Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-06-30
THE ENGLNEER,S LIST RUN.

TIE ENGENEER'S LIST RUN.
"Pile in the diamonds. Tom, for the run is
And the Lake Shore train from the east is a
And the minute we hear the tap of the depot
The old girl wants to strike her livIiest gait.
ihe night is black as death, and the wind is
And the sky above us is streaked with dusky
bars; ~
Whether It storms or not, the night viii be
For that climbing bank OF clouds is blotting
out the stars.
ST wish we could start ON time. Tom. for we're
pullin' a heavy train
Three coaches, a smoker, two Pullman, bag
And the old girl leans at The draw bar as
though she could feel the strain
can see her holding her drivers awful.
is on your side. .
'Afraidp hear him what does he signals
All right, say you? 60 ahead SCI
Now giriis;wssi give these folks in the sleepers
And wen iaSgh1 At the Mississippi ,ere the
eassseH ekies.are red.
" Steady, Old alrlss Goea.sy; look out for your.
Look e ySa'Ss sP Hold elose-shat,s right
Here's ehandfui Of sand tor sa' Your drivers it'll
Lookout fqr that crcssing-don't stub your
Now then, yoss run q little we haven't no time
to dream;
Wen outside 81 the va yarda: e sai' TN We fe
SO we're past Grand Crossing-now rush right
along-just help yourself to the steam.
And We'll give old Time and distance our
u swiftest and best regards.
" Ha, ha! Do you feel her CULVER. Tom? It's
alittle too fast, I know.
She knows she has time to make up-she is
running so wild and glad;
And haven't the heart to hold her, Tom
when see she wants to go;
pulse that she wants to run 90 bad:
" It must be nearly morning, Tom, the night
But the skies grow blacker and darker; il
And though can tell by the smell of air that
Yet the Clouds eh have oI 5iotted out the stars
that should pale in the early dawn
She shows two gauges, doesn't she, Tom? this
The very headlight shows dull and dim, fall
tiers as it flickers along the rails;
it always seems to me
That along in the early morning, a fellow
weakens and fails.
I'VE must be near the river, Tom; wish
could see it now;
But we'll hear it sweep round the great
stone piers, reckon, by and by;
We're right on time, and don't feel afraid OF
any Dlng, but, somehow
wish c"sild see old Burlington's hills up.
looming against the sky.
Just feel her spring. How eager she seems
How faster than life she goesi
Hear, when touch the whistle, what agony
in her scream;
And you can not count the whirling miles
that over her shoulders she throws
Why, the nights run seems to me, boy, like d
strange, wild, unreal dream.
"My hand is heavy, the whistle 1 blew just
now could not hear;
And your voice is SO strange and distant
Tom, can't tell where you are.
but murmuring cold and clear,
I can hear the sweep of 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
It's dark and still as 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 it's
ceaseess flow,
Tho can not see in the darkness the rush OF
its chilling tide;
It isn't the Mississippi, Tom, it's some river
that 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
The signal lights burn steadily and they're
ST set Come ahead. All rightp"
<-R. J. Burdette, tn the burlington Harkeye.