The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-07
A Close Shave.

A Close Shave.
II reckon you've hearn tell OF
Jim O'Niel, who was Fascinated down, at
Bloomington the other night?'' re-
marked Jack Reynolds to reporter on
Saturday. The latter acknowledge that he
heard good deal, lately, about the man
referred to. Jack Reynolds Goes the
stocking on one of the largest locomotives
on the Chicago & Alton Railroad.
Just wait till 1 toss a couple of shov-
eltuls, cause times nearly up, and we'll
De OIL soon, and I'll tell you semethin'
about Jim," said the fireman, as he
PITCHED some chunks of coal into the
roaring furnace. ''They don't make bet
Ter engineers" he continued, 'sthan what
jim ONeil was. You see, you folks that
ride back there in them fine coaches. and
play poker, AMI read the newspapers. and
only look ont when halt is made. and
commence readin' and playin again when
the Train darts away again with shrek,
a roar and and rattle: you folks, I saw.
Don know what danger is. No, sir.
JUST you come ahead here and stand
where jim O'Neil stood for eighteen
years, and Ill bet your back will raise
up sometimes. But Jim didn't mind it
much. He was the coolest and most
oraVest man what ever see in nv life.
lie acted all the while just like ne was
ready to die at any minute. And do YOU
know, he would take to his engine Just
IKE man to woman. He would pet
her, and say sweet, sympathizin' things
70 her. When she was leanin' out her
Level best, runnin' may be forty miles an
hour, Jim would look her all over kind
OF attcctionately and say to himself, with a
shake OF the head, She amt we'll to-day;I
don't know what ais her, but she amt
teelin' just ri ght.' "
Jack opened the furnace door again
and dropped in some fresh fuel on the
glowing Goals.
"Iou see," he continued, Jim and me
run an engine tog ether five years. lust as
me and nv boss here pointing to the en-
gineer who had that moment stepped into
the cab) are doing now. He took me on
when was green hand, and in all the
years we stuck together he never spoke
cross word to me, and if he'd been mind
to he might have pitched me out of the
window any time, for he was a powerful
man. I'm got used to runnin' now, and
don't ever bother my head about what's
goin' to happen: but when Jim O. Mel
first took me on [ was awful scary,
and often wished was one of them far
mers what We saw holdiu' the pillow in the
fields as we passed.
90 Mel had great many narrow es-
capes, did he not?" interrupted the report
er.
"You are right he had," replied Jack,
land the half of them amt been told
about in the newspapers. Jim always
know'd when anything was goin' to
happen. Once he had nine cars and big
lot of people, and he was runnin' to make
up lost time. 1t was just a little afore
dark, and, taken his eye from Off the
track, Jim turned to me, and says he:
There's trouble ahead; I feel it in my
bones At first kinder suspected that
he was tryin,' to frighton me, but after
bit he said to me: L wish | could look
round the big curve and see if the
bridge is all right That scared me
morn ever. noticed that Jim had his
eye set right down on the rail, but it was
gettin' so dark that ne couldn't see far
The old locomotive was putin in her
best ticks, and presently we shot in
through the deep cut and out on the high
film that ran to the bridge. AS we made
the curve at the mouth of the cut, right
there in front of us, and not more'n two
hundred feet away, was four horses what
was rnnnin' their best down the grade
toward the bridge. l felt my heart thump
agin the roof of my mouth.
If Jim hadn t looked so cool, I guess I'd
have tossed myself right through the
window, but / thought I'd stay as long
as Jim did. he took in the chance at
glance. He know'd if them horses ever
got to that bridge they'd tumble down
'twixt the stringers, and when we struck
'em we'd jump the track, and go through
the bridge into the river, and God only
knows whether anybody of them hundreds
OF people would have lived to tell what
I'm tellin' now. So, quick as flash-for
with a locomotive runnin' forty miles an
hour you must do your igurin' in
hurry slapped on all the steam.
My God! how she shot. She nearly
jumped out from under me. In three
seconds the old locomotive just picked up
that bunch of beasts and tossed them
down the banks. They didn't any of 'em
live to see the hind car pass by 'em.
"When my heart dropped back to its
place" added Jack, II ventured to say to
to jim, That was close shave, wasn't
ltV bnt Jim never took lis eye from the
track, and never said yes or no; and,
though him and me run together for years
and years, he never once spoke of how
he scooped them critters into the ditch,
and saved God only knows how many
lives. "-iNuscatine Tribune.
Put tablespoonful Of sulphur in .ne
nest as soon as hens or turkeys are set.
The heat of the fowls causes the fumes of