The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-02-21
THE EXPRESS TRAIN.

ot the CLUB one night. INTO SantleN OF
flee. 10 iiud out the news coming in by
cable. which the sleeping town would
not hear until the paper would be out
tomorrow. Santlcv was editor of the
Courier. He was scribbling away at
driving speed. his hat on. an tnlighted
cigar in his mouth.
You're at it late. Benz
Accident on :, Western road. Sixty
lives lost" without looking up.
We seized the long white slips which
lay coiled over the table. and read the
dispatch.
Tut. TUT
- Infamous,
Nobody To blame. of course"
Il tell YOU the officers of road
where such an accident is possible
should be tried for murder cried Fer
rer>.
Santley showed his copy to the boy.
and lighted his cigar. Il think you re
wrong. FerrerS. Instead of being
startled at such casualties. | never
travel on a railway that l am not
amazed at the security OF them. just
think of it. Thousands of trains rum
ming yearly on each. with but Il min
ton. the safety of these depending on
conductors. telegraph clerks. brakes
men. men of every grade of intellect.
their brains subject to every kind Of
moods and disease and tempers. The
engineer takes Il glass of liquor: the
conductor sets his watch half Il minute
too fast the tlaGman falls asleep. and
the train is dashed to ruin! 1t is not the
accident that is to be wondered at: it is
the escape that is miraculouS!'
We all had dropped into seats by this
time. The night was young, and one
after another told some story of adj
venture or danger. Presently Santley
said, There was an incident which
occurred on the Philadelphia 4 Erie
Road Il few years ago. which made me
feel as do in the matter. l happened
to be an eyewitness to the whole If
fair
What was it. Benz
- 1t 5 rather a long story -
No matter. Go on. You can't 90
home until your proof comes in, any
how"
No. Well. to make YOU understand,
about five Years ago l had bad
~
and poor pay. You know how fast it
all wears out the machine. The doc
tor talked of diseases of the gray mat
ter of the brain. etc., and prescribed,
instead of medicine, absolute rest and
change OF scene. would have swal-
lowed all the nostrums in drug-shop
rather than have left the office for a
week.
- FL take country board aud send
in my editorials l said.
-. No: YOU must drop office and work
utterly out of your life for month at
least. Talk and think of planting po-
tatoes. or neutrality-suspicious. but
newspapers and politics.
We'll. obeyed. l started on pc
dr>trian tour through Pennsylvania,
studied oil stock in Allegheny County,
and ate sauerkraut in Berks. Finally
brought up-footsore and bored be-
yond bearing-in Williamsport. While
there. | fell into the habit of lounging
about the railway station, studying the
construction of the engines, and MAX
inc friends with the men. The man
with whom I always fraternizc most
readily is the skilled mechanic. He has
certain facts which your young doctor
he is absolutely sure of his social stand
ing ground. and has Il grave self-re-
Spect which teaches him to respect you.
The professional lad just started on his
career is uneasy, not sure of his posi-
ton: he tries to climb perpetually. 1
tell YOU this to explain my intimacy
with many of the officials on the road,
especially with an engineer named
Blakely.
This man attracted me first by his
ability to give me the information
wanted in few direct, sharp words.
Like most reticent men, he knew the
weight and value of words. soon be-
came personally much interested in
him. He was about forty, his hair
streaked with gray, with a grave, worn
face, which limited at youth of hard
ships and much suffering. However,
Blakely had found his way to the up
lands at last. Three years before he
had married a bright, cheerful woman.
They had one child-a boy. He had
work and good wages. and was,
found, high in the confidence of the
company. On one occasion, having a
Sunday off, he took me up to Jersey
Shore, where his wife and boy lived.
He was an exceptionally silent man,
but when with them was garrulous and
light-hearted as BOY. In his eyes
Jane was the wisest and fairest of
women, and the boy wonder of intel
lect. One great source of trouble to
him was. as found, that he was able
to see them but once in three weeks. 1t
was necessary for the child's health to
keep them in the country air. and, in
deed, he could not afford to have them
elsewhere; but this separated him from
them almost wholly. Jane was in the
habit of coming with Charley down to
Il certain point of the road every DAY,
that Blakely might see them as he
dashed by.
"And when found out this habit, ii
occurred to me that could give Blake
Iva great pleasure. How often have |
cursed my meddling kindness since.
January % was the child's birthday. |
proposed to Mrs. Blakely that she and
Charley should board the train which
her husband drove, unknown TO him.
and run up to Harrisburg, where he
had the night off. There was to be a
little supper at the Lochiel House.
Charley was to appear in new suit.
etc. Of course the whole affair was at
my expenses mere tribe, but an af-
fair of grandeur and distinction which
fairly took James breath. She was a
most innocent, happy creature; one of
those women who are wives and moth
ers in the cradle. When Blakely found
her she was thin, pale little tailoress
"a machine to grind out badly-made
shoddy clothes. But three years OF
marriage and petting of Charley had
made her rosy and plump and pretty.
The little Highland suit was bought
complete, to the tiny dirk and feather,
and vely pretty the little fellow looked
in it. wrote down to order stunning
supper, to be ready at eight. Jane and