The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1878-10-22
"oLD SERIOUS"

ulhneJer anu elBnI leeb III neiBnJ WITH
conical roof. In one of the eight sides
was a little door with window in the
top OF it, and In the other six sides there
were small windows. The pepper box
was furnished with one comfortable
leather covered armchair, and the curl
Gus little building stood In railroad
yard amidst perfect network of
switches and turnouts, and was placed
there to shelter the man who watched
the know.nothing" or crossing where
two railroads intercept each other at
right angles.
The crossings of which now write
were in the railroad yard of large man
ufacturing city and railroad centre where
nearly every foot of land, with the ex-
ception of this little triangular spot of
ground where the pepper-box" stood,
was covered with iron rails. One would
naturally think it to be very confusing
place to be in. The man in the pepper
box was obliged to keep a level head on
his shoulders or he would be likely to
make mistake in regard to the time
that one of the numerous trains was due,
and mscaculation of half u minute
meant more or less destruction of lifeand
property. Or, if he was not constantly
en- the lookout and alert, when he step
ped outside he was liable to be run over
and cut to pieces by the regular or switch
ing trains.
Danl Same thn hOy oalla1
Old Serious" by the railroad boys"
was an object of interest to every one of
the scores of employees on the several
roads, who passed and repassed his close
quarters every day. He had never been
seen or heard of by any of them until,
dusty and travel-worn he walked into
passenger station one day in a half-in-
toxicated condition and took the cars
for New York.
He refused to show his ticket or to pay
his fare, so the conductor giving a pull
to the hell rope to have the train slowed
up, pitched the poor fellow Off - rather
too unceremoniously it was thought -
and left him lying on the ground in n
half dozed, half stunned condition. Be
fore he regained consciousness and was
able to get up, another train came along
and ran over and cut off one of his feet
that was lying across the rail-
There was quite an ado made over the
affair The conductor was blamed for
not bringing the train to stop before
he put the man off, and for leaving him
partly on the track. The former was
suspended neutrality-suspicious. had been
many complaints enteredagainst him be-
fore in the superintendent's office = and
the poor victim was carried to the city
hospital, where the superintendent of
the road, very kind-hearted man ,him-
self went to see that he was well cared
for
He became interested in the patient,
Paul Serus, and called to see him more
than once, and promised him job as
soon as he should be well enough to take
it, on the condition, however, that he
should sign the pledge. The wounded
man promised faithfully to do so, and
while his mutilated stump of an ankle
was healing he had time to get thor
oughly sobered, to profit by the some
what dismal retrospect of his life and to
make plans for "a useful, honorable fu-
ture.
This is the first time 1 have been
completely sobered for years, he said to
the surgeon, who was very attentive
and kind to him. 81 feel exactly as if
L had been away from my true self all
this dreadful time, and had just got back
into my old body again = as I used to
be when / was somebody in the world.
AS soon as poor Paul was able to hob
ble about on a crutch, the whole-souled
railroad superintendent came to the hos
pital and had long interview with the
surgeon in regard to him. There was
such quiet dignity about the man such
native goodness of heart, honesty in ac-
ton and purpose, that these two gentle
men had made up their minds not to
turn the cripple patient out upon the
world when he should have recovered,
but on the other hand to do something
for him.
6 You may give him a situation
where there is some responsibility;
where he will have something to take
up his mind constantly" said the good
surgeon.
6 The pepper-box' down in our yard
is the liveliest place 1 know of for a
green hand" said the superintendent
CT mill Rive ILL.,, A. L.. -. H.. ),