The Virginia star., 1879-09-27

brought me to myself with quick
turn, and then | remembered what |
had to do. Holding the lantern up, |
saw the light flickering, and shaking it
found it almost empty.
"Then l began to feel the RESPONSE
bility of nv position. A lamp without
oil in it, the train due in ten minutes,
with the chances of being thrown from
the track, and no telling how many
people killed or wounded! In a case
of this kind, sir, every brakeman will
do his best to save human life, although
he sometimes loses his own in the at
tempt, and all he gets for it is having
his name in the paper and being a
brave fellow.
"Quicker than tell it, made up my
mind that the train must be signaled,
lamp or no lamp. But how to do it
was the question. If ran ahead with
out light, the engineer might think l
wanted to stop the train for robbery
for such things have often been done,
you know-and would not only dash
right on faster than ever, but maybe
| try to scald me as the locomotive rush
ed by.
81 tell you 1 felt like praying just
/ then-but brakemen are not selected
or their religious feelings, so | didn't
pray much, but looked around and saw
light shining in a window some dis
tance off. l laid down my lantern
carefdlly on the track, made bee line
for the house, and soon brought a
woman to the door, who looked more
frightened than l was at my excited
appearance. 1t was useless to ask for
sperm oil-the only sort we use--sO l
cried out
"'For Gods sake give me some
straw
"She seemed to realize the position,
and quickly brought bundle. Feel
ing in my pocket, | found three
matches, and grabbing the straw, 1
made my way back to the track.
Laying the straw between the rails,
struck a match and showed it into the
bundle. 1t flickered an instant, and
then went out. felt and found the
straw damp. Just then dull, faint,
rumbling sound came down on the
wind, and | knew she was coming-the
train would soon be there.
81 struck the second match, and it
touched off the straw. A blaze, little
smoke, and it was dark again, and,
raising my eyes, | saw the headlight of
the approaching train away in the dis
tance. But trains don't crawl, and the
buzzlng along the rail told me to be
lively. The red light was burning but
family; five minutes more and it would
go out. For An instant [ stood para
lyzed, when a shrill scream from the
engine brought me to my senses, and
saw that inside Of two minutes more
she would be on the spot.
"Seizing the lantern with one hand,
struck the last match, and bending
and then dashed forward, waving the
red light. The glare from the head
light shone down the track, and the
engineer saw me, but did not notice
the red light-the sudden waying had
put 1t out-only screeching she came
straight on. When the train was al
most on me, jumped one side, and
Singing the lantern over my head,
dashed it into the cab. The engineer
saw the lamp as it broke on the floor,
and seeing the red glass and battered
lantern, whistled the danger signal
and tried to check up.
''Looking down the track, l almost
screamed from excitement. The last
match had found dry spot, and the
straw was blazing up brightly. The
train came to a sTandstill. She was
saved that's all l remember.
"Ihe next L knew | was in the bag
gage car They said they found me
lying by the train in dead faint, and
excuse me, we are going to stop now.
Stamford 20 he sung out.
The train stopped and the writer
went home satisfied that brakeman's
life is an exciting one.