The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-20
4 CIOsF SH.fy,lc.



Il" reckon you've hearn tell of Jim ONiel,
what was 'sessinnted down at Bloomington tho
other nigli Z" remarked Jack Reynolds to u re-
porter on saturday. The latter acknowledged
TINT Ito had heard n good deal lately about the
man referred to. Jack REYNOLDS does the stpk
ing on one Of the lnrgcst locomotives on the Chi
cagO and Alton liuilruad.
" just whit TN toss in n couple Of shovelfuls
'causr times nearly up. and well ho of soon.
aud I'll tell you sOucthin' about jim said the
ilrnman. n he pit he'd soma chunks " coal in
to the roaring furnace. " They don't make bet
grHnElnrrr-, he continued, than what Jim
ONiel was You soe. you folks what ride back
there ia them fine coarhcs. and play poker. and
read the newspapers, and only look out when n
halt Is made, aud commence readin' and payn'
agin when the train darts away with shrek. a
rom. aud u rattle !: you folks, saw. don't know
what danger il. No, sir. Just y9n come ahead
here and stand where Jim O'Nicl stood for
cighteon years. and y bet your back will raise
up sometimes. But Jim didn't mind 1t much.
He was the coolest and tho most bravcst man
what | ever see in my life. He acted all the
while Just like he was rcady to die any minute.
And do you know. he would talk to his engine
lust like n man would talk to "a woman. He
would pct her, and say sweet, sympathizn'
things to her. When she was lcanin' out her
level hest, runnin maybe forty Mules nm hour,
ately. and say to himself with u shake OF the
head: She amt well to-day; ] don't know
jack opened the furnace door again and
dropped IN some fresh fuel on the glow ing coats
You see. he continued. jim and me run
an engine together five years. Just ~ mo and
my boss here pointing to- the engineer who Ind
that moment stepped into the cab are doing
now. He took mo on when was n green hand,
and in all the years we stuck together he never
spoke a cross word to me. and If he'd been n
mind 70 he might have pitched me out of the cab
window any Time Tor he was n powerful man
I'm got used to- runnin now and | don't eyer
bother my head about what's going to happen (;
but when Jim q Mel first took me on was nWiul
scary, aud often wished was oncui them larm-
ers whit We saw holdih tho plow in the fields ~
We passed."
O'Ne had a great many narrow escapes did
he nOtF Interrupted the reporter
You are right he had." replied Jack. and
the half OF thnm amt boon told about in the
newspapers. Jim always knowcd when any
thing was gon' to happen. Once We had nine
cars ana big lot OF people. ana we WINS runnln
10 make up lost time II was lust n little atOre
dark. and, takin' his eye from on the track. Jim
turned e. me, and says he; There's trouble
ahead; feel II in my bones Al first kinder
SUSPECTED that he was tryin to brighten me. but
after bit h" said To- me: Dbl it, wish
could look round ths big curve and $50 if the
bridge r. Albright That scared me morn ever
noticed that Jim had his eye set right down
the rnlls. but IT WAS geiiin so dark that la
couldn't see fur. The Old locomotive was lust
putin in her best ticks. aud presently We shot
Wrnugh the deep cut and out on 10 the high
ipiin that ran to the bridge. As we made
there IN front of us and not morc'n two hun
drei feet away. was four horses what was
runnin their best down the grade toward the
bridge. I fen my heart thump agin the roof OF
my mouth. II jim hndn looked 50 cool. !
guess | Il have tossed myself right through the
windew' but thought 1t stay rs long a. jim
did. He took in the chances ~ "a glunre. He
knuwd II them horses ever goi 10 that bridge
th"y 4 tumble down twNt the siringcr-. and
that when we struck 'cm we'd jump the track.
aui 70 through the bridge into the river, and
God only knows whoth rr anybody of them nun
tr'ds Of people wouid have lived Co tell what
m iein' now. So, quick as q lash for with "a
inr'mgtiNc ruunin luriy Mules an hour you
must do your ilgurcn' IN n hurry-Jim slapped
ON a the steam. NV cod, how she shot. Sue
nearly Jumped out from under me. In tire"
seconds the OIL LOGON ntlVo just picked up that
bunch pf hensi- and tossed en- down the banks.
They didn't any OF en- live to see the hind car
pass 10y cm.
when my heart dropped back 10 it, place"
added jack, " ventured 10 shy to lin. That
was close shave wasn't IL but Jim never
took his eye from the track. and never said yes
or no: and. though him and me run together
Tor years and years he never once spoke OF how
he scOoprd them critters into the ditch. and
saved God only knows how many lives