Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-02
How Tom Han the Eagfne Without
Wood or Water.

GCharles Barnard in Harper's Young People
once upon time rich man built school
for boys. In which they might study survey
Ing, engineering, mechanics and the sciences
one needs to know to be railroad man. This
man REGAIN life as train boy. and steadily
pushed his way up TO be fireman, engineer,
master mechanic and finally president of
| railroad. He often said hts own chance 10 life
would have been better II he could have gone
| To school when boy and learned from books
/ about s. cam and engines, levels, incline5 and
| curves before he undertook TO fire boiler or
take q locomotive over the road. 50 tJ hap
| peDed he built the school close to the repair
| shops OF the road of which he was preSidanG.
| He put good teac Iers and good books In the
school, aud then opened 1J, free, to the sons OF
| the bTahemen, conductors, engineers ana other
men employed On the line. In the sch Dol the
| boys were TO study the science OF the Railroad
| anG locomotive, and then, IL they afterward
| WeLt TO work Oh the road, they would no have
such nald Time as the train-boy Who became
| president.
Twice every year the president offered a Wal.
| than watch as prize 20 the boy In the school
who should write the best composition Gu any
subject connected with the things they had
| been studying, or anything In relation to en-
| gines or railroads. Tom Stay boltt, whose father
| was conductor on the night express, hai Or. n
IN the schooi three years and ha1 tried five
Was regarded Dy all the scholars as the bright.
| est boy in the school He suffered in MIS-
81 eecb. and his handwriting was as stiff as g.
swlch-rod. yet he was always at the head OF mis-
| class. You could never trip him On any Knot v
| questions as to whether tue cylinders were on
| ,op OF me poliers or usder the tender. He
| a. engine. and 1t was believed by all the oogs
| tnhI ne was good engineer, and could take MS
| latnels Tram right through to the Junction
without running past a red light or wasting
| steam On the down grades
The semi-annuai prize had been annou aeed,
ana nearly every boy in The school was busy
over ms composition, Except Tom.
"I-i-it's 20 use, b b boys l shall not try for
the PIP prize. can't write. and never can
t-t-tell-tell What know. Ii they would give
price for doing something, 1 think / might
So get-get It,
Tom was a great favorlte In the school, AMI
not ore OF the boys laughed at this speech
lhey were taught manners, as well as mecnan-
| leg In that school, and the boys well knew that
what Tom Said was true They might write
compositions and get prizes, but when It came
~ o u1ipg Inc ,tnings, why, Tom Stayboist would
The day OF the prize-givng drew near and
every boy save Tom Was hard at work over his
compOaltlOn. lie had tried ii We times, and each
time the teachers had said his composition Wa a
very bad indeed. with the wrong words, awk-
WaId sentences, and punctuation that was
uuIy awful. Now tt happened that the day
before the prize was to be given, ne locomo-
| tive arrived on the ralI oad and stood, without
Wooa OF water, on the track OF the repair shop
Train, and had never been used on the ROAD.
After school numoer OF the boys went over TO
the yard to see the new engine, and among
them was Tom Stay bOltt.
1t as first class passenger engine, built for
high spetd, and looking very handsome In its
new paint and shining brass work. There were
ssseIai men looking az The engine as the boys
came up, ana they gathered round to hear VIII at
| might be said.
IAN empty engine" remarked one of the
meB, always seems to me a very helpless thing
IL is so big and heavy, IL is Impossible TO move
it without steampo%er and yet IL Will not oaIy
move Itself, but 1t VIII drag many times It's
weight al 4O miles an hour over the line"
Ill is lot The engine that moves" said
aLOther man. Its the wood or coal and
Water-the fuel and steam. lit were not for
the nre and water inside, 1t could never move
al all"
II can make her go without WV w-wood-
wood or water"
This remark caused laugh from the boys,
ano even The men smiled &C inc absurd state
melt one man came over TO where rom stood
and said. "Hew would you do that, my boy?,
"ud rather o. n-not-not tell"
"Why IO.?'
