The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-06-07
TeQ Minutes Late,

In 80 there wasn't likelier fellow on
the line than George Kirke.
lie was the son Of a poor man, and his
mother was dead. His father was con-
Grmed invalid of the rheumatic order, aud
George played the dutiful son to him in
way that would astonish the youHg men
Of to-day.
Somehow, nobody knew exactly how,
George had managed to pick up a good
: education, and he had polished it off, so
to speak; by q two years course alta Com
mercial College, which they tell me is a
school where they teach people something
as is practical, and not them Greek roots
and latin folderols that is drilled into
young mems head in our universities.
Kirke' began on the Stony Hill railroad
when he was about twenty-one or two
years old, First he was brakesman.
This railway business is a regular success
sion; and, generally speaking, a man has
to work his way up. 1t amt often that
be gets right up to the dignity Of "a con-
ductor at one step, with the "h@sTloe tc
pocket ten-cent scriii,>5, ana with the priyi-
lege Of helping all the good-looking and
well-dressed ladies out OF the cars, and
letting the homely ones, with babies and
bandboxes in their arms, stumble out as
best they may.
George did his duty so well that he was
soon promoted to fireman, and after he
had learned the workings Of the machine
he was made engineer and given an en-
gine.
This engine was one of the newest and
best on the line, and was .called the Fly
away, and George was mighty proud Of
her, you may well believe.
| tell you, sir, your true engneer-one
as is out and out for the business, and
feels his responsibility, takes as much
pride in his engine as the jocky does in'his
favorite. race-horse, and would sit up
nights, or neglect his sweetheart, to keep
the brasses and fligrees of his machine
SOS you could see your face in 'em.
There was another man wanted George s
chance. There's generally more than one
after every paying job.
Jack Halliday had been waiting for some
time to be engineer of the Flyaway, and
when he lost it he was mad enough to
pull hair. He was brakAsman, likewise,
and had been on the road full two years
longer than Kirke. and it would seem that
the chance really belonged to him, yet he
was a quarrelsome, disagreeable fellow,
with independence enough to. have set an
emperor up in business and still have had
some left.
When Jack realized that George had got
the inside track Of him, his,anger was at a
white heat. lie cursed Kirke, and cursed
the company, and old Whately, the super
intendent, and things generally, until it
seemed to be apity that there was not
something else to curse, he was in such
fine cursing order
There was more than one thing which
made John Halliday down on George
Kirke. George had been his rival in many
respects, and particularly where the farer
part Of creation was concerned. George
was great favorite with the girls, for he
was handsome, and generous, and good
natured, and Jack was sarcastic, and al
ways on the contrary side, and the girls
avoided him, as they always should such a
man.
y We always expected that i'll would come
to George, from Jack S bad blood agaisst
him, and we warned him more thar once.
but he always laughed, and reminded us
of the old saw that barking dogs seldom
bite," which is true in the main.
And, as the time. went on, Until two,
three, four months had passed since kirke's
promotion, and nothing occurred, we for
got all about out apprehensions of evil,
and if we thought of the matter at all, we
had wronged Halliday by our suspi-
cions. e.
1t was dark night in Nqyember, with
considerable fog in the air, and strong APP
pearances of rain. 4. =.
was at Golosha, the northern terminus
of our road, looking after some repairs on
defective boiler, and | was going down
to New York on the 7.5O train-Kirke's
train.
About seven there came telegram
from old Whately, whose summer resi-
dence was nearly midway between Colo
sha and New York, and the old heather
had not yet forsaken it for the city. Tbs
telegraph operator cnme into the engine
house where Kirke wa at work-for he.
was always at work-and read it to him
Kirke made a note Of it in his pocket
book
PAY train on the line. Will meet yoa
lust west Of Leeds. al 1918. Shut Oh to