The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-07-09
THE ENGINEERS LAST RUN.

"Ple in the diamonds. Tom, for the run is
long,
And the Lake Shore train from the east is a
little late
And the minute we hear the tap of the depot
gong
The old girl wants to strike her livliest gait.
The night is black as death, and the wind is
in the west,
And the sky above US is streaked with dusky
bars;
Whether it storms or not, the night will be
For that climbing bank of clouds is plotting
out the stars.
81 wish we could start on time Tom, for we're
pullin' heavy train
Three coaches, smoker, two Pullman, bag
gage, express and mail;
And the old girl leans ut the draw bar as
though she could feel the strain
can see her holding her drivers awfully
close to the rail
There goes the gong; look out, Tom the signal
is on your side.
'Afraid?' I hear him; what does he signal?
AN right, say you? GO aheadr
Now grille wen give these folks in the sleeperS
an all night ride,
And wen laugh at the Mississippi ERE the
eastern skies are red.
"steady, old girl Go easy; look out for your
Look at YOU nowl Hold close-that's right
Here's a handful of sand for your drivers; it'll
Look out for that crossing-don't stub your
tOe-eaSY, OLD girl, don't fret.
Now then, you run little; we haven't no time
to dream;
III just let you take six mile gait till we're
well outside of the yards;
so were past Grand Crossng-now rush right
along-just help yourself to the steam,
And Wen give old Time and distance our
swittest and best regards.
"Ha ha Do You feel her culver, Tom? It's
Il little too fast, / know,
She knows she has time to make up-She is
n IN s1 wild and ulo
And l haven't the heart to hold her, Tom,
when see she wants to go;
When ] know by the throb of her nervous
pulse that she wants to run so bad.
ut must be nearly morning, Tom, the night
has worn away,
But the skies grow blacker and darker; it
seems, as the weary night wears on;
And though can tell by the smell OF air that
it must be nearly day,
Yet the clouds have blotted out the stars
that should pale in the early dawn.
She shows two gauges, doesn't she, Tom? this
light, l can't half soc
The very headlight shows dull and dim, fall
tiers as it i1ickeIs along the rails;
reckon I'm nervous with this long run; and
it always seems to mo
That along in the early morning, a fellow
WeakenS and tails.
ave must be near the river, Tom; I wish I
could see it now;
But wen hear it sweep round the great
stone piers, reckon, by and by;
anything but, somehow
wish could see Old Burington's hills up
looming against the sky.
Just feel her spring! How eager she seems .
How faster than life she goes
Hear, when touch the whistle, what agony
in her scream;
And you can not count the whirlng miles
that over her shoulders she throws
Why, the nights run seems to me, boy, like
strange, wild, unreal dream.
"My hand is heavy the whistle 1 blew inst
now could not hear;
And your voice is so strange and distant
Tom, l can't tell where you are.
Have we dropped the train? Its roar is hushed
but mulmuring cold and clear,
1 can hear the sweep on the river now-it
can't be very far
The headlights out, and this air brake, boy
it won't work any more;
There's something wrong. but I'll drive
ahead there is no case for fear
It's dark and still rs the grave behind, it's
dark on the track before.
But the signal lights are set all right the
block ahead is clear
" The river is close ahead, boy can hear its
ccaSeless flow,
Tho l can not see i'll the darkness the rush of
its chilling tide;
1t isn't the Mississippi, Tom, it's some river
that l don't know;
And the shadowy sweep of its waters is dark
and cold and wide.
There amt no bridge, can see, Tom, but
know the way is sure,
And Pm going to pull right straight ahead
through the quiet, starless night,
For see across the river, and white and clear
and pure,
The signal-lights burn steadily, and they're
set Come ahead. All rightr"
II. j. Burdette, in the burlington Hd1ckeye.