Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1879-04-25


desk by the window, ant there they sat
down together, Presently Jack Cinder
and one or two ofthe tran men came and
sat down by the dull ed stove. The
conversation among the nen for the first
few moments had a lral flavor. and
needs no mention. Thd it branched to
a more important theml-the overdue
wages. Even the lover discussed the
matter, and after few wprds they stop
ped abruptly. Tears brinmed the girls
eyes, and she turned away and gazed out
the window at the, glowing headlight.
Then one of the brakenPn said "And
the president is racing road the country
in drawing-room car. les coming up
the road tonight on special, and every
thing has to give way to fis train.n
the ditch said a deep ye; Voice What That startled
them all.
'Oh, Samson, how c1uld you say
thatp'
Because I'mm mad. Here we can't
He stopped, ard the girl blushed scarlet.
THE presidnt can make excursions
over the lile, and disarrange all the
timetables and yet we are two months
waiting foI our pay. l think
He stopped and looked toward the
door: hidden creature, half man, half
beast. sood unbidden before them all
A tramp, foot-sore, homeless and dhungry,
he haG found the door unlatched and
had wandered in looking for shelter
The estation-master permitted the man to
core in and stand behind the stove to
wrm himself, for he was nigh perishing
with the cold, and then the conversation
hpsed into whispers.
Suddenly there came the sound of a
distant whistle. The station-master
looked at the switch bars to see that the
line was clear, and Samson Glider rose
and said: That's Williams train. I'll
go out and wave him friendly light as
he passes
The sound of the approaching freight
train came nearer, and the engineer took
the lantern from the desk and went out.
The others fell into silence as the rum
bling train crept past the door. The
in sorrowful silence, thinking, wishing
and hoping.
Taking advantage Of the noise, the
tramp shuffled away toward the door.
Just as he reached it he looked hastily
round the room, and then slyly picked
up the track-layer's bar and disappeared
His presence had been burden; he had
happily taken himself off and they paid
no heed to his departure. A moment
after the door opened and Samson Glider
entered. The special is in sight, boys
We must be off
The men reluctantly went out to thei1
train, and the lovers met to part at the
door. Her eyes were bright with i'll,
suppressed tears.
1T seems so long to wait-and all fol
little money
L know it, dear; yet, when the com
pany do pay up, we shall have all the
more
Nearer and nearer came the great yell
low star that had sprung up on the hori,
zon. From far came the long, wailina
sound of the express whistle The Low.
ers heard it, and held each q tighter
clasp. The tracks before the door begar
to sing The monster came on il
frightful fury. Sparks shot up in foun
tains from it's stack. The ground quiv
cred, the winds shook with its tread.
All! a despairing scream from tht
whistle.
An earthquake.
Some one, rushed past the girl. ShC
clasped the door for support, not know
ing what had happened. She looked
out into the night, stunned and terrified
There was nothing-nothing save (,
vast cloud of dust, white and ghostly il
the night. All! a gleam, a flare flight
1t shone through the curtain of dust ~
it drifted away before the wind. There
were hurrying footsteps, shouts, cries fol
help, and groans. The dust disappeared
out in the bright light. The flames sho
up higher. The wreck grew in horrit
proportions. All! it was on fire.
1t is a peculiar feature of American
life that new and unexpected circum
stances are always met and controlled
by spirit of organization that create
out of the men and materials at hand tn,
mastery of events. In half at hour afte,
the first crash, as the train left TIN
metals, the frightened passengers wer
comfortably housed in the empty cars 0
the freight train. A carload of lumbe
had been despoiled to make seats for th
whole and beds for the injured. Th
freight engine on the siding was used t.
drag the wreck away from the up line
and it's tank water and steam had beer
used to put out the fire. In an hour tn
freight engine, in charge of the expires
people, started away with it's drear,
load, the well in the forward cars, th
injured, on beds of hay robbed from th
freight, in the next cars, the dead be
hind.
Darkness and silence fell on the lionel
Way-statiOn, and save where the blac]
wreck lifted its mangled bones agains
the sky, there was nothing to mark th
disaster except the pale faces of the me-
who gathered round the stove in th
switch-house. For long time nothiny
was said. There are times when speak
ing seems impertinent. Events becom
too big for words. Then one ofthe me
spoke and said:
They did say it were the presiden
who were killed in the forward sleeper
Mary Britton glanced at Samson Gil
der. He was silent and self-absorbed
and his face gave no indication that h
needed this remark. At that momen
the door opened and Jack Cinder cam
in, bringing in his hand q new track
layers bar. He brought it to the ligl
and held it before them all.
| DO you see UlaU, boys! L 1Ound
under the smashed sleeper. It's a ne,
bar, and The men looked at the ba
for a moment in apparent indifference,
and said nothing. The keener feminin
mind sprang to intuitive conclusions
Her thoughts leaped from q terror to
defence.
1t was the tramp. He stole the ba
and wrecked the train
Mebbe he did, and mebbe he didn'
This do know: Samson Glider was ;
wishing the president into the ditcl
This is his bar, and he was out on ii
line just before it happened
The coroner's jury called to consid,