Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-12-16
THE ENGINEERS STORY.

THE ENGINEERS STORY.
Mayhap, stranger, you nave run over the
Pennsylvany Central Railroad. As You
may say, was born and brought up on
that line. first as fireman, then engineer
nigh on to twenty years. It's alters exct-
IN to run a machine, and wen was fire
man / used to think that it was better to
be top of one of them splendid engines
than to be President Of the United States
The day they first put me on the footboard
and took tire lever in nv hand and knew
il was my engine, l reckon ] was the
proudest man between Pittsburg and AL
taona. [ kinder thought that everybody
was goin' to be out that day, to see how
The train made her run, and you Kin bet
all your specie that she went smack up TO
The mint; the whole III miles But this
kind of spirit wore off after awhile, n they
did say tiat | wor as safe N reliable man
as they he'd in the business. [ hev TO say
it., stranger, as there's nobody else to do
L
I was turned % wen me and Mary was
married. Twenty-eight years ago i on
hev wife, stranger? Hewitt got no wife!
Well. mayhaps it's just as we'll ! L he'd
Mary some sight years, but it don't seem
ike SO long. now. l left her there Iii the
O d Keystone State her an the boy. Some
times | think Id like to 60 back agii!, a d
zee the place where they both lie, but |
suppose [ never shall. Don't seem rs if
had the heart to do it. 1t wasn't III any
c urch-yarei, you know; but quiet spot
mong the trees, and they are tliere-n'
more N 106 feet Say, above the track ahd
often wonder if Charley doesn't still
lr am, when The New York express thun-
Irrs by, that his old father is holding the
hrottle.
Iput up snug cabin by the side of the
road Mhtn had q small clearin', and be-
ween whites | used to plant my potat toes
I'D t ings, enough to keep us goin, and
Nary had her garden. Mary alters took to
tiowers, as l USED to tell her jokiD' like,
C IS she was one of the family. Then we
Il d COW. and Mary raised chickens, and
never see no perso1 could do as much
With CHECKERS as Mary could. Jest seem
themselves layin' eggs. You uever see
nothin' pay stricken attention to business
han W. at they did. Never standin' about
,, md foaln' around, but alters at it. An
zen they'd SIT md hatch Incredible
lstly two bioods year, and brought
m all up.
Mary raised the cow.i One of the neigh
mrs gave it to her when it was a calf and
he made much Of it. [ used to tie it to a
AXE near the cabin When it was Il little
hing, for it to eat grass. Mary didn't
NOW much about things then !; she was
nng like. and one day she thought she'c
out the calf in the stable. told her she'd
,etter not try it--she just a slight girl
Now calf, you know, is the most deceiv-
| n animal in the world, 1t don't look as
| it had any strength, and yet it'll upset IA
| full grown man. So Mary unties the rope
and starts for the shed, and he calf kicked
| iD ms utStS anu away iiC WON. AAe@l
| eld on tn the rope and away she vent =
thrown down. rolled overland there was
| confusion of calf and calico all over tie
| ), ce. There wasn't no bones broken, but
Nary was the most amazed gill you ever
| .;4w. That calf grew up to be a known
ow. She used 10 run out on the track
Hst ON purpose TO frigbten people. She'd
tay on till tie train was close up, but new
Il get hit. The men soon all got to know
Ter and didi't mind her. But whenever
new engineer came along and saw er,
ED whistle down brakes and raise RIM
Gus, often bringing the train to q dead
stop. But she d walk OFF just at the right
ime and seem to understand the joke.
Our little cabin was in among the noun
aims, good ways from any other house,
md used to sometimes thick that Mary
must be lonesome, with me away so mncn
the time. You see, | was alters oul
three nights in The week. l uent up IL
he day time passing my house at noon
md Down again that night, passing at
mi mght. But was home two or three
lay, in the elk, ard alters on Sunday
The place where we lived WAS a wild re-
ii m of country, and the storms we used
to have up there, so high in the air. was
tarful.
didn't tell you anything about the boy!
No! Well. do you know took to him the
very first moment. Ard that's very Gu
rlous thing about babies. Now, l never
fancitd 'em much. but tell you. stranger
il makes all the difference in the world
! ghrther it's your baby or whether 1t be
longs to Somebody else. I've seen a great
, many of 'em in 10y time, and accordln' to
their parents they was the most uncom-
! mon babies; but could never see much or
it. fused to laugh good deal when peo-
| le made such fools of themselves over
their children, tut know exac ly how it
IS now, for | suppose | was the greatest
| fool over my Charley as ever lived. Mary
named him Charley. That was after me.
Seems to me that boy took to a locomotive
! from the time he was six months old. HIS
! mother would sit out in front of the house,
with him in her lap, when | went ny at
noon. and she'd kiss her hand and wave
the bahy at me- BY the time he was
years old he'd got so that | used to TAXI
him up to ride with me. There Was d