Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-11-27

His wife and his girl and his boy.
Well, own to weakness for turkeys,
And chickens and ducks-no, not cro,cs:
And really enjoy plum-pudding,
And oyster and creams-and all those.
But whatever we do have at our house
Shall be seasoned with love and good cheer
And If tn it doesn't make Thanksgiving
Well try to do better next year!
A STRANGE STORY.
FROM ANNA DIcK1NsoN's 1.-THE RAGGED
REaIsTER'
Did tell them of queer people and
strange experiences.
Yes, indeed, did /.
Gan recall them now9
No-yes. One I remember, because il
was the most inexplicable affair that ever
befell me--no, did not befall-but that
has ever came to me ''second- hand" al
most as good as new.
found myself one day at certain
town with connection till six o'clock
in the a:ternoon-a train that might
make sixteen miles an hour, with ninety
six miles to get over. Due on the plat
form at halt.past seven o'clock. That
wouldn't do. 30 of course had to have
3 Especial"
Place and time-central Iowa some
years ago. Country just fiat plain, not
the rolling prairie land lying further
west, no towns, few Villages, fencelcss,
treclees speck of anything easily seen
afar had any speck existed,
1,o pstb
One after another, one after another, all
alikc-same length, striking family re-
semblance, lying on the even ground
without so much as ditch at the side to
break monotony.
Nothing of interest without, so l turned
my eyes to inspect what might be found
within. They are generally wide open
when they are ton look at machines o,
machinists.
have travelled behind engines, and
on them by thousands, and have walked
about and questioned and gazed and OK.
amined them pretty thoroughly but al
ways with fresh wonder and admiration
Strong as Titans, obedient as slaves
simple, complicated-helpful, mercilees
beautiful Yet terrible.
And I xever look at them without
wondering what manner of world this
will be when some one learns how to util
ize not one hundred, nor fifty. but ever
fifteen per cent of steam.
As to their manipulators; fools dom
abound among them. A man needs log
ic and brains to be good machinist
like to watch a tirst-class one listen to an
argument on subject with which ht
may be ever so unfamiliar. He seer
flaws, AMI knows where the screws art
loose, and the sequence is broken, anC
the point overlooked or bunglingly made
better-half the time--than the combat
ants, though they be no mean ones.
| IT man knows machine he know!
how to argue from cause to effect step by
step of the way, and he ism t easily "bam
boozled," and there's precious little mon
sense" about him.
My engineer was one of the right sort
A clear-eyed, intelligent, wide awak,
young fellow from New England
last man in the world you would eve
suspect OF either drink or superstition
hinl-hams.
He was explaining to me some Of tn
mechanism, when, with his right hane
On the lever, he suddenly paused, threw
himself half out OF the little window, gaz
ed a moment up the track, then, turning
his head with his left hand thrust up be
fore it US though shutting out some awiu
vision, drove on.
There was no mlstaking the attitud
and its meaning.
"You have run over some one hero,
said /.
"Yes-no-I don't know" he answer
ed.
His fireman seemed to notice neithe
action nor answer. gazea at both wit
amazement akin to horror. lam rush
ing through space forty miles an hour Il
the keeping OF two madmcn?" thought
"Let us see"
"You don't knowa'
II don't wonder you look" said he
land ask too. Will you kindly oblig
me by telling if you saw anything off a
the rights'
"Nothing," said ], "but open PLAIN"
! !"Nor ahead of us?''
"Nothing but level track
+ '>Nor behind us2 Did you look21
ayes looked back. There was moth
ing but track and plain.
II knew IT." said he; "kncw it just q
well before I asked as afterward, bu
couldn t help asking. Do you think that
queer2"
II think you are troubled. That
more to the purpose. Do you mind m
asking what troubles your
"Do mind7 Didn't 1 just want to te
you and see what you can make out {
IT." and he drew his hand over his for
head and across his clear eyes as thong
1t were a nightmare that threatened I
unman him. ut beats me-"
II wouldn't let it," smiling to chez
his distressed face. "You're too broa
shouldercd to stand that sort of trca
t ment from anything" at which he laugl
l ed little, aud the fireman remarked Ell
. couragingly, "You just pitch in, Ned
and Ned pitched il.
Gas for . story-it isn't much of
story, you'll say but-1eli! You see
: was coming down the road the other tls
/ Ia good two weeks ago-a road L,
DCcu OVcI uuHuFcO tlutes auN huc
8 every foot IF it. I saw off there, at Il
q right, instead of that pancake regio
: regular hilly country, wild ana gree
t looking, plenty of trees, and among the
on the top OF sort of ridge, there was
I shambling tavern painted red.
sit was growing dusk, and I could s.
'; lights in the tavern and hear loud yoic
T laughing and rowing. Directly . fells
came plqnging out Of the door with b
+ hat off, flannel shirt unbuttoned at Il
! throat and one sleeve loose and hangin
e halding q whisky bottle. he reel,
down the hill, stumbled and stumble
nIstruck his foot against . log near the be
g tnn,, and pitched forward into the dit
b half way across the track.
81 saw what was coming, and had VIII
tied down hTa cs and reversed the engin
III The man could have got on his feet ea
: enough lf IL hadn't been for his curse
81 whisk bottle, but be grabbed 4 y