn down. An this 'eer basket,
why, the boys, you know, they ses.
we amt got no chick nor child. and
we'll send this along to Lstham's
Charley"
The first time they did that | was
took back that way | stood and gasp
ed, q lookin' around like a natural
fool and couldn't say word. And
The things they used to send Char
ley was sstonishin'; toys and 80 on.
Why one Christmas they sent him
silver ring. Oh! them days was
such nice times ss I've never had
since There wasn't no other chill
iren around for Charley to play with,
cut men bis mother was all be SEEM
ID to care for, n we'd carry on to-
yether all day jest as if none Of us
wasn't more'n seven years old.
Charley had . little room by bim-
elf here be slept, which had .
window that looked down on the
rack. I gave him . railroad lam
ern, which be trimmed and call his
elf, after | showed him how, n
vhen it was my night down bed
ight his lantern n put it on the win
low q the head Of bis bed. could
ee it . long wsy before get to the
ouse. o. you don't know, stranger,
bat comfort il was wen l was CON-
a. down TO zee that light and know
bat my little boy Was lyin' there
Ast asleep snd dresmin' that the
oar Of the train was the fJotsteps
{ bis old pard flying at 40 miles an
our.
1t was my run down Thsnksgiv-
% eve. ! was goin' to stop on 10 |
be naornin'. and Bill Walker Vac IN !