Because nm never t-t-trie-tried IT.
ON, you mean you think you could, but you
nave Lever proved your theory By experiment."
The men and boys became wonderfully inter
ested 10 this conversation. for 1t was clear that
Tom Stay boitt knew what he was talking
DO you belong to the railroad SCHOOL,"
"Y-y-yes-yes SIR.
You mean 70 try for the prize. suppose?"
"No, sir. My handwriting is as crooked "a a
r-I-ram's h horn-ram's horn"
Aittr mat nothing more Of Importance was
said ana the Boys, having looked over the en-
u,
The next Gay at 10 O'Clock the entire school
was marched into the lecture room OF The
,S zen building 10 see The pr.ze watch given Dy
Inc president to the boy VINO had written the
best con position. All the teachers were there
together with the fathers and mothers OF Ih:,
Doys, visitors and people connected with the
railroad. TIE prize giving was regarded as a
great event along the line, and every man
1rCm engLeW ipers to directors, wanted to D.,
Oh hand 10 see hose son carried OF the prize
At lo:l5, railroad une, the president and the
fnVc xutfI,
daughters, maj ched IN and took seats on tine
platform, while ali the boss stood up as mat
Ter OF respect 10 the founder OF the scnool. IL
was altogether quite grand and cerem onions
affair, and was Tor the boys an impressive Oc
cision. When the directors and ladies' were
seated, The boy 8 sat down. Then there was
speec en- lIom The head-mas5er. followed by one
nom dlrt ctoT, and one from the presidents
WlIe. Then it came the presidents turn to give
cut the prizes. All the compositions, neatly
t,ed up IN REQ tape, were laid on the desk. and
Wien nc STOOD up he brushed them all one side
as II he 0lG not care much for compositions
HIS speecs was short and very PECULIAR
schd Lao1es s. ara al gentlemen, and boys OF the
ions, and, While think they are all excellent.
nave dtcided that this time the chance to win
1ns pilze eo snal DE- epn to those who did not
This was great surprise, and the boys won.
oereo now this was TO De done. They knew the
presioent was just and honorable man, and
be SAID in silence, though those who had written
TIE compositions wee, Of course, somewhat
disappointed.
Yesterday continued the president. 81
neald one OF the boys say he could run loco
motive engine without wood or water, II he
can du II, he shall have the prize. Is the boy
pIesent?' wv
There was solemn hush In the room Every
one locked about. and wondered II the auda-
c1ous and foolish boy was there or course It
could not be done, and the president mad taken
THIS means to punish him for his vain and Idle
Roasting. AS for Tom SJayb o!tt he felt ready
TO INK through the ficor. Something must be
ooIe about IL, and In moment he STOOD up
ana SAID, In clear, manly voice.
SAID so, Sir; and II you will give me the
eLslhe, ana Jerry Smiths Mogul I'll do IT,"
1 ne sudGen appearance OF little Tom Say
Dlott, pale and yet calm, and the Gle ir voice
NltEout defect, caused great sensation. and
every one turned In Wonder to look at MIN
Some OF the ladies wanted to know what the
Coy meant by Jerry Smiths Mogul" and the
gentlemen with them explained that 1t was a
heaVy Height engine OF the .Mog UP pattern
iun by J. smith.
me president called Tom up to the platform
al LOT moment or Two there was a Whjs
pertd conversation between Tom. Ine haad
master or the school and the president. Every
one looked on with the greatest inferest and
Wo1eere0 what would happen next. Tom
seemed 10 have convinced the two gentlemen
tnaI he knew exactly what he was taking
aDout, 1or The president smiled and shook Tom
py the haBd, and then stood up and SAID tn ali
the people: ~ e'''" W oil
when heard Master Stay bolt saw Yesterday
adternoo1 ne could run the engine, resolved