The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-17
The Fngipeer,s Story.

lie Engineer ctuIgt
''Let me put my name down first-I
can't stay long ~
It was a red ribbon meeting, and the
man was locomotive engineer, brOnzed
and strong, and having eyes full ofdeep
determination. He signed his name in
a bold, plain hand, tied a red ribbon in
his button-h hole, and as he left the hall
he said:
"As the Lord looks down upon me,
I'll never touch liquor again"
"Have you been a hard drinker ?"
queTied a man who walked beside the
engineer.
''No. Fact is, was never drunk in
my life. pve swallowed considerable
whisky, but / never went far enough TO
get drunk. 1 shouldn't miss it, or be
the worse Off for an hour, If all the in
toxicating drink in the world was
drained into the ocean,"
"But you seemed eager to sign the
pledge"
$50 was, and I'll keep It through
thick and thin, and I'll talk temperance
10 every man on the road"
"You must have strong reasons.n
"Well, if you will walk down to the
depot, I'll tell you a story on the way.
1t has not been in the papers, and only
a few of US know the facts. You know
that I run the night express on the
B road. We have always at least
two sleepers and a coach, and sometimes
we have as many as two hundred pas
sengers. It is a good road, level as a
floor, and pretty straight, though there
is bad spot or two. The night express
has the right o. way, and we must make
fast time. IL is no rare thing for us TO
skim along at the rate of fifty miles an
hour for thirty or forty miles, aud We
rarely go below thirty. One night
pulled out of Detroit with two sleepers,
two coaches, aud the baggage and mail
cars. Nearly all the berths in both
sleepers were full, and most of the seats
in the coaches were occupied. 1t was a
dark night, threatening all the time to
rain, and a lonesome wind whistled
around the cab as we left the city be-
hind. We were seventeen minutes late,
and that meant fast time all the way
through.
"Well, i" be continued, after moment,
Everything ran along all right up to
midnight. The track was kept clear for
US, the engine was in good spirits, and
we ran into D as smooth as you
please. The express coming east would
meet US fifteen miles west of D; but
the operator at the station had failed 10
receive his usual report from below.
That was strange, and yet it was not,
and after a little consultation the con-
ductor sent me ahead. We were to keep
the main track, while the other train
would run in on the side track. Night
after night our time had been so close
that we did not keep them waiting
more than two minutes, and we were
generally in sight when they switched
in.
"When we left D, we went ahead
at a rattling speed, fully believing that
the other train would be on time. Nine
miles from D. is the little village of
PartO. There is a telegraph station
there, but the operator had no night
work. He closed his Office and went
home about nine o'clock, and any mes
sages on the wires for him were held
above or below until morning. When
1 sighted the station, l saw red lantern
swinging between the rails. Greatly
astouished, pulled up the heavy train
and got bit of news that nearly lifted
me out of my boots. II was the operator
who was swinging the lantern. He had
been reused from sleep by the whistle
of a locomotive when there wasn't one
within ten miles of him. He had heard
the tOot tOot tOOt! while he was
dressing, and all the way as he ran to
the station, thinking he'd been signaled.
10 there was no train there. Every
thing was as quiet as the grave. The
man heard his instrument clicking
away, and, leaning his ear against the
window, he caught these words as they
went through to D.:
For Gods sake switch the eastern
express of quick Engineer on the
western express crazy drunk, and run
ming a mile a minute
"The operator signaled us at once
We had left D. nine miles away, and
the message could not have caught US
anywhere except at PartO. Six miles
further down was the lone switch. II
was time we were there, lacking one
minute. We lost two or three minutes
IN understanding the situation and ia
consulting, and just got ready TO switch
in where we were, when the headlight
Of the other train came into view,
Great heavens but how, oh how that
train was flyingI The bell was ringing
sparks flying, and the whistle scream.
ing, and not a man of US could raise 8
hand. stood there on the track, spell.
bound as It were. There wouldn't have
Deen Time anyhow, either to have
sWltched IN or to have got the passen-
gers out. 1t wasn't over sixty second.
before that train was upon us. prayed
10 God for a breath or two, and theu
smut my eyes and waited for death. fol
hadn't the strength to get off the cab
Wei, sir, Gods mercy was reyeaIef
again. Forty rode above rs that Ioco.
motive jumped the track, and was nile
into the ditch in an awful mess. Son.
of the coaches were conside-ebi,
smashed, and some Of the people hail,
bruised, but no one was killed. and 8
course our train escaped entirely. Ssto,
must have cared for Big Tom, the otb,.
engineer. He didn't get a bruise. bu
was up and across the fields like dee
screaming and shrieking like a tigel
lt took five men to bind him after h
was run down, and to-day be is tn
worst lunatic in the State.
"TOm was a good fellow" continue
the engineer, after a pause, "and /
used to take his glass pretty regularl,
1 never saw him drunk, but liquor kel
working away on his senses until at la
the treBlens caught him when he had
hundred and fifty lives behind his e.
gine. He broke out all Of a sudde
The fireman was thrown of the eDgin
all steam turned on, and then To
nd r4or ff1